Slow Cooker Apple Cider

slow cooker.png

Fall is officially here! Whether you’re venturing out to the orchards this year or not, you can enjoy a cup of homemade hot (or not!) apple cider with no hassle with this recipe!

INGREDIENTS

  • 9 medium apples, assorted types

  • 1 orange

  • 3 cinnamon sticks

  • 1 whole nutmeg

  • 2 teaspoons whole cloves

  • 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice (optional)

  • 12–16 cups water

  • 1/3 – 2/3 cup brown sugar (or your desired sweetener*)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Wash apples and the orange, and then roughly cut into quarters. (Don’t worry about removing peels, seeds, or stems.)  Place in the bowl of your a large cooker.  Add cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.  Cover with water, filling the slow cooker until it is nearly full. (About 1/2 inch of space at the top of my pot.) Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours, or on low heat for 6-8 hours.

  2. About an hour before the cider is done cooking, use a potato masher (or tongs, or the side of a spoon) to mash the apple and orange slices once they are soft.  Finish cooking for one more hour.

  3. Strain out the apple cider juice into a clean pitcher or pot.  To get the maximum juice out of the apples, you can press them through a fine-mesh strainer, or strain through a cheese cloth.  Stir in your desired amount of sweetener until it is dissolved.

  4. You can serve it hot, or chill it in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It also tastes great with splash or rum, bourbon, or other mix-ins! Garnish with orange slices and a cinnamon stick and enjoy.

Kelley PenroseComment