Description
This Homemade Apple Cider recipe offers a cozy, spiced beverage made from fresh apples, orange, and warming spices simmered slowly to bring out rich flavors. Perfect for autumn or winter gatherings, it produces about 1.5 quarts of delicious, naturally sweetened cider that can be enjoyed warm or cold.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit
- 10 medium apples (use a variety—I use Honeycrisp and Granny Smith)
- 1 orange, peeled and segmented
Spices and Sweetener
- 4 cinnamon sticks (or 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
Other
- water (enough to cover the fruit in the slow cooker)
Instructions
- Prepare Fruit: Peel the orange and separate into segments. Rinse the apples, quarter them, and discard the cores. Place the orange segments and apple quarters into a 4-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add Spices and Sugar: Add the cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, and granulated sugar to the slow cooker with the fruit.
- Add Water: Pour enough water into the slow cooker to just cover the fruit and spices.
- Cook Slowly: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6 to 7 hours or on high heat for about 4 hours. Low heat is preferred if available to better develop flavors and soften the fruit.
- Mash the Fruit: After cooking, the fruit should be very soft. Using tongs or a large slotted spoon, remove the cinnamon sticks. Mash the softened fruit with a large sturdy spoon or potato masher, then return the cinnamon sticks back into the mixture and cover again.
- Continue Cooking: Cook the mashed fruit with the cinnamon sticks on low or high heat for an additional hour to deepen the flavors.
- Strain the Cider: Slowly strain the chunky liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a large pot or heat-safe pitcher. Discard the solids. For a clearer cider, strain the liquid a second time to remove any remaining pulp.
- Serve: Serve the apple cider warm. It can also be stored in the refrigerator for 5–7 days and reheated on the stove or enjoyed cold.
Notes
- Using a mix of sweet and tart apples (like Honeycrisp and Granny Smith) provides balanced flavor.
- If preferred, ground cinnamon can be used instead of cinnamon sticks.
- Adjust sugar quantity to taste depending on sweetness of the apples.
- For a clear cider, multiple strainings may be needed.
- Leftover cider keeps well refrigerated for up to a week.
- Reheat gently on the stove before serving warm cider.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (240 ml)
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 21g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 0.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
