Making homemade apple cider fills your home with the delicious aromas and flavors of Fall! Your family will ask for it again and again!
Is there anything more associated with fall than apple cider? (Maybe pumpkins, but it is a tight race!) Apple cider has all the flavors and scents of fresh apples, spices, a hint of sweetness, and the crispness of fall air.
It’s also one of the things that you just can’t get too much of, which is why I love to have a mug of hot apple cider and an apple cider donut together sitting outside with a sweatshirt on. It is the perfect Saturday morning treat in the Fall!
Apple Cider Cocktails
These are great add-ins to make spiked apple cider for a yummy cocktail on cool nights!
- Rumchata – creamy and smooth
- Fireball – add some warm cinnamon flavors
- Disarono – a smooth and sweet cherry flavor pairing
- Bourbon – add your faovirte bourbon and give it a deep smoky flavor note
- Crown Royal whiskey – they even have apple flavors
- Vodka – have you tried the dessert flavored vodkas for delicious spiked apple cider?!?! My Warm Caramel Apple Cider cocktail uses caramel apple vodka, you have to try it!
- Champagne – delicious Apple Cider Mimosas with a fall brunch, hello!
- Hard Cider – bring in some bubbles, try a pear hard cider for another fall flavor combo. Try an Apple Cider Shandy, especially on those crazy warm days that pop up out of nowhere,
Other Recipes to Serve with Apple Cider
- Cinnamon Pumpkin Coffee Cake paired with apple cider covers every fall flavor in one snack and warms your insides while tackling your sweet tooth
- Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread will be the star of any fall gathering, you can even easily eat it with one hand while you hold your apple cider in the other
Ingredients
Fruit: Use your favorite apples or an assortment of apples. Sweeter apples with yield a sweeter cider, so shop accordingly. We’re also adding in 1/2 an orange to add a little citrus to cut the sweetness.
Spices: Warm fall spices including cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and nutmeg give this cider all those yummy flavors you crave!
Sugar: Light brown sugar adds a caramel sweetness to bring down the tartness of the cider. If you prefer to leave the sugar you, that’s fine. The finished cider won’t be quite as sweet, but still taste delicious.
How to Make Homemade Apple Cider
STEP 1: Prepare the fruit and fill a large pot with six cups of water. Add the apples, orange, brown sugar, and spices to the pot and stir. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook the fruit for 1 hour.
STEP 2: After 1 hour, remove the orange and mash up the apples using a potato masher. Cover the pot and continue to simmer for another hour.
STEP 3: Strain the fruit pulp and liquid through a mesh sieve into a pitcher. Let the cider cool to your desired temperature before serving.
Tips for Success
- Keep the mixture covered while it’s cooking or the pot will lose moisture and thicken creating a syrup instead of a beverage. No one wants that.
- You can serve this cider warm or chilled. If you’re going to chill the cider, let it cool to room temperature before popping your pitcher in the fridge. This will keep the glass from shattering with the hot/cold shock.
What is the difference between apple juice and apple cider?
Apple juice is only the juice of the apples. It has been filtered to remove any pulp and particles and then pasteurized.
Apple cider comes from an “apple mash” that is pressed to release the juices. Apple cider does not have any large particles removed (which is why it’s cloudy vs clear) and is like “raw” apple juice.
So really, apple cider is the first stage of apple juice. That being said, cider commonly has baking spices added in for extra flavor… especially in homemade recipes.
Do I need to refrigerate apple cider?
Yes, you should refrigerate this apple cider if you’re not going to serve it immediately. Apple cider is delicious hot or cold, it’s your choice how you want to serve it. This cider will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Other recipes using Apple Cider
- Caramel Hard Apple Cider
- Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria
- Spiced Apple Cider Floats
- Crock Pot Cranberry Apple Cider
- Ginger Apple Fizz
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 5 large apples quartered (assorted varieties)
- ½ orange
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon whole cloves
- ¼ teaspoon whole star anise
Instructions
- Pour water into a large pot. Add the apples, 1/2 orange, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and star anise. Stir to mix.
- Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, remove the orange and use a potato masher to crush to apples into a pulp. Then simmer for another hour.
- Once the cooking time is up, strain the pulp and juice through a sieve into a pitcher or large bowl.
- Let the cider cool to your desired temperature before serving. If you want chilled cider, let it cool to room temperature before placing the pitcher in the fridge.
Notes
- This cider will keep for 4 days in the fridge.
- If you prefer to leave out the brown sugar, you can. The cider won’t be quite as sweet, but it will still be delicious.
Kim says
Is this recipe considered as pasteurized cider?