Fresh Apple Cider
Warm your soul with this aromatic, homemade apple cider featuring a perfect balance of tart apples and cozy autumnal spices. This stovetop version fills your home with an irresistible fragrance while delivering a rich, unfiltered flavor that store-bought versions simply cannot match.
Prep
15m
Cook
180m
Serves
8
1 Ingredients
| Qty | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 10 large 2000 g | Assorted Apples (Gala, Fuji, and Granny Smith) |
| 0.5 cup 100 g | Granulated Sugar |
| 4 sticks 4 sticks | Cinnamon Sticks |
| 1 tbsp 6 g | Whole Cloves |
| 1 tbsp 6 g | Whole Allspice |
| 1 large 150 g | Orange |
| 12 cups 2.8 l | Water |
2 Method
Step 1. Wash the apples and orange thoroughly. Quarter the apples (keep the skins and seeds for flavor) and quarter the orange.
Step 2. Place the apples, orange quarters, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice into a large stockpot.
Step 3. Cover the fruit with the water, ensuring there is at least two inches of water above the fruit line.
Step 4. Stir in the sugar until partially dissolved.
Step 5. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.
Step 6. After 2 hours, use a potato masher to crush the softened apples and oranges directly in the pot to release all the remaining juices.
Step 7. Simmer the mixture uncovered for one additional hour to allow the flavors to concentrate.
Step 8. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or a cheesecloth-lined colander into a clean pitcher, discarding the solids.
Step 9. Serve the cider warm in mugs or refrigerate and serve chilled over ice.
💡 Chef's Tips
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Use a mix of sweet and tart apples for the most complex flavor profile.
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For a deeper, molasses-like sweetness, swap half of the granulated sugar for brown sugar.
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Don't throw away the apple mash! You can press it through a food mill to make a spiced apple butter.
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If the cider is too sweet, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end to brighten the acidity.
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