Cozy Spiced Apple Cider

Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Total time: 4 Hours

Makes ~8 Cups

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Ingredients:

• 3 lbs Organic Red & Green Apples (~1.3 Kg or 10 – 15 large Apples)
• 2 medium Oranges
• 8 cups Water (~2 Liters)
• 2 tsp Whole Cloves
• 2 tsp Whole Allspice
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks (see notes)
• 1 - 2 inches Fresh Ginger, roughly chopped

Optional:

• Maple Syrup
• Caramel Sauce
• Whipped Cream
• Alcohol of Choice

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Instructions:

1. PREP: Rinse off & wash your fresh fruit (see notes), and cut the apples into quarters or eighths for larger apples, keeping all the pieces relatively the same size. No need to take off the skins, core, or seeds, these add great flavor and will be strained out later. Peel the oranges and segment them into pieces roughly the same size as the apples. Add the apples and orange pieces to a large pot, along with 8 cups of water, the whole spices, and the roughly chopped ginger.

2. SIMMER: Place the pot over a high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, lower the temperature to a medium low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour. After 1 hour, check the fruit, they should be very soft and easily mashable (if not, keep cooking until they are). With a wooden spoon, mash the fruit against the sides of the pot until all the fruit is broken up. Place the lid back on and simmer for another 30 minutes.

3. CHECK: At this point, check the cider for taste (try to just get the juice and not any fruit or spice bits). If the cider is not flavorful enough, leave the pot on a medium low heat with the lid off for another 30 minutes, so the mixture can evaporate & concentrate. If it needs more sweetness, pour in a 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Once the mixture is to your liking, remove the pot from the heat, and allow the mixture to cool down to room temperature or just slightly warm.

4. STRAIN: With a large bowl underneath, strain out the cider mixture using a large Reusable Straining Bag (or fine mesh strainer), being sure to squeeze out all of the excess liquid from the fruit & spice mixture. This pulp can go straight into the compost after straining.

5. ENJOY: Once strained, the cider is ready to be enjoyed! Heat it up on the stove or microwave and drink it plain, or add any additional flavorings that you may like. Top with some caramel sauce & whipped cream for those with a sweet tooth, or pour in some whiskey, rum, or brandy for a cozy nighttime treat! You can store any excess cider in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, just reheat before serving.

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Notes:

Using Organic Produce—It’s best to use organic produce for this recipe, especially because the whole apples, skin and all, are going into the cider. If you can’t get organic just be sure to thoroughly wash your produce before cutting them up, since you don’t want to be ingesting any of the harmful pesticides & chemicals that are used when growing the fruit!

Mix Up the Spices—This recipe is completely customizable, so add in any spices that fit your liking! Feel free to add in more or less of any of the spices listed, or even add in ones that aren’t listed here, like star anise, nutmeg, or others.

Using Whole Spices—Whole spices work best in a recipe like this, they add in tons of flavor to the cider without any of the powdery texture that ground spices have. If you only have ground spices, they will work fine, just adjust the quantities and stir to make sure they’re all dissolved in.

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