Description
A cozy and flavorful hot apple cider made by simmering a mix of fresh apples, peeled oranges, warming spices, and sweetened with pure maple syrup and brown sugar. Perfect for chilly days and gatherings, this comforting beverage offers a balance of sweet and spicy notes to warm you up.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits and Spices
- 12 medium apples, quartered with peels and seeds (mix of Granny Smith, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala)
- 2 large oranges, peeled and quartered
- 4 (3-4 inch) cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 star anise (optional)
- 1 whole nutmeg or ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1 teaspoon allspice berries (optional)
- 5 whole black peppercorns (optional)
Liquids and Sweeteners
- 1 gallon (16 cups) water
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add ingredients to pot: Place the quartered apples, peeled and quartered oranges, cinnamon sticks, peeled ginger, whole cloves, and any optional spices into a very large stockpot (ideally 12 quarts).
- Add water: Pour in 1 gallon of water if the pot is large enough; otherwise, add enough water to leave 1 ½ - 2 inches of space at the top for simmering. You can add the remaining water later if needed.
- Simmer: Cover and bring the water to a rapid simmer over high heat. Once simmering, reduce heat to low. Let it simmer covered for 2 hours and 30 minutes until the fruit becomes very soft.
- Mash the fruit: Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to mash the softened fruit against the side of the pot, releasing more flavor.
- Simmer again: Continue to simmer uncovered for 1 additional hour to deepen the flavor.
- Strain: Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and ladle the cider through in batches, pressing the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
- Add sweetener: Return the strained cider to the empty pot. Add any remaining water if the full gallon was not added initially. Stir in maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until dissolved and combined.
- Adjust to taste: Taste the cider and add more sweetener one tablespoon at a time if desired. Add a pinch of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, or ground nutmeg to enhance flavor according to preference.
- Serve: Enjoy the cider warm, or chill and serve cold. Experiment with garnishes or serving styles as you like.
Notes
- Make sure to peel the oranges before adding them to reduce bitterness.
- To make in a slow cooker, add all ingredients and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 hours, with low and slow preferred for best flavor.
- Store leftover cider in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze cider in freezer-safe containers leaving about ¾ inch space for expansion; freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.
- Use a mix of sweet and tart apples for better flavor complexity.
- Adjust spices and sweetness to personal taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 10 mg
- Fat: 0.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 0.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
