The robust flavor of freshly picked apples, simmered in Autumn’s favorite spices of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves make this recipe perfect for sipping hot, or using in many of your Autumn recipes.
What Is Apple Cider?
While apple juice can be bought year round, apple cider is an unfiltered, unprocessed or preserved pure puree of apples (core, seeds, skin and all), strained into a robust juice of whole apples.
Apple Cider And Autumn
At summer’s end and Autumn’s chill, apple trees are ripe for picking. Varieties of apples, throughout America, pop up at roadside stands and farmer’s markets that aren’t sold throughout the rest of the year.
Why? Because they have been freshly picked right here in American and not shipped in from elsewhere!
Freshly picked apples are what make up apple cider, so their refrigeration life is not terribly long and preservatives don’t go into real apple cider.
Is Apple Cider An Alcohol Drink?
Nope! Hard cider is a fermented, alcohol drink made from fermenting the sugars in apples, just as wine is made from fermenting the sugars in grapes. If it states that it is just Apple Cider then there is no alcohol in it.
Spiced Apple Cider
Just as we love cinnamon, cloves and cardamom in our apple pie, we also love to sip on a spiced apple drink that reminds us of other apple favorites. The healthy aspect about making your own spiced apple cider drinks, is that you can control how much sugar goes in or simply swap out sugar all together for honey.
Apple Cider Hot Toddy
Oh Yea! Think…. Cozy fire in the evening, a brisk football tailgate, a long walk through trails covered with vibrant fallen leaves. What would go perfect with all these scenarios? A thermos or freshly ladled cup of simmering hot spiced apple cider with a drizzle of rum! Sound good to you? Let me show you how easy it is to make.
Recipes With Spiced Apple Cider
Do you like to make your own pie crusts? Besides flour and butter, a Homemade Pie Crust always calls for a drizzle of cold water. Try substituting that cold water for cold spiced cider.
How about a couple of slow roasted pork loins, basted with a sauce made from spiced apple cider, bacon drippings, maple syrup and a little balsamic vinegar. Yum! Toss a few sweet potatoes in while the pork slow roasts and you’ve got a spectacular dinner.
Apple Muffins. Yes, I am the muffin queen and I will find a way to put anything scrumptious in a muffin. Rough chop some apples and pecans, use spiced apple cider with a little butter, flour and rising agents and you’ve got a fabulous fall muffin.
Ingredients Needed
- Apple cider
- Cinnamon sticks
- Cloves
- Cardamom pods
- Orange rinds
- Honey
Equipment Needed
- Large simmering pot
- Strainer
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Stovetop or burner
Homemade Spiced Apple Cider
Ingredients
- Apple Cider – 1 quart
- Cinnamon sticks – 2
- Cloves – 10 whole
- Cardamom pods – 5, smashed (use all of it)
- Orange rinds – peels from 1 whole orange
- Honey – 1/4 cup
Instructions
- Place everything except the honey in a large pot, bring to a boil, turn it all the way down until it just barely simmers and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Turn it off and stir in the honey.
- Allow to cool, strain and store in a closed container if not serving right away.
Nutrition
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
