Grandma's Warm Spiced Cider Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make homemade cider better? ›

Caroline advises that with the addition of a little apple juice or elderflower cordial there is every chance that you will be able to turn your cider from puckering to perfect. Just don't put the lid back on it and pop it in the cupboard as it may well start to ferment again.

The process for making apple cider and spiced apple cider is the same. The main difference is that spiced apple cider is, well, spiced! It typically has been infused with flavors of different warm spices (like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg) versus regular apple cider which gets its flavor solely from the apples.

1. Combine apple juice or apple cider with cloves and cinnamon in a microwaveable mug, cup or glass. 2. Heat in the microwave oven, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes.

To raise the gravity by 5° add about 10g of sugar per litre of juice. i.e. 10g of sugar in one litre of juice will give a potential alcohol increase of 1%. Once you have added your sugar, re-test the juice with the hydrometer until the desired specific gravity is reached.

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!

It has been known to moderate blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and has even been known to relieve some of the symptoms of acid reflux. Nice! But aside from being good for you, it just happens to make a mean mug of hot apple cider when mixed with just a few common pantry ingredients!

Apple cider contains polyphenols, which are compounds in plants that act as antioxidants. They can help the body to fight against free radicals and cell damage, lowering your risk of certain types of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Polyphenols also help to ease inflammation in the body.

Just take your apple cider from the fridge, pour it into a pot, and let it heat on the stove over low to medium heat until it reaches your desired temperature; a longer heat time will yield a more flavorful drink as the spices interact and complement each other.

What goes well in apple cider? ›

Apple cider has a natural affinity for dark spirits, and bourbon is a classic. While you could load this up with all kinds of winter spice, we keep things simple: cider, spirit, a little honey to balance the booze, and a cinnamon stick to garnish.

If you were doing hot apple cider you could keep it in a crockpot or insulated container. With a crockpot, you can keep in there to keep it hot and transfer to a pretty container as needed or serve out of the crockpot with a ladle.

Spiced Rum or Bourbon

It gives the drink a kick without tasting too strong. The spice of the rum compliments the spiced apple cider. I used one we brought home from our trip to St Lucia, but any high quality spiced rum will do. Bourbon is another favorite liquor to spike this drink with.

Sure, the apple will always shine through, but if you want to tone it down, then go with a bourbon like Four Roses or Bulleit. But if you'd like something a little sweeter that would make your cider taste more like apple pie, we'd recommend Maker's Mark or Pappy Van Winkle (if you can score a bottle of it).

I prefer bourbon but whiskey or a dark rum with caramel flavors would also work wonderfully. What kind of bourbon goes in spiked apple cider? I used Makers Mark for this recipe which is one of my favorite bourbon brands. However, other brands I also recommend Four Roses or Woodford Reserve as other great options.

Ginger, galangal, star anise, five-spice, peppercorn, and cardamom all add a delicious twist to traditional mulled cider.

Flavor tip one: Add 1/4 of a 12oz can of frozen apple juice concentrate. I add the frozen apple juice concentrate when I am using the grocery store apple cider, in an effort to make it more like the fresh stuff.

Back sweetening reduces perceived sourness, bitterness and saltiness, but may take time to blend in and not give a “raw” impression of unfermented sugar or juice. Higher carbonation adds carbonic acid to the cider, which gives a “bite” to the finish and can help balance sweetness.