A Person History of Apple Cider
They say smell is one of the more powerful memory and emotional triggers. When I smell apple cider, I certainly remember ’90s Christmas parties at my Grandmother Parker’s house when I was a child. Her wassail (synonymous with cider), permeated the warm, crowded great room and absorbed into our itchy wool sweaters. So now that I have I family of my own, I have been working towards refining my own recipe to break out on important fall and winter occasions - Thanksgiving, Christmas, football games.
Now most people do not know the difference between apple cider and apple juice, so here is a little trick I use to remember: “If it’s clear and ‘yella’, you’ve got juice there fella; if it’s clear and brown, you’re in cider town.” – Ned Flanders
The great thing about this recipe is the olfactory byproduct - the house smells incredible and festive. As the cider simmers, it releases the delicious odor of cinnamon and apples which outshines any scented candle in potency. The smell slowly diminishes the next day, a gentle reminder to make another batch in a fortnight or so.
The other great thing about this recipe is it is really idiot-proof. The instructions are so easy, I have condensed the process into a 24 second clip and a mere 31 words. No cooking skill is required, only time - you cannot rush this recipe.
One last great thing about this recipe is that you can use old apples on the verge of going bad. My wife and I went to a “pick-your-own apple orchard” with some friends last year (“season passes pay for themselves after the 16th visit”). We ended up with an overflowing grundle of apples. This year we have been loving an international market with steep discounts on produce and endded up over-buying apples.
The Video Recipe
Lately I have been wanting to make one of those cliche recipes videos seen on Instagram and Facebook, partly as a mockery because of my limited cooking skill, but partly because I wanted to experiment with time lapse. So I broke out my old iPhone 4s and a stand, downloaded an app to take time lapse photos and started experimenting. Personally, I am loving the time laspe photography. I really want to experiment with a few other clips. This video only used the free version as I wanted to see if it was worth paying for the premium version. I used Lapse It for the time lapse and GoPro’s free Splice to edit, splice, trim, add music etc. Everything was done on my old iPhone 3.5 inch display. The square video is a setting I used so the video can be cleanly posted on Instagram.
The Written Recipe
Homemade Real Apple Cider
Yields: 12-16 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 hours
Ingredients:
- 7-12 Apples
- 2-4 Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 Teaspoons Whole Cloves
- 1 Whole Nutmeg
- 12-16 Cups Water
Notes: Apples do NOT need to be fresh. Spices can be substituted with ground spices.
Optional Ingredients
- 1 Pomegranate
- 1 Cup Cranberries
- 1 Orange
- 1/2 Teaspoon Allspice
Directions:
Wash and cut the apples into quarters. Do not worry about removing the seeds or stems (but it is wise to remove the stickers). Toss into the slower cook (aka Crock Pot). Add any optional fruit: pomegranate seeds, cranberries, oranges. If you add oranges, I have found that the peel can add a bitter aftertaste so I recommend just adding the orange flesh. Fill the pot with water till it is about 1-2 inches from the top. Toss in the spices (which collectively can be referred to as “mulling spices”). No need to stir. Simmer on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
After simmering, the apples should have all discolored and will be soft. Smash with a potato masher or hand mixer. Simmer for another 1 hour. Strain the cider into another bowl and discard the mash into a separate bowl. The pro’s use cheese cloth, the novice’s use strainers. I double the strainers and compress the mash to it using a large round cup. The entire concoction will be scalding hot so be careful. The cider will be sticky and messy. Toss the mash once the cider has been extracted.
Return the cider to the now empty slower cooker pot and set to keep warm. Mix in the sugar to taste. Adorn with orange slices, more cinnamon sticks and cranberries. Serve hot straight out of the slower cooker for the duration of the family party. Refrigerate left overs for up to 1 week, but mix well before reheating.
Final Notes
Hope this recipes brings you the holiday cheer that it does to our family. I love making it, drinking it and smelling it. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Go Aggies.