Description
This easy homemade apple cider recipe captures the cozy flavors of fall with a blend of apples, orange, cinnamon, and cloves. Made in a slow cooker, it’s a warm, comforting drink perfect for chilly days. Sweetened to your liking, this cider is simple to prepare, requires minimal hands-on time, and keeps well refrigerated or frozen for later enjoyment.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits
- 10 medium apples (Honeycrisp and Granny Smith recommended)
- 1 orange, peeled and segmented
Spices & Sweeteners
- 4 cinnamon sticks (or 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar (adjustable from 1/4 cup/50g to 1/2 cup/100g depending on sweetness preference)
Liquids
- Water, enough to cover the fruit
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit: Peel the orange and separate it into segments. Rinse the apples thoroughly, then cut them into quarters, discarding the cores. Place the orange segments and apple quarters into a 4-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add spices and sugar: Add the cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, and granulated sugar to the slow cooker. Pour in enough water to just cover the fruit and spices.
- Cook the mixture: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6 to 7 hours, or on high heat for 4 hours. Low heat is preferred if available, as it better develops flavors and softens the fruit.
- Mash the cooked fruit: Once the fruit is very soft, use tongs or a large slotted spoon to remove the cinnamon sticks. Using a large sturdy spoon or potato masher, mash the softened fruit thoroughly. Return the cinnamon sticks to the pot and cover again.
- Continue cooking: Cook the mashed fruit mixture on low or high heat for an additional hour to deepen the flavors.
- Strain the cider: Very slowly pour the chunky liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a large pot or heat-safe pitcher to remove solids. Discard the solids. For extra clarity, strain the cider once more to catch any remaining pieces.
- Serve and store: Serve the apple cider warm. Leftover cider can be refrigerated for 5 to 7 days and reheated on the stove before serving, or enjoyed cold.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: The cider can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Special Tools: A slow cooker (4-quart or larger), a large wooden spoon, a potato masher, and a fine mesh sieve are helpful for preparation.
- Sugar Adjustment: Use less sugar (1/4 cup/50g) for a spicier cider or more sugar (1/2 cup/100g) for a sweeter cider similar to store-bought varieties.
- No Slow Cooker? Use a large stock pot on the stove: combine all ingredients, bring to a simmer over high heat, then lower to medium-low, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Mash and continue as above.
- Instant Pot Option: Not tested by the author, but likely feasible with adjustments.
- Whole Cloves Substitution: 2 teaspoons whole cloves can replace 1 teaspoon ground cloves, resulting in lighter-colored cider but similar flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (240 ml)
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 0.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg