Homemade Apple Cider Recipe
This delicious Homemade Apple Cider recipe is easy to make on a stovetop or slow cooker! Cozy fall drink includes fresh apples, oranges, and warm spices!
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 10 -12 medium apples assorted such as Honeycrisp, Gala, Rome, and Granny Smith
- 2 medium navel orange peeled and sectioned
- 4 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves or 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
- about 1 gallon fresh water
- dark brown sugar to taste, optional
- optional garnish: apple slices orange slices, cinnamon stick
Instructions
Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Cider Recipe:
- Wash the apples, core and cut into wedges. Add the apple and orange slices to the slow cooker. Place the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves into a small piece of cheesecloth and place into the slow cooker or add the ground spices to the top of the fruit. Add the water, enough to cover the fruit plus about 1 inch, and cook on low heat for 7 hours or on high heat for 3 hours.
- Remove the cheesecloth of spices, if using, from the slow cooker and mash the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon or with a potato masher as much as possible. Reserve the cooked fruit for another purpose, like apple sauce, or discard.
- Taste your cider for sweetness and add the brown sugar until you reach the desired sweetness.
- Serve your homemade apple cider warm or transfer to a heat safe container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Stovetop Homemade Apple Cider Recipe:
- Wash the apples, core and cut into wedges. Add the apple and orange slices to a stockpot. Place the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves into a small piece of cheesecloth and place into the stockpot or add the ground spices to the top of the fruit. Add the water, enough to cover the fruit plus about 1 inch, and cook on high heat for 30 minutes, stirring often, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Add water as needed to keep the fruit covered.
- Remove the cheesecloth of spices, if using, from the stockpot and mash the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon or with a potato masher as much as possible. Reserve the cooked fruit for another purpose, like apple sauce, or discard.
- Taste your cider for sweetness and add the brown sugar until you reach the desired sweetness.
- Serve your homemade apple cider warm or transfer to a heat safe container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Storage Tips
Make-Ahead: Place cider in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 7 days. Shake or stir well before serving. This is a perfect make-ahead recipe for the holidays, or anytime you have apples that you need to use! To Freeze. Place in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator to serve. Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave if you wish to serve warm. You can also serve cold.Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 16kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Potassium: 32mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 1.5mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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