A preserve used as a pie filling or tart filling, which contains minced raisins, dried currants, apples, candied fruit, sweeteners, and spices. The original version of mincemeat contained ground meat and suet, which was at a time when the meat needed to be preserved without refrigeration. Today, some recipes continue to use the original meat and suet ingredients, but many do not and instead, are created using the rich flavored preserve made with fruits and spices. Not to be confused with "ground" or "minced" meat. There is no meat in mincemeat. Historically there was, but not anymore.