Homemade Apple Cider
Sweet, tart, and a little spicy, this Homemade Apple Cider was so easy to make and so delicious. It is free from refined sugars, sweetened with maple syrup, and the perfect way to kick off the fall season!
This time of year, we have a lot of apples off of the trees at our family farm. They are a little tart and make a great pie or any baked dessert. This year, I have all of these apple recipes circling around in my head and I need apple cider for those, so I decided to make some. It is so good! And the best part is that my house smelled amazing the entire day!
When you look at apple cider from the store of from apple orchards, they typically have sugar of some sort in them, whether it is white sugar or corn syrup. Here, the sweetener, like most recipes, is maple syrup. You could also use honey. The ingredients for this could not be any simpler or better!
Details and Tips!
First, you will want to cut your apples into quarters. Leave the peels on and the cores in. I used 12 medium apples and it was perfect. Then, add all of the apples to a large pot and cover them with filtered water. You want to fill the pot so there is about 2 inches of water above the apples.
Then, you add in the spices and stir. I used cloves, cinnamon sticks, and allspice.
You have some options when it comes to cooking this. You can make it on the stove in a big pot or you can use a slow cooker. I made mine in my instant pot on slow cooker mode and it turned out great. That is how the recipe will be written. I let the mixture cook in the slower cooker for 8 hours. Then, I used a wooden spoon to mash up the apples against the side of the pot. I let it cook for another hour and then I stained the mixture into a couple 8 cup measuring cups. I stirred in a few tablespoons of maple syrup and poured it into large mason jars for storage.
If you choose to cook the cider on the stove, simply follow the instructions but you will want to simmer for about 3 hours, mash up the apples, and cook for another hour before straining. It is a lot less time on the stove.
What you need!
- apples
- cloves
- allspice
- cinnamon sticks
- maple syrup
- filtered water
Customize!
You can really customize this to what you want. This recipe will be a little spicy, if you will. You can cut down the amount of cloves and cinnamon sticks if you prefer the spiced flavor to be a little less. You could also add in an orange if you want a little citrus flavor in there. Lastly, to sweeten the cider, you could use honey or sugar if you prefer that method. Have fun with it and enjoy the process!
Explore more!
Let us know when you make this! Please do it, even if it is just for making your house smell like the best fall candle. Enjoy!
Homemade Apple Cider
It is a little spicy, very versatile, and the perfect thing to have on hand for recipes, drinks, or just to sip on in the fall. It is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and so so easy to make!
- 12 apples
- 3 tablespoons whole cloves
- 6 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon allspice (whole or ground)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
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Thoroughly wash your apples.
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Cut your apples into quarters leaving the peels on and the cores in. Place them in your slow cooker.
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Cover the apples with filtered water so there is about 2 inches of water standing above them.
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Add in the cloves, cinnamon sticks, and allspice and give it a gentle stir.
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Cook on low for 8 hours.
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Use a wooden spoon to mash the apples against the side of the pot so they fall apart. Once all of the apples are mashed, let the mixture cook on low for another hour.
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Carefully pour the mixture through a large mesh strainer into a large bowl or measuring cup. Stir in the maple syrup, adding more or less to taste. Store in mason jars in the fridge for up to a week.