Slow Cooker Spiced Apple Cider

I was completely inspired by Half Baked Harvest’s maple apple cider recipe in which she uses a slow cooker to make it. I was so inspired, that I got up off of my arse and played around with the recipe a bit. I have four apple trees so fasten your seatbelts…there are quite a few more apple recipes coming your way.

My kids and I gulped down the first several batches within hours of making them. We all agreed that this was blog-worthy (yep, I asked them). We decided everyone should be making slow cooker cider with all of the autumn apples. And it’s easy. Turn on your slow cooker, throw everything in, hours later puree in a blender, strain and you’re done. No sweeteners…just apples, water + heavenly fall spices. Your house will smell ABSOLUTELY amazing. Plus, you have the apple pulp that remains…falling somewhere between a perfectly unsweetened applesauce and apple butter. Put it in your oatmeal, smear it on buttered toast or use it for baking.

Let’s get our cider on…

Slow Cooker Spiced Apple Cider

Makes 6+ Cups

INGREDIENTS

• 11 medium apples, cored + quartered (gala, granny smith, honeycrisp)
• 6 cups of water
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 6 cloves
• 1 star anise
• juice of 1 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put your cored + quartered apples in your slow cooker. Cover with the water and add the cinnamon sticks, cloves + star anise. Juice your lemon straight into the slow cooker and cover.
2. Cook on high heat for 7 hours.
3. Fish out the cinnamon sticks, cloves + star anise. You can either throw them out or put them in your strained-out cider while it sits in the fridge.
4. Put the apples + liquid in a high-speed blender and puree over gradually increasing speed. I start with 1 on my Vitamix and then move up to 10.
5. Strain the liquid into clean mason jars with lids. Save the apple pulp as noted above.
6. This will last in your fridge for several weeks. So far we haven’t had a batch last more than a day and we’re considering getting a larger slow cooker so we can double the recipe. ;)
7. I prefer to drink it warm (we all did). Happy fall!!

***RECIPE NOTE: This is a thicker, traditional apple cider…like the kind you would find at a farmstand. If you’re interested in a thinner cider, consider making the Half Baked Harvest one I link to at the top of the post! xoxo

On My Mind

1. Apples, apples and more apples.
2. I have a Spiced Apple Muffin coming that is AMAZING. Start buying apples in bulk and plant a couple of trees while you’re at it.
3. The debate. Ugh. It’s all gotten so ugly. Where’s the integrity? The only message I want to convey is that we all need to get out and vote.  Every vote counts. We can’t be apathetic. I hear too many people saying that they aren’t going to vote because they don’t like either candidate. There are so many other issues and races on the ballot that need our attention as well. Research them and voice your option. It matters!!! That’s my PSA for the day.
4. More fun fall recipes: Spiced Apple Cake, Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Petite Pumpkin Scones, Pecan + Tart Cherry Granola, Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies (one of my favorites!), Fresh Fig + Pecan Fall Salad, Thai Thai Scones and Breakfast Crack Cookies, Maple Oat Scones, Harissa Steak Chili, Pumpkin Gnocchi and Dark Chocolate + Espresso Babka.
5. Sending lots of good fall juju your way!!

–Rebecca xoxo