Homemade Apple Cider is a crisp, unsweetened, nonalcoholic drink made with fresh apples that can be served hot or cold. If you love the taste of apple cider, be sure to try my Caramel Cake with Apple Cider Whipped Cream.
Homemade Apple Cider
Homemade Apple Cider is the perfect drink for the cool fall and winter months. It is a nonalcoholic beverage that can be enjoyed by all ages. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can use the kinds of apples you prefer, from tart to sweet, or a mix of both (as I did in this recipe).
Homemade Apple Cider Recipe
For this recipe, I used a mix of Pink Lady apples and Fuji apples for a tart/sweet flavor. You can definitely use the kinds of apples you prefer!
Ingredients (full recipe below)
- Apples
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon sticks–I used 4 cinnamon sticks in this recipe. If you don’t have cinnamon sticks, use 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. (1 stick = 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)
- Ground allspice
Preparing the Apples
Apples used to be used only for their juice. They would be pressed and then the juice would be left to ferment until it turned into a hard cider. Well, this recipe is suitable for all ages–no fermenting going on here. (Check out my recipe for Cinnamon Apple Moonshine if you want an adult-only apple beverage.)
To make apple cider, decide what apples you want to use. For a more tart cider, choose from apples like Pink Lady, Braeburn, or McIntosh apples. For a sweeter cider, use Gala, Cortland, Golden Delicious, or Fuji apples, just to name a few. But again, don’t let those lists stop you from using the apples you love to eat.
Once the apples have been chosen, quarter them and place them in a large pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the apples by 2 inches when you push down on the apples. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice and bring to a boil. Boil for one hour, uncovered. Then, reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let simmer for 2 hours.
How to Make Homemade Apple Cider
After the apples have boiled and simmered, let the mixture cool a bit before straining the mixture into a bowl through a cheesecloth. (A fine-mesh sieve would also work here.) Then, remove the solids and drain the bowl of cider through another cheesecloth (or strainer). Store the apple cider in the refrigerator for up to a week.
For hot cider, heat up the cider in a saucepan over low heat. You could also heat it up in the microwave. If you are looking to turn the apple cider into a happy hour drink (alcohol), add rum, sparkling wine, bourbon, scotch, or even cognac. Cheers!
Looking for More Homemade Drink Recipes?
The Best Homemade Chocolate Milk
Ingredients
- 10 medium apples, quartered
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 sticks cinnamon, or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
Instructions
-
Place quartered apples in a large stockpot and add enough water so it covers the apples by 2 inches when apples are submerged by pushing them down. (The apples will float.)
-
Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and allspice. Bring to a boil and boil, uncovered, for an hour.
-
After the boiling, cover the pot, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours.
-
After simmering, let the mixture cool a bit before straining it into a bowl through a cheesecloth, gently pressing down on the solids. Discard solids and drain the liquid one more time through the cheesecloth. (You can also use a fine-mesh sieve to drain.)
-
Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.