The Best Homemade Spiced Apple Cider
Welcome fall and celebrate the holidays with this delicious hot apple cider that is perfect for a party or for staying cozy on a chilly night.
Ingredients
- 1 3 lb bag sweet apples, quartered I use Gala or Fuji
- 1 3 lb bag tart apples, quartered I use Granny Smith
- 1 orange, zested, peeled, and then sectioned (be sure to peel your orange - your cider will be less bitter!)
- 4 whole cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 3 cloves star anise
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
- ¼ to ½ cup light brown sugar to your personal preference
- water
Instructions
- Place apples, orange, orange zest, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, nutmeg and brown sugar into a large stockpot.
- Pour water into the stockpot until the ingredients are covered and begin to float. Don't overfill your pot with water - it could boil over!
- Begin by bringing the water to a boil over high heat on the stove. Once boiling, decrease to medium-low heat and simmer for 2 hours.
- When the mixture has cooked for 2 hours, use a large spoon or spatula to gently mash the ingredients together. The apples should be soft at this point.
- Continue to simmer the mashed mixture for another 1-2 hours.
- Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl or pitcher. Using a spoon, gently mash and squeeze all liquid from the solids as they pass through the sieve. Discard the remaining solids. Strain one more time through the fine mesh sieve to be sure there are no solids in the cider.
- Enjoy hot from the stove or refrigerate for up to a week. You can also freeze this cider for up to 6 months. Reheat/defrost in a pan on the stove set to medium heat until the mixture is warmed through.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!