Homemade Apple Cider Recipe

Fresh apples and fragrant oranges are simmered with cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. This spiced apple cider is warm, cozy, and the perfect treat for a crisp fall day! 

The comfiest thing I can think of is a big cup of homemade hot apple cider, a crackling fireplace, and a good book. I pick up cartons of cider from local orchards and farmer’s markets whenever I can, and while they’re always wonderful, I’m always pining for a cup of freshly cooked cider from my own stovetop. 

Not only does this apple cider taste amazing, but it also smells heavenly! I love the way that simmering a pot of cider makes the house smell cozy and sweet for the rest of the day. I will often double or triple this recipe and serve it straight from the stovetop for my holiday gatherings--or, sometimes I pop the finished cider into the slow cooker for a low-maintenance way of keeping it warm for an entire evening. 

Whether for a full house or for a quiet moment alone with my favorite book, there is nothing better than this homemade cider--made from scratch and with love! 

Apple Cider Ingredients

• Fresh apples - The star of the show! You’ll need about a dozen medium-sized, fresh apples to make your cider. You can use whatever variety is your favorite, but I highly recommend using a few different types as the fruity, sour, and sweet flavors of the different varieties work well together to create the best tasting cider. Some of my favorite types for cider making are Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, and Fuji. 
• Oranges - Adds a complementary punch of flavor, plus the pulpy oranges help to give the finished cider some body too.
• Whole cloves - Cloves are actually tiny dried flower buds--with an extremely pungent taste!--that lend spicy, earthy flavor to the finished cider. Using whole cloves (as opposed to ground) is important so that they can be strained out at the end. 
• Cinnamon sticks - There is just nothing quite like the aroma of a fresh cinnamon stick, is there? Simmering a few of these with the apples will release all of those delicious cinnamon oils into the liquid, giving it an undeniably cider-like taste. 
• Ground allspice - Made from dried allspice berries, this spice is peppery and warm, adding to the complex flavor profile of your cider. While all of the other spices I use in this cider are whole, I prefer to use ground allspice as opposed to whole berries here. 
• Whole nutmeg - This spice finishes out the fall-flavor foursome! Toss a whole nutmeg seed in the mix and it will slowly release a nutty, warm flavor. 
• Water - The base liquid, to simmer all of the ingredients in. 
• Organic brown sugar - Depending on what type of apples you use, you may need some sugar to balance out any tartness--I usually do. Make sure to choose organic brown sugar as non-organic refined sugars are sometimes processed with animal products. If you prefer a tangier cider or are using very sweet apples, you may choose to omit the sugar entirely or just add a little bit.

How to Make Apple Cider

1. Cut and combine. Wash whole apples and oranges under cold running water, then core and cut the apples into large wedges. Peel the rind from the oranges and break them into sections. Place the chopped apples and orange sections in a large stockpot, then add whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, ground allspice, and whole nutmeg. Cover the mixture with cold water. 
2. Simmer and stir. Place the stockpot over high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir to make sure the ingredients are evenly mixed, then reduce the heat to medium and continue simmering for about 2 hours, until the apples are very soft. You may need to adjust the heat up and down in order to keep the pot at a simmer.
3. Mash and simmer. Use a potato masher to mash the apples and oranges until they are partly broken down. If you don’t have a potato masher you can use a large wooden spoon to press and mash the fruit against the side of the pot. Cover and simmer for about 1 more hour.
4. Strain. Once cooked, carefully pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer pressing the solids against the strainer in order to release as much juice as possible. Discard the solids.
5. Add sugar. To the warm strained cider, add organic brown sugar to taste. I usually add somewhere between ½ to 1 cup, depending on how tart or sweet the apples are. If your cider tastes great as is, by all means skip the sugar! 
6. Serve! You can serve your homemade cider warm, at room temperature, or chilled. I like to add some apple slices and a cinnamon stick to each mug for an extra festive touch. When serving it chilled, a combo of orange slices and pretty star anise looks great floating in the glass.

How to Store 

Refrigerating. Homemade apple cider will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. Allow any leftover apple cider to cool, then pour it into a sealed, airtight container and stick it in the fridge. I like to fill a big mason jar or an empty gallon container with it.

Freezing. You may also freeze this homemade cider! Pour it into a freezer-safe airtight container once it has fully cooled, then freeze it for up to 2 months. Make sure to leave an adequate amount of headspace in the container so that the liquid has room to expand when it freezes.   

Thawing. When you're ready to drink it, thaw your frozen cider in the fridge for several hours or overnight. 

Reheating. The cider tastes just as delicious cold, so feel free to enjoy it straight from the fridge! If you’d like to reheat it, just microwave it by the mugful, or reheat a larger amount in a pot on the stovetop over low-medium heat. 

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