Delicious Stovetop Apple Cider

Apple cider, to me, is one of the most iconic drinks of the fall and holiday seasons. When I picture apple cider, I see myself curled up on the couch with the most recent Sarah J. Mass book or outside in the crisp air around a fire. Sipping hot apple cider is like a warm comforting hugs for my soul.

This mulled apple cider recipe is so easy to make, requiring only a handful of ingredients, and makes your house smell festive and cozy during the process. Taking only apple juice, oranges, cinnamon sticks, and cloves then slowly simmering them together in a large pot on the stove gives you the perfect holiday sipper.

The longer this drink is allowed to simmer, the more the spices infuse into the drink, giving you a stronger and more aromatic flavour. I enjoy this recipe as an alcohol-free drink, feel free to spike it with spiced rum, bourbon, or whiskey.

INGREDIENTS:

-          Apple Cider – use any brand you’d like. I opt for low-sugar, not from concentrate juice since there is already so much extra sugar around the holiday season.

-          Oranges – use the thinner skinned oranges since they tend to be juicer. You’ll need the juice from the orange, and then some slices for simmering.

-          Sugar (optional) – I don’t usually add sugar to my ciders, the juice makes them sweet enough for me. But if you’d like a hint of sweetness, feel free to use either granulated or brown sugar.

-          Cinnamon sticks – there’s just something unbeatable about using a cinnamon stick versus the ground-up version. Plus, the flavour infuses gently, rather than leaving chunks of cinnamon that might end up in your mouth.

-          Whole cloves – simmering whole cloves adds a lot of warmth and flavour, but won’t overpower your drink.

How to make mulled apple cider

It’s honestly the simplest drink in the world to make!

1. Add all ingredients to a heavy bottom pot. I add the orange rinds right to the pot after I'm done juicing them so they can infuse more flavour.

2. Bring to a simmer. Allow the drink to simmer for anywhere from 1 hour to 8 hours. As I said above, the longer you simmer it the warmer and more robust those spices will become.

3. Strain.

4. Serve warm and enjoy!

Mix it up!

1. Add candied ginger. The heat from the ginger will add even more of that festive flavour and tone down the sweetness a bit.

2. Apple Cranberry. Add a handful of fresh or frozen cranberries to infuse some of the tart and fruity flavour, creating a more Christmas-y flavour.

3.       Add vanilla. The vanilla will add a certain sweetness to the flavour, making it more of a dessert drink

STORAGE

Mulled apple cider will store in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 7 days. When you’re ready for more, just pour some into a small pot and reheat on the stove top. You can opt to microwave it in a microwaveable mug, but I find it’s hard the get the perfect warmness.

Alternatively, you may can your apple cider. Since it’s naturally a high-acidic food there is no  need to add lemon juice or sugar to preserve it. Plus, you can simply use a water bath rather than having to drag out the pressure canner.

• Once your cider is done simmering, ladle it into clean and sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Add your seals and screw the rims on finger tight. Place in a pot filled with water so that the jars are covered with about 1-2 inches of water.

• Allow the jars to boil for 5 minutes for pints and quarts, or 10 minutes for half gallon jars (remember to adjust for altitude). Once the timer is done, turn off the heat and remove the jars for 5 more minutes before removing them to cool on a rack.

• Once they’re cooled, check the seals. Any unsealed jars can go into the fridge to be drank first.

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RECIPE