Description
Homemade Apple Cider is a crisp, warmly spiced nonalcoholic drink made from fresh apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Serve it hot for a cozy fall treat or chill it for a refreshing seasonal beverage.
Ingredients
Scale
- 10 medium apples, quartered
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, about 100 grams
- 4 cinnamon sticks, or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
- Water, enough to cover the submerged apples by 2 inches
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the apples, then cut each apple into quarters. Leave the peels, seeds, stems, and cores in place.
- Place the quartered apples in a large 8-quart stockpot. Press them down gently and add enough water to cover the submerged apples by about 2 inches.
- Add the brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and ground allspice. Stir until the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 additional hours.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Press the solids gently to release the liquid.
- Discard the solids and strain the cider a second time for a smoother texture.
- Taste and adjust the sweetness if needed. Serve warm, or cool and refrigerate before serving cold.
Notes
- Use a mixture of sweet and tart apples for the fullest flavor.
- Cinnamon sticks create less sediment than ground cinnamon.
- Do not press the cooked solids too firmly, or the cider may become cloudy.
- If the cider tastes weak, simmer the strained liquid uncovered for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Store cooled cider in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Estimated nutrition values are calculated per 1-cup serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 27
- Sodium: 5
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 33
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 0
- Cholesterol: 0