Apple Cider
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: ~ ¾ gallon
Ingredients
  • 18 apples
  • 1 - 1½ cups of sugar (depending on how sweet you'd like it)
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons all spice (depending on how much spice you'd like)
  • water
Instructions
  1. Wash the apples and cut them into quarters. Don't worry about cutting out the seeds or stem, it will come out later.
  2. Put the apples, sugar, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and all spice into a large pot.
  3. Cover the apples with water. This is tricky because the apples float, but do your best to add enough water until apples are just covered.
  4. Put the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil and let it bubble for one hour, uncovered. Check it regularly just to make sure it's not bubbling over. You can also stir it a bit if you feel things are rising to the top and should be mixed.
  5. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer for an additional two hours. Your house will smell amazing.
  6. Remove from heat and let it cool to the point that it's safe for you to handle.
  7. Put a fine sieve over a large bowl. Carefully pour the contents of the pot into the sieve. The liquid in the bowl is your cider, set it aside for now.
  8. Remove the cinnamon sticks from the sieve. Now, take the contents of your sieve and put it all in the blender. Blend it up until it's a even mush.
  9. Put this apple mush (which is yummy by the way, take a spoonful to taste) and put it into a cheesecloth or other thin cloth that you don't mind getting dirty (like a tea towel).
  10. Squeeze the mush in the cheese cloth over your bowl of cider. Squeeze until you get as much juice out as you can.
  11. If you don't like bits of pulp or spice in your cider, then you can continue to strain it through the sieve and/or cheesecloth until you get it as clear as you like. I only ran it through once as I don't mind things settling to the bottom of the glass. Do what feels best to you.
  12. Now you have all your cider in a bowl! Transfer it to a pitcher and put it in the fridge to cool. Or heat put it back in your pot to heat it up if you'd like it warm. You're done!
Recipe by Cooking is Messy at https://www.cookingismessy.com/2015/10/26/apple-cider/