Hi, Strangers! I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve posted.
In true, unpredictable fashion, life has a way of doing it’s own thing. It’s crazy how quickly time passes, isn’t it? Like the changing of seasons, weeks – nay, months – can pass in just a blink of an eye.
Amidst all this kerfuffle, there’s been one constant in my days that have left me feeling content: my trusty crock pot.
It sounds corny, but I really do think that a crock pot is one of life’s little pleasures. Toss some ingredients in, let it do it’s thing all day, and by night you have a delicious meal ready and just waiting for you to devour.
I have a lot of go-to crock pot recipes for these autumn months: stew, ribs, sticky garlic chicken. But, surprisingly, some of my favourite crock pot recipes aren’t actually meals. There are numerous benefits of a crock pot that don’t necessarily involve dinner.
Case in point: this crock pot apple cider. Made from scratch. With real apples.
Apple cider is one of my quintessential fall drinks. It’s warm, cozy, has all the classic flavours of fall, and is perfect for sipping when strolling with the dog on a rainy day or when moseying through your local pumpkin patch. I’ve usually made my apple cider in the crock pot with plain apple juice, but this year, I thought I’d Pinterest it up.
Turns out, apple cider from scratch is quite possibly one of the most delicious things to come out of my crock pot yet.
Don’t be intimidated by “from scratch”. By using your crock pot, this cider couldn’t be simpler. You don’t even need to peel the apples; just toss them in with some spices, fresh ginger, an orange, and water, and let it simmer away for 6-8 hours until the apples have softened enough mash. Then, simply strain through a fine mesh sieve and sweeten to taste.
I added only a tablespoon or two of brown sugar the crock pot, as the apples I used (I like Honeycrisp) are quite naturally sweet. Try adding some tart Granny Smith apples for a bit of tang!
- Crisp, fresh apples (no peeling required!)
- A juicy orange, for some natural sweetness
- Fresh ginger, for a bit of bite
- Aromatic cinnamon, because what’s an autumnal apple drink without cinnamon?
Optional (but highly recommended, especially with Halloween right around the corner!): a shot of rum! If that won’t warm you up, I don’t know what will.
Cheers!
| Crock Pot Apple Cider | | Print |
- 6-8 large apples (I like honeycrisp), quartered
- 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced thin
- 1 orange, quartered
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1-2 tsp whole cloves
- Sweetener (sugar, maple syrup, honey, you choose!)
- Place apples, ginger, orange, cinnamon, and cloves in a slow cooker.
- Fill slow cooker to the top with water; cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- About one hour before cider is finished cooking, use a potato masher to mash up all the apples. Cover and continue cooking for one more hour.
- Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pushing out as much liquid as you can. Sweeten to taste using your preferred sweetener.
Hey Chelsea; sounds great especially when we have a huge bowl of apples that are not getting eaten quickly enough around here! Question(s) do you peel the orange? and do you peel the ginger? Thanks!
Hey Les! No need to peel anything here, just make sure you give it all a good scrub before adding to the crock pot. In fact, leaving the skin ON the orange helps infuse it with more citrus flavour! Once it’s all simmered away, it’ll be soft enough to roughly mash and strain. I hope you enjoy!!
Simple. sweet, fall perfection. Not only does this look delicious, but I know it’ll make my house smell amazing too! Love!!!
Your house will smell like an apple pie! Thanks, Karly!
Made this last night and while it smells amazing, 2 tsp of whole cloves might be too much. The cider is a great mix of apple and citrus (thanks to the orange), but the cloves pack a punch similar to that of clove oil from the dentist in that it made my tongue numb.
I think instead of adding sugar, I may cut the cider with apple juice to help tame the cloves! Other than that, this is a fun, easy recipe to make!
Hi Kristen,
Thanks for the feedback! Great idea on cutting the cider with apple juice if the clove flavour is too strong. I happen to love cloves, but will update the recipe for those who may find the taste a bit too strong.
Hi! What size crockpot is recommended for this recipe? I bought all the ingredients but have zero clue what size crockpot to use! Thank you! Can’t wait to make it!
Chelsea’s co-blogger chiming in here, since I’m online! I would use a 4 quart slow cooker, if you’ve got one. I believe that was the size Chels used when she made this at last year’s Christmas party 🙂 Hope you enjoy it, Sydney!
Thanks for replying Finn! Yes, that would be the correct size crockpot. It may seem very cramped when you put it all in the pot, but as the apples simmer they will cook down to make it more manageable. I hope you enjoy!