Fall is upon us and so is the season for all things pumpkin spice. But if you need a break from this iconic blend, try a Mulled Cider or Hot Buttered Rum instead!
To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of pumpkin spice. I don’t hate it necessarily, I just much prefer the warm flavors of apples, cinnamon and even squash.
That’s where this mulled cider recipe comes in! It’s very popular to serve for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but you don’t need a special occasion to make it.
I like sipping on it as soon as I feel a chill in the air. And because the recipe is so simple and makes a big batch, it’s no big deal to whip up!
Mulled Cider Ingredients
Mulled cider is really just a fancy name for hot apple cider with lots of spices. Luckily, you probably have some (if not all) of the spices in your cabinet already:
Cinnamon sticks
Cardamom pods
Allspice berries
Whole cloves
Star anise pods
Dried orange peel
Whole black peppercorns
and of course apple cider
All of these spices should be used whole. Besides being super pretty when poured into a mug, they also have a longer shelf life than their ground counterparts. You’ll commonly see them referred to as pickling spices.
How to Dry Orange Peel
Believe it or not, the peel of an orange is loaded with flavor! That’s why a lot of recipes call for “the zest of an orange.”
You could simply buy dried orange peel from the store for this mulled cider, but it can sometimes be hard to find. Plus, if you make it at home, the rest of the orange doesn’t have to go to waste! Use the juice to make fresh orange juice, or put it in this Orange Crush co*cktail.
So the most important part of making dried orange peel at home is to only cut off the peel. You can leave the white bitter parts of the orange behind. It will make your orange peels bitter but also make them take longer to dry.
If you are making this cider ahead of time and are able to, you could simply let the orange peels dry at room temperature for 3-4 days or until completely dry.
If you’re looking for a quicker method, simply place them in the oven at 200 degrees for 25 minutes. Plus, this method makes your house smell amazing!
Spiked Mulled Cider
If you’d like to take your mulled cider up a notch, try spiking it! It’s great for adult holiday parties like Christmas or Thanksgiving.
My favorite alcohol to use is a spiced rum. But if you aren’t partial to rum, you could certainly use something else!
Try using brandy, bourbon. I just suggest that it’s an amber colored liquor, as they have more body and flavor.
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Whether you serve it at Thanksgiving, Christmas or a cool fall night, this EASY Mulled Cider recipe is perfect for fall. You can spike it too!
Place cinnamon sticks, cardamom, allspice, cloves and star anise in an airtight plastic bag or use a pestle and mortar. Gently grind or roll with a rolling pin until a coarse blend forms.
Add orange peel and peppercorns, toss to mix.
Add 2 tablespoons of mix to every 1/2 gallon of apple cider, heat gently over medium heat for 5 minutes. Serve hot or room temperature. Some people like the bits, but if you don’t, run it through a fine mesh sieve before serving.
This recipe will make about 6-7 gallons of mulled cider.
If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings.
Traditionally cider is spiked with dark spirits, like the rum and bourbon in the recipes above. But what if you want something a little lighter? Vodka can do the trick. Since it doesn't contribute much in the way of flavor, we add fresh ginger for its distinctive, peppery-sweet flavor.
Bourbon, brandy, or even a dark aged rum have enough oomph to stand up to the sweet flavors of the spices and apple cider. As to when to add in the booze, it's best to wait until the mulling spices have flavored everything first.
Many alcohols mix well with apple cider. Dark liquors like bourbon (my pick) or dark rum are traditional, but they are by no means the only option. Vodka pairs well with apple cider and is a good light option. You can even let guests each pick their own.
There are very few differences between mulled cider and Wassail Punch. Both contain spices and some juice. One of the main differences is that mulled wine is often made with whole oranges.However, Wassail is traditionally made with apple juice.
For sweeter cider, try Gala, Fuji, Cortland, Golden Delicious, or Red Delicious varieties; for a more acidic ghostwriter seminararbeit, tart flavor, go with Pink Lady, Braeburn, Jonathan, or McIntosh. A blend of apples from both the sweet and tart flavor families is sure to be a hit!
The slower the fermentation the better the cider will taste. It is really important not to exceed 27°C. When the fermentation has finished (the gravity reading on the hydrometer will be the same for a few days and will be under 1000 SG) siphon off the yeast into another clean sterilised container.
One that is cloudy and has a good body. The cloudy appearance means there is still some fibre and antioxidants in the cider, instead of just being plain apple juice. ...
Here's the difference between apple cider and apple juice: Apple cider is just unfiltered apple juice that can be served hot or cold. Mulled apple cider is unfiltered apple juice that's been heated and flavored with mulling spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; and fruits like oranges, lemons, and apples.
Very little alcohol will cook off. The boiling point of ethanol is 79C - you should WARM mulled wine and certainly not bring it anywhere near close to 79C.
If I'm leaving the Mulled Cider to keep warm in the slow cooker and serving straight from there to the glasses in front of guests, I like to add a few slices of apple for added interest. Leftover Mulled Cider can be stored in the fridge for upto 3 days.
In general, you'll want to pick the least filtered product you can find. It will either be very cloudy (little bits of apple in suspension in the juice) or have lots of sediment at the bottom (apple bits are not suspended).
Wassail is a hot, mulled punch often associated with Yuletide, often drunk from a 'wassail bowl'. The earliest versions were warmed mead into which roasted crab apples were dropped and burst to create a drink called 'lambswool' drunk on Lammas day, still known in Shakespeare's time.
Mulled apple cider contains nutrients found in apples, including antioxidants like polyphenols. Antioxidants help protect against oxidative stress to keep cells healthy.
You might also know this hot mulled cider by another name — Wassail. In Old England, Wassail was a beverage of hot mulled cider, drunk traditionally as an integral part of wassailing, a Medieval Christmastide ritual intended to ensure a good cider apple harvest the following year.
Many cidermakers will boost the character by adding sugars like maple syrup or brown sugar. This will boost alcohol level and add a hint of molasses as well. Winemaker's acid blend (or malic acid) available at your local homebrew shop is a great way to add some complexity to hard cider that lacks that crisp bite.
If you want to venture outside of traditional cider adding different fruits can be a great way to customise the taste to your preferences. Berries are a popular choice, adding strawberries with a squeeze of lime is said to be the perfect addition for a Summer BBQ.
Sugar. Apple juice usually contains enough sugar to produce a hard cider containing 4 to 6% alcohol. If you want a cider with a higher alcohol content, you can add sugar, honey, or maple syrup at the beginning of the fermentation process.
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