The weather’s getting colder and we’re nearing the end of apple season so I figure it’s a perfect time to share an apple cider recipe. This Paleo Apple Cider will most definitely keep you warm.
Figuring out how to make apple cider was so much simpler than I expected. It’s very similar to making potatoes.
Basically you boil the potatoes…I mean apples, and you’re halfway there.
It felt wrong to get rid of all the pulp so I kept it a few days and tried to serve it as apple sauce but with all the seeds and skin still in there it made it quite difficult to navigate. So if you’d like to kill two birds with one stone you can remove the core, seeds and skin at the beginning of the recipe and probably have a pretty tasty apple sauce and apple cider in one fell swoop!
With the rain yesterday, we only had two knocks on the door for Halloween. Jeff picked up some dark chocolate Hershey’s kisses to hand out right before trick-or-treating started so we were cool with the leftovers. ;)
My cooking marathon lasted all day. I made stuffed cabbage rolls, cabbage and potato soup, seasoned beef stew and peppers, spicy pesto coleslaw, braised pear and pork, orange plum muffins and my first stab at almond pistachio biscotti. Thankfully I made this apple cider recipe a few days ago so I had some on hand to sip on all day.
I’m looking forward to sharing some of those recipes soon and a few are for my next cookbook! :)
A couple weeks ago while I was at the Illinois Author’s Showcase I met Shannon Stoker, another Illinois author who was part of the showcase. She wrote The Registry and was at the ILA Conference promoting it in the showcase right next to me. As soon as I left the conference I put The Registry on hold at my public library. This week it came in and I’m already half way through it. After finishing Allegiant I was interested in picking up a new book and I’m so excited I met Shannon. If you’re into the Divergent series I think you’ll be interested in The Registry, and it’s even a trilogy series! If you pick up The Registry be sure to let Shannon know what you think on her Facebook page, and let me know in the comments what you think too! :)
Apple Cider Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-3.5lbs organic apples (I used McIntosh)
- water
- 3 sticks of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon whole allspice
Directions
- Rinse apples under running water.
- Use an apple slicer to quarter your apples (no need to remove peel or seeds).
- In a large stock pot add your apples and fill with water so the apples are covered.
- Wrap your cinnamon and allspice in a doubled up cheese cloth and tie closed. Add this to the apples and water.
- Bring the water to a boil on medium-high heat and boil for one hour. Be sure to keep an eye on it as the apples start to come to a boil so they don’t boil over.
- Cover, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for two hours.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Remove spice pack and if the apples aren’t already falling apart from the boiling, use a potato masher to mash the apples.
- Once cool, pour the apples into a strainer over a large bowl. When most of the juice has drained away, put the remainder of the pulp into a doubled up cheese cloth and squeeze over the bowl until no more juice comes out.
- Transfer the apple cider to a glass container or mason jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer.
- To drink, reheat in a small saucepan on the stove and serve.
- Enjoy! :)
