Homemade Apple Cider

Ingredients

• 10 medium apples (use a variety—I use Honeycrisp and Granny Smith)
• 1 orange
• 4 cinnamon sticks (or 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon)
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 Tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar*
• water

Steps

1. 1

   Peel the orange and place the segments in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Rinse the apples and cut into quarters (discard the cores), and place in the slow cooker. Add the cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, and sugar. Add just enough water to cover the fruit.

2. 2

   Cover and cook on low heat for 6–7 hours, or on high heat for 4 hours. (If you have the option, low heat is better.)

3. 3

   After this time, the fruit should be very soft. With tongs or a large slotted spoon, remove the cinnamon sticks. With a large sturdy spoon or a potato masher, mash the fruit. Return the cinnamon sticks to the mixture and cover.

4. 4

   Cook on low heat or high heat for 1 more hour.

5. 5

   Very slowly strain the chunky liquid though a fine mesh sieve into a large pot or heat-safe pitcher. You can discard the solids. Strain the cider one more time to rid any other solids. Serve the cider warm.

6. 6

   Leftover cider keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5–7 days. Warm up on the stove before serving or enjoy it cold.