An ancient Cornish mince-meat

Sandys printed a mince-meat receipt handed down in a Cornish family for many generations, headed as an ancient Cornish custom at Christmas. It was made of beef suet, raisins, currants and chopped apples in equal pounds, with eggs, allspice, sugar, salt and as much brandy and wine as you liked, and no meat at all. He had been told by connoisseurs that the best mince-meat had little or no meat, so it kept fresher and ate lighter, and he advised a small piece of citron in each pie.