Homemade Apple Cider in a Slow Cooker Recipe
This homemade apple cider recipe is a cozy, flavorful fall beverage made by slow cooking a variety of apples with orange, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar. It yields about 1 and 1/2 quarts of warm, spiced cider perfect for chilly days. The slow cooker method allows the fruits and spices to develop a rich, comforting aroma and taste, and the cider can be easily strained and served warm or chilled.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: About 1 and 1/2 quarts
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Fruits
- 10 medium apples (a mixture of sweet and tart, such as Honeycrisp and Granny Smith), quartered and cored
- 1 orange, peeled and segmented
Spices and Sweeteners
- 4 cinnamon sticks (or 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves (or 2 teaspoons whole cloves)
- 6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar (adjustable from 1/4 cup/50g to 1/2 cup/100g depending on sweetness preference)
Liquids
- Water, enough to cover the fruit in the slow cooker
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Peel the orange and segment it. Rinse the apples thoroughly, quarter them, and discard the cores. Gather the cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, and sugar.
- Combine in Slow Cooker: Place the orange segments in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the quartered apples on top. Add the cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, and sugar. Pour enough water to cover all the fruit.
- Cook the Mixture: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6 to 7 hours, or on high heat for 4 hours. Low heat is preferred for better flavor development.
- Remove Cinnamon Sticks and Mash Fruit: When the fruit is very soft, use tongs or a large slotted spoon to remove the cinnamon sticks carefully. Then, using a large sturdy spoon or potato masher, mash the softened fruit inside the slow cooker. Return the cinnamon sticks to the pot and cover again.
- Cook Additional Hour: Cook the mashed mixture on low or high heat for 1 more hour to let the flavors meld further.
- Strain the Cider: Slowly pour the chunky cider through a fine mesh sieve into a large pot or heat-safe pitcher. Press to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard the solids. Strain the cider a second time through a fine mesh sieve to remove any remaining solids.
- Serve Warm: Serve the strained cider warm. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 5 to 7 days and reheated on the stove, or enjoyed cold.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: The cider freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before use.
- Sugar Adjustment: Use 1/4 cup (50g) sugar for a spicier, less sweet cider, or 1/2 cup (100g) sugar for a sweeter cider similar to store-bought.
- No Slow Cooker? Place ingredients in a large stock pot, bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer covered for 2 hours. Mash and continue as with slow cooker instructions.
- Instant Pot Option: Possible but untested by the recipe author; adjustments may be needed based on Instant Pot pressure cooking times.
- Whole vs Ground Cloves: Using 2 teaspoons whole cloves instead of 1 teaspoon ground cloves results in lighter-colored cider but the same flavor profile.
