Mulled Cider
on Sep 24, 2021, Updated Oct 17, 2023
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The smell and taste of tart-sweet apple cider mixed with cinnamon, orange, cloves, and allspice...mulled cider simply cannot be beat.
If you want people to walk into your home on a cold day or evening and instantly feel warm and cozy, put a pot of mulled cider on the stove. The smell of the mulling spices combined with the tart-sweet apple juice cannot be beaten. This is literally my son Jack’s favorite cooking smell in the whole wide world.
Serve this delicious drink before a meal featuring Roast Chicken, some Mashed Potatoes, and Cheesy Baked Brussels sprouts, followed by a Pumpkin Pie for a warming, cozy fall feast.
Table of Contents
Mulled Apple Cider: The smell and taste of tart-sweet apple cider mixed with cinnamon, orange, cloves and allspice simply cannot be beat.
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Ingredients
- Oranges – Offer a bright, citrusy note to an otherwise earthy and aromatic beverage.
- Apple cider – Provides the perfect delicious base for this warming fall drink. If you go apple picking, check if the orchard has fresh-pressed apple cider (many do!), and it’s utterly delicious. You can also often find real apple cider in the refrigerated cases at supermarkets.
- Cloves, cinnamon sticks, and allspice berries – The key spices in any mulled beverage, here they provide this drink with its signature sweet and warm flavor.
Variations
- If you choose to use a blend of mulling spices instead of the above ingredients, use about 2 tablespoons for 2 quarts (½ gallon) of apple cider. If your mulling spice blend has orange or other citrus in it, you can skip the orange juice and peel in the cider. Or still, add it for a nice burst of citrusy sweet-tartness. I love the Melissa’s Mulling Spice blend as a shortcut!
- Use apple juice instead of apple cider if you prefer. It’s not quite as flavorful, but the mulling spices make up for the difference.
How to Make Mulled Cider
- Zest orange: Use a vegetable peeler to peel the zest from one of the oranges
- Slice the orange: Slice the second orange into thin slices.
- Combine cider and oranges: Place the cider in a large pot. Squeeze the juice of the peeled orange into the pot.
- Add zest: Add the strips of orange zest.
- Add spices and simmer: Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks, and allspice berries. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer it simmers, the more concentrated the flavors will get.
- Strain: Strain the cider through a fine-mesh strainer.
- Serve: Pour the mulled cider into mugs and garnish with a slice or orange. Serve hot.
FAQs
To “mull” a beverage simply means to warm it up, sweeten it, and flavor it with spices. Mulled cider is just warmed, sweetened, and spiced cider. And it’s delicious!
Yes, you can. However, apple juice is filtered and pasteurized, with a lighter flavor and texture than apple cider. Apple cider is made from whole apples that have been washed, cut, and ground into a mash or puree of sorts. This mash is then wrapped in cloth and squeezed to produce the cider. Cider is raw apple juice that hasn’t been filtered or processed, and there may be little flecks of apple products in the liquid. It’s thicker and usually cloudier than apple juice.
Cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and whole allspice berries are the most common spices used in mulled cider, though other spices can also be added, such as nutmeg or ginger. Orange peel or slices of orange are also common additions and offer up a bright, citrusy note to the earthy, aromatic beverage. There are mulling spice blends available, such as this one from Melissa’s, which also contains dried orange peel, and I keep that on hand so that mulled cider is but minutes away on any winter evening.
Mulled cider and mulled wine share the same mulling process and specific mulling spices, but the base is the main difference. The wine version is alcoholic, while the cider uses non-alcoholic apple cider as the base of the beverage. Mulled cider is like the apple-y non-alcoholic cousin beverage to mulled wine. Of course, you could always add a splash of rum or brandy to it.
Mulled cider isn’t inherently alcoholic. However, if desired, you can make this warm beverage alcoholic by using alcoholic or “hard” cider.
Pro Cooking Tips
- Apple cider is perishable and must be refrigerated. As cider ages in the fridge, it starts to ferment and can even turn “hard” over time, meaning that it starts to develop alcohol content.
- Apple juice, left sealed, can stay at room temperature for months without spoiling. Check the sell-by date to be sure, and refrigerate it once it’s been opened.
What to Serve With Mulled Cider
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Mulled Cider
Ingredients
- 2 oranges (washed)
- 8 cups (2 quarts) apple cider
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 2 4-inch cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon allspice berries
Instructions
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel the zest from one of the oranges, and then slice the second orange into thin slices.
- Place the cider in a large pot. Squeeze the juice of the peeled orange into the pot, and add the strips of orange zest, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and allspice berries. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer it simmers, the more concentrated the flavors will get.
- Strain the cider through a fine-mesh strainer. Pour the mulled cider into mugs and garnish with a slice or orange. Serve hot
Notes
- If you choose to use mulling spices instead of the above ingredients, use about 2 tablespoons for 2 quarts (½ gallon) of apple cider. If your mulling spice blend has orange or other citrus in it, you can skip the orange juice and peel in the cider. Or still, add it for a nice burst of citrusy sweet-tartness.
- Apple cider is perishable and must be refrigerated. As cider ages in the fridge, it starts to ferment and can even turn “hard” over time, meaning that it starts to develop alcohol content.
- Apple juice, left sealed, can stay at room temperature for months without spoiling. Check the sell-by date to be sure, and refrigerate it once it’s been opened.
Body & flavor!