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Closeup shot of homemade apple cider drink served in glass, some whole spices spread around
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5 from 2 votes

Homemade Apple Cider Recipe

It isn't officially fall until I've made a batch of this super comforting, easy and delicious homemade spiced apple cider. See the notes on how to make it in stockpot or pot on stove top.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Crockpot Cook Time6 hours
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Servings: 8
Calories: 90kcal
Author: Farrukh Aziz

Equipment

  • Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 6 Apples (mix of Granny smith and Honeycrisp, Fuji or Gala)
  • 1 Orange
  • 1-2 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 2 Star Anise
  • 1 Nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon Cloves
  • ½ teaspoon All Spice Berries
  • Enough Water to cover the fruit
  • Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup bas per your preference

Instructions

Slow Cooker Recipe

  • Wash the apples and cut into quarters or slices. Peel the orange and slice it.
  • Add the apples and orange, cinnamon, start anise, nutmeg, cloves and all spice.
  • Add enough water to cover the fruits completely.
  • Cover the pot with glass lid and cook on "Low" for 5-6 hours or on "High " for 3 hours. Brewing it longer gives the better apple flavor.
  • Open the pot, stir and mash the apples and oranges lightly using the back of the ladle. You can also use wooden spoon or potato masher to mash the fruits.
  • Using, fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth strain all the chunky liquid into a large bowl or pitcher. Press the chunks and spices well to extract all the cider, discard the solids.
  • Stir the sugar as per your liking, pour in glasses and serve warm.

Instant Pot Recipe

  • Add the apples, orange and whole spices in the steel insert of the Instant Pot. Cover the fruits with water.
  • Switch on the IP cover and close the lid with the vent in sealing position.
  • Pressure cook on 'High' for 15 minutes.
  • Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to naturally.
  • Open the lid, stir and mash the apples and oranges.
  • Strain as mentioned above, stir the sugar and serve warm.

Notes

In stockpot on stove top : You can also make this homemade cider in a large stock pot or pot on stove top as well. All all the ingredients and cover them with enough water. Bring it to a boil and and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours till apples are soft and the drink is drink is intensely flavorful and fragrant. mash and strain as mentioned above, add the choice of sweetener and serve warm.
It stays very well in the fridge up to 2 weeks and perfect frozen up to 3 months in the freezer.
Add the preferred sweetener as per you liking.
You can discard the pith to avoid bitterness and add only zest for more refreshing flavor.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 111IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg