Homemade Apple Cider Recipe
This Homemade Apple Cider recipe is a comforting and flavorful beverage made by slow-cooking a variety of apples, orange, and warm spices like cinnamon and cloves. Perfect for chilly days, this homemade cider delivers a natural sweetness balanced with aromatic spices, making it an ideal fall or winter drink to warm you up.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 to 8 hours (including additional hour of cooking after mashing)
- Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes to 8 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: About 8 to 10 servings 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits
- 10 medium apples (a variety such as Honeycrisp and Granny Smith)
- 1 orange, peeled and segmented
Spices & Sweeteners
- 4 cinnamon sticks (or 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
Liquids
- Water (enough to cover the fruit in the slow cooker)
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit and spices: Peel the orange and separate into segments, then rinse and quarter the apples, discarding the cores. Place all the fruit into a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, and granulated sugar to the pot. Pour in enough water to just cover the fruit to ensure thorough cooking.
- Cook the mixture: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6 to 7 hours or on high heat for 4 hours. Low heat is preferred if available, as it allows for deeper flavor development. The fruit should become very soft by the end of this cooking period.
- Remove spices and mash fruit: Using tongs or a large slotted spoon, take out the cinnamon sticks. With a sturdy spoon or potato masher, mash the cooked fruit in the slow cooker to release more juice and flavors. Then return the cinnamon sticks to the mixture and cover again.
- Cook for an additional hour: Continue cooking on low or high heat for one more hour to deepen the flavors and help the mash meld with the liquid.
- Strain the cider: Very slowly pour the chunky liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a large pot or heat-safe pitcher. Discard the solids. For a clearer cider, strain the liquid a second time through the filter to remove any remaining pulp or sediment.
- Serve and store: Serve the warm apple cider immediately. Leftover cider can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days. When ready to enjoy again, gently warm it on the stove or serve chilled if preferred.
Notes
- You can substitute cinnamon sticks with 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon if preferred.
- Using a mix of apple varieties like Honeycrisp and Granny Smith adds complexity to the flavor.
- Adjust sugar quantity depending on the sweetness of your apples and personal preference.
- Make sure to strain the cider slowly to preserve as much liquid as possible while filtering out solids.
- Keep the leftover cider refrigerated in a sealed container to maintain freshness.
- This recipe makes a cozy seasonal drink ideal for fall and winter gatherings.
Keywords: Homemade apple cider, slow cooker cider, warm apple beverage, fall drink, apple and orange cider, cinnamon spiced cider
Find it online: https://kitchenbyclara.com/homemade-apple-cider-recipe/
