1) Pear, Cranberry and Pecan Mincemeat with Rum cost €6

(From Jam, Jelly and Relish by Ghillie James)

250g luxury dried mixed fruit
75g dried cranberries
100g chopped pecans and almonds
100g raisins
100g sultanas
2 firm pears, cored but unpeeled and finely chopped
250g light soft brown sugar
125g beef suet
Zest and juice of one orange
Zest and juice of one lemon
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
Good grating of nutmeg (about one quarter of a whole one)
3 tbsp rum

Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Pack into just warm, but not too hot, sterilised jam jars and seal. Keeps for one year.

2) Cumberland Sauce cost €2.50

(A Delia Smith recipe)

Serves 8 as an accompaniment to gammon, goose or game

1 medium lemon
1 medium orange
4 large tbsp authentic redcurrant jelly
4 tbsp port
1 heaped tsp mustard powder
1 heaped tsp ground ginger

First, thinly pare off the rinds of both the lemon and the orange, then cut into very small strips, about 1cm in length and as thin as possible.

Boil the rinds in water for five minutes, then drain well.

Place the redcurrant jelly in a saucepan with the port and melt, whisking together over a low heat for five to 10 minutes. The redcurrant jelly won't melt completely, so sieve it afterwards.

In a serving bowl, mix the mustard and ginger with the juice of half the lemon until smooth, then add the juice of the whole orange, the port and redcurrant mixture and the strips of orange and lemon peel. Mix well – and it's ready for use. Keeps for two weeks in the fridge in a screw-top jar.

3) Christmas Chutney cost €7

(From Nigella Christmas)

Makes 2.2 litres

750g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped small
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
500g fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
250g soft pitted dates, each cut into 3
Zest, pulp and juice of 2 clementines/satsumas
400g caster sugar
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp cayenne
500ml white wine vinegar
2 tsp Maldon salt or 1 tsp table salt
9 x 250ml vinegar-proof preserving jars

Sterilise the jars. Put the apples, onion, cranberries and dates into a large pan. Zest the clementines/satsumas over the top, then squeeze in the juice and scrape in the pulp. Add the sugar, ground cloves, ginger, cinnamon and cayenne pepper, then pour the vinegar over and sprinkle in the salt. Now all you have to do is give a good stir, turn on the heat, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for about an hour or so. Spoon into warm, prepared jars and seal. Make up to two months before using. Keeps for one year in a cool dark place or up to a month in the fridge after opening.