There’s nothing that smells better this time of year than a home filled with the smell of apples and cinnamon and nothing tastes better than coming in from the cold to a freshly made apple cider waiting for you. In less than half a day you can also enjoy your own delicious cup of homemade apple cider. Although this recipe calls for a slow cooker, don’t worry if you don’t have one! This recipe can also be made in a large pot on the stove.

Ingredients

• 8-10 apples (I prefer gala for the earthier taste)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 5 cinnamon sticks, or more if you prefer a stronger taste of cinnamon!
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 1 whole allspice or 1 tspn powdered
• 10 cups of water

Preparation

1. Cut your apples into quarters. Don’t bother removing the seeds as you will be straining it out later on.
2. Place apples, spices, sugar and water into the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours.
3. After 3 hours use an immersion blender or a potato masher to mash the apples as much as you can. Again, don’t worry about the apple pieces floating around as you will be straining it out.
4. Cook for another 1-3 hours or until desired flavor has been reached. I prefer the longer wait as the flavor comes out so much more.
5. Strain the liquids with a strainer covered with cheese cloth to remove any fine apple pieces.
6. Place in air tight container in fridge for up to one week or you can freeze to keep and use at a later date.