Grandma Messmer’s Mince Meat Pie

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef (cook and grind - weight is after grinding)
• 1 pound suet tallow (fine grind)
• 8 pounds apple (pare, core, grind, then weigh)
• 1/3 c lemon juice
• 1/2 c sorghum or molasses
• 4 lbs raisins
• 2 lbs brown sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1 tsp cloves (a little less)
• 1 tsp nutmeg (a little less)
• 1 qt cider or grape juice
• 8-9" raw crust

Instructions

1. Mix in a large kettle. Simmer 1 hr. Stir often. Sticks easily.
2. Pack in hot jars about 2/3 full. Expands a lot.
3. Process 20 min. at 10 lbs pressure.
4. To bake a pie, place the meat into the raw crust.
5. Bake at 40-45 minutes at 425 degrees. Keep the edges covered with foil until the final 5 minutes.