Hot Mulled Apple Cider
On a cold day, there’s nothing more comforting & delicious than sipping on this hot cider. The warm, soothing spices, citrus & apple are a blend made in heaven! Don’t limit yourself to serving this hot, this cider also makes a very refreshing cold drink on a hot summer day.
Yield: 16 – 8 oz servings
Ingredients
1 gallon apple cider, unsweetened, unfiltered, not from concentrate
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
10 whole allspice
20 whole cloves
8 cinnamon sticks (optional: more for garnish)
1 whole star anise
2 organic oranges, unpeeled & sliced (optional: more for garnish)
1 organic lemon, unpeeled & sliced (optional: more for garnish)
For serving: fresh grated nutmeg
Directions
1. Put all the ingredients, except the nutmeg, into a 7 quart slow cooker & give it a good stirring (see Tips# 1 & 2).
2. Cook on low heat for 3 to 3 1/2 hours till cider is hot & all the spices have flavored the cider (see Tip# 3). Keep the crock-pot on warm till you’re done serving.
3. Ladle into serving glasses or small mugs & top with some fresh grated nutmeg (see Tip# 4). Garnish if you like & serve hot.
4. If there’s any leftover after serving; strain out & discard all the solids. Store cider in the refrigerator, for up to a week, in tightly covered 1/2 gallon or quart glass jars.
Tips & Suggestions
1. If you don’t want your spices floating freely in the cider, you can put them in a coffee filter or cheesecloth & tie it off with some kitchen twine.
2. You can cook this on the stove, in a stock pot, if you don’t have a crock-pot.
3. If you want to hurry things along, you can set the crock-pot to high & only cook for an hour or more till cider is very hot.
4. In any recipe that calls for nutmeg, I always suggest using fresh grated nutmeg & not the store bought variety. The aroma & taste of fresh grated nutmeg is beyond compare!
