Old Fashioned Homemade Apple Cider

By RoketJSquerl

Homemade apple cider is a fun project and a great way to use up all of those little, imperfect apples you get from pick-yourself farms or in huge bags at the grocery store during this time of year. It is incredibly easy with almost no prep work: just simmer your apples with your favorite cider spices, then strain and serve hot and steaming. You can make this cider as sweet, tart or spicy as you’d like which is why I like it.

prep 5 min, cook time 3 hours

Ingredients

• 12 Or So Small-medium Apples, assorted types
• 1 Small Orange
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar (1/2 to 1)
• 3 Cinnamon Sticks (3 to 4)
• 1 Whole Nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp Whole Cloves
• Water to Cover

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from chaosinthekitchen.com

Preparation

Step 1

Wash and roughly chop apples and orange-do not worry about removing peels, seeds, or stems. Toss into a large stock pot.
Add sugar (I start with 1/2 cup, you can always add more later).
Add spices, and cover with water.
Bring to a boil and boil uncovered for at least an hour.
Cover and reduce to a simmer. Allow juice to simmer for at least two hours.
Uncover and use a potato masher to roughly mash content of pot. To further reduce: continue simmering until cider is dark and tastes sweet and spicy.
When cider is ready allow to cool then strain apple pieces and whole spices into a clean pitcher or pot. If you feel like it you can strain everything through a cheesecloth and twist and squeeze to get every last drop.
Serve hot. Store in the fridge and reheat as desired. I usually get about a 1/2 gallon.