Description
Warm, comforting homemade apple cider made from scratch with fresh apples, oranges, and aromatic fall spices. This easy recipe fills your home with incredible autumn aromas and tastes infinitely better than store-bought cider!
Ingredients
Scale
- 10–12 medium apples (about 4 pounds), mixed varieties, quartered
- 2 large oranges, quartered (with peels on)
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
- 2–3 whole star anise (optional)
- 2–3 quarts filtered water (enough to cover fruit)
- ¼ cup brown sugar or maple syrup (optional, to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (optional, enhances flavor)
Instructions
- Prepare the Fruit: Wash your apples and oranges thoroughly. Quarter the apples—no need to peel or core them, as the peels and seeds add flavor and natural pectin. Quarter the oranges with peels on. Place all fruit in your large stockpot or slow cooker.
- Add Spices: Add the cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, allspice berries, sliced ginger, and star anise (if using) to the pot with the fruit. These whole spices will infuse the cider with warm, aromatic flavors as it simmers.
- Add Water: Pour enough water into the pot to cover the fruit by about 1-2 inches. You’ll need approximately 2-3 quarts depending on your pot size. Don’t worry about exact measurements—just ensure everything is submerged.
- Bring to a Boil: If using stovetop method, place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. If using a slow cooker, set to HIGH.
- Simmer: For stovetop, simmer uncovered for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. For slow cooker, cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 5-6 hours. The apples should be completely soft and broken down.
- Mash the Fruit: After cooking, use a potato masher to thoroughly mash all the fruit pieces in the pot. This releases more flavor and juice. Mash for 2-3 minutes until everything is broken down.
- Continue Simmering: Let the mashed mixture simmer for another 30-60 minutes to extract maximum flavor from the fruit and spices. The liquid should be a beautiful amber color.
- Strain the Cider: Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl or pitcher. Carefully ladle the cider mixture through the strainer, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract all possible liquid. For crystal-clear cider, strain again through cheesecloth.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste your cider. If it’s too tart, add brown sugar or maple syrup one tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired sweetness. Add a pinch of salt if desired—it enhances all the flavors beautifully.
- Serve or Store: Serve immediately in mugs garnished with a cinnamon stick and orange slice, or let cool completely and refrigerate in glass jars or pitchers for up to one week.
Notes
- Apple Variety Matters: Use a mix of sweet and tart apples for the most complex flavor. Avoid using only one variety.
- Don’t Skip the Oranges: They add essential brightness and balance to the cider.
- Whole Spices are Key: Ground spices make the cider cloudy and can taste bitter. Always use whole spices when possible.
- Sweetness is Optional: Taste before adding any sweetener—depending on your apples, you may not need any at all.
- Make it Clear: For perfectly clear cider, strain through several layers of cheesecloth or a coffee filter.
- Scaling the Recipe: This recipe easily doubles or triples for large gatherings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2-3 hours (stovetop) or 4-6 hours (slow cooker)
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Stovetop or Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 95
- Sugar: 21g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg