Homemade Apple Cider

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This cozy Homemade Apple Cider is spiced with cinnamon and cloves, laced with a hint of fresh orange flavor and served while it’s steaming hot. It’s simmered on the stovetop for hours to give it the most amazing flavor!

Easy Spiced Apple Cider Recipe

A hot mug of cider on a crisp fall day is the coziest thing I can think of. This easy apple cider charms your taste buds with classic fall spices and warms you up from the inside out. Plus, it makes your whole entire house smell heavenly while it slowly simmers over the stove.

This isn’t just a homemade version of your average apple cider – it’s a specific variety known as mulled apple cider. Regular cider usually sticks with apples as its sole ingredient while mulled cider incorporates spices and citrus fruit.

Classic apple cider is also meant to be served cold, but for mulled cider, the opposite is true. That being said, this foolproof mulled cider is just as amazing straight out of the fridge!

Is Homemade Apple Cider Healthy?

Very much so. Apple cider is loaded with plant compounds called “polyphenols,” which affect your body like antioxidants. These heart-healthy compounds are known to prevent cell damage, relieve inflammation, and even reduce your risk of cancer and diabetes. Having the ability to control exactly what goes into your mulled cider allows you to steer clear of preservatives and other unwanted ingredients, keeping it healthy as can be.

What You’ll Need

This comforting beverage comes together with a handful of simple ingredients. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to see the corresponding amounts.

• Medium-Sized Apples: Cut into quarters.
• Orange: Peeled and quartered.
• Cinnamon Sticks: All solids will be filtered out of the cider after it cooks.
• Whole Cloves: Add these to taste.
• Water
• Sugar

What Kind of Apples Should I Use?

I recommend using a combination of tart and sweet apples for your cider. I typically reach for Granny Smith and Honeycrisp, but you could also use Gala or Golden Delicious.

If you really like your cider on the sweet side, feel free to leave out the Granny Smith apples and stick with just the sweet ones. I wouldn’t use all Granny Smith apples, as that would make the finished product a bit too tart.

How to Make Mulled Apple Cider

A little patience is all you need to make perfect spiced apple cider from scratch. Here are the step-by-step instructions:

1. Combine Everything But the Sugar: Add the apples, oranges, cinnamon sticks, cloves and water to a large stockpot. You want the water to fully cover the fruit with a little space left at the top of the pot.
2. Heat & Cover: Bring the mixture to a simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.
3. Let Simmer: Let the cider simmer over medium-low heat for about 2 hours, or until the apples are completely soft.
4. Mash Apples & Continue Simmering: Mash the apples with a potato masher or something similar to release the flavors, then cover the pot again and let the cider simmer for another hour.
5. Strain: Strain the cider using a fine mesh strainer or a cheesecloth to get rid of all of the solids.
6. Stir in Sugar: Add in the sugar and stir until it’s fully dissolved.
7. Enjoy! Serve your cider warm with some orange or apple slices and a cinnamon stick.

Can I Make It in the Crock Pot?

Absolutely. Just combine all of the ingredients in a 6-8 quart slow cooker and cook the cider on low for 6-8 hours (or on high for 3-4 hours). Mash the apples once they’ve softened, then cook the cider for another hour. Strain and serve!

Tips for Success

Make sure you look over these helpful tips before you fire up your stovetop.

• Wash the Apples: Don’t forget to give your apples a good rinse to wash away any dirt or bacteria that may be lurking on the surface of the fruit. Pat the apples dry with a paper or cloth towel before you quarter them.
• To Peel or Not to Peel: You don’t have to peel the orange if you’d prefer not to. Just note that the cider will taste slightly more tart if you leave the peel intact. Rinse and dry the orange before you cut it if you’re choosing to keep the peel on.
• Add Cloves to Taste: Go ahead and reduce the amount of cloves you add to the cider if you’d like it to have a milder clove flavor.
• Don’t Let the Cider Boil: It’s important that your cider doesn’t reach its boiling point – as soon as it starts to simmer, turn down the heat and cover the pot. Boiling it will cause it to thicken into a syrup.

Variation Ideas

There are endless ways to make this apple cider your own. Have fun with it!

• Use a Grapefruit, Lime or Lemon Instead of an Orange
• Spike It With Bourbon, Rum or Brandy
• Add or Swap in Spices Like Nutmeg and Cardamom
• Use Brown Sugar or Honey in Place of Granulated Sugar
• Throw in Some Fresh Ginger
• Fill a Glass With Ice and Serve the Cider Chilled
• Substitute the Spices for a Bag of Chai Tea

How to Store and Reheat Extra Cider

Store leftover apple cider in an airtight container after it has cooled to room temperature. It can then be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy it cold or warm it up over low heat. You could also microwave individual mugs of cider for 60-90 seconds.

Can I Freeze This?

Go right ahead! Freeze your cooled cider in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Don’t forget to leave an inch or two of space at the top of the container so the liquid has room to expand as it freezes. Otherwise, your container could deform or break completely. Thaw out frozen cider in the fridge before you reheat it.

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More Satisfying Drinks to Make From Scratch

• Watermelon Elderflower Cocktail
• Easy Homemade Eggnog
• Strawberry Vanilla Sweet Tea
• Classic Hot Toddy