Green Tomato Mincemeat

The weatherman forecast our first hard frost, so I made a point of picking several boxes of unripened tomatoes from my garden. They are ripening up nicely in the warm kitchen, but there were more than we could use at one time. I decided to make green tomato mincemeat, a dish I remember making with my grandma and mother when I was a child. I don't know why I didn't try it again until recently. It's delicious! Here's the recipe:

Green Tomato Mincemeat

12 cups chopped green tomatoes*
6 cups peeled, chopped tart apples
2 cups raisins
1 cup dates, chopped (may use currants)
1/2 cup diced candied pineapple (or citron)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
3 cups brown sugar, firmly packed**
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Chop all ingredients and place in a kettle. Cook slowly over low heat until tender and thick (2 or more hours). Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Can or freeze as desired (if canning, use water-bath method with 20 minutes of processing; omit cloves if freezing).

Delicious on toast! Layer with peanut butter if desired! Also great served as a fruit sauce, as a pie filling, or for tarts for tea.

Makes about 8 pints.

*If you don't have green tomatoes, tomatillos from the supermarket will work.

**I used agave syrup.