How to make slow cooked apple cider

Laura Martin

Contributing Writer

This mulled cider is perfect for a holiday party or any cold weather gathering. Simply dump the ingredients together and let it simmer. Add a shot of whisky or rum to dress it up for cocktail hour, or serve it straight out the crockpot. It’s tasty, comforting, and will make your house smell amazing.

Many slow cooker cider recipes begin with store bought juice, but the slow cooker is perfect for transforming fresh fruit into a flavorful beverage, with little more effort than chopping some fruit. You can make cider with little more than apples, cinnamon, and sugar, but with a few extra ingredients, this cider’s complex flavor will have your guests clamoring for the recipe. Quince or pear add a delicate, almost floral note, tangerine brightens and enhances sweetness.

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Apple cider

10 minutes

8 hours

8 hours, 10 minutes

8 apples (red delicious, granny smith, and/or gala) peeled, cored, and roughly chopped

2 quince (or 2 Bartlett pears) peeled, cored, and chopped

1 tangerine, sliced in half, crosswise

1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

1 whole nutmeg

12 cups (2.8 l) water (plus more if needed)

Spread fruit in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker. Add sugar and spices, then pour water over the top. The water should completely cover the fruit. If it doesnt, add more, a cup at a time, until fruit is fully submerged.

Cook on low for 7 hours, then remove lid and use a potato masher or large spoon to smash the fruit into pulp.

Cook for one additional hour, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher or bowl. Serve alone or spiked with a bit of whiskey or rum.

Pro tip: For a rich ruby color and sophisticated flavor, add a cup of red wine to the apple mixture before cooking.

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