Ways to make homemade apple cider!

Variation 1:

Make Homemade Apple Cider Using a Food Processor and Slow Cooker

Sep 21, 2010 Annette Phillips

Apple Cider Using Food Processor - Jorbasa

Make apple cider easily at home. From tree to cup in a few short steps using a food processor and a slow cooker to keep cider warm for holiday parties.

Holiday's are a wonderful time for family and friends to get together. Baby showers and weddings this time of year need not serve the usual boring punch. Instead, try something new this year. When the weather is cool and crisp what better way to warm it up than to serve warm apple cider?
Different apples result in different flavors of cider and choosing which apples to use is totally by choice. Keep in mind though, using all tart apples will result in a tarter cider. Balancing sweet and tart apples will give a sweeter flavor.

Equipment Needed to Make Apple Cider

Apple cider has been made for centuries especially this time of year. The smell of apple cider sends thoughts of hay rides, wood burning at camp fires, and crisp fallen colorful leaves racing through the minds of those within smelling distance. Although, many cider and fruit presses are available through retailers there are other ways to achieve the results desired with a few simple supplies.

• food processor or blender
• knife
• cheesecloth
• apple corer (optional)
• container for storing cider

Apples are best if picked fresh from the tree. If an orchard is not near try a local farmer's market. Cider can be made from any type of apples. Mix it up a little using green, red, and yellow apples or ,if preferred, stick to the apples that are favorites. Avoid apples that are bruised and battered when making cider. According to TLC Cooking, it takes about 36 apples to make one gallon of cider.

How to Make Apple Cider Using a Food Processor

Wash each apple to remove dirt, then core and cut into quarters. There is no need to peel. Next, place into food processor allowing the apples to become as fine as possible. Place a cheese cloth over the container and secure the edges using a rubber band for support. Pour the pulp into the container through the cheese cloth. The cheese cloth will catch the larger pieces while the juice will strain through into the container.
After pouring all the pulp through the cheese cloth give the cloth a few good squeezes over the container to remove all the juice. The cider can be drunk straight from the container, but needs to be heated to 160 degrees Fahrenheit for pasteurization if the cider will be stored for future use. Without being heated the cider will last up to seven days in the refrigerator and up to three weeks in the refrigerator when pasteurized.

Apple Cider Recipes

If using apple cider for showers, parties, weddings, or other get-togethers a slow cooker will keep the cider nice and warm for guest. Apple cider need not be warm, it is also good cold and is only a matter of preference. By adding a few ingredients to apple cider it will spice it up a bit giving a warm holiday feeling when the aroma reaches the nose and the flavor hits the taste buds.

Ingredients:

• 64 ounces of apple cider
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice
• 3 cinnamon sticks

Pour apple cider into slow cooker and add the cinnamon sticks. Stir in brown sugar. Place cloves and allspice into a small piece of cheese cloth, tie, and add to the slow cooker. Bring to a boil, then switch to warm heat to keep warm while needed. Let cool before storing any leftovers in the fridge.
Another easy recipe is to pour 4 cups of apple cider into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Pour into 4 mugs and add 2 teaspoons of red hot candies to each mug and stir. The candies will melt and add a twist to an old favorite. This is a terrific drink at Christmas parties.
If making homemade apple cider seems like to much work or time is short pick up some organic apple cider at a local health food store or super market and follow the recipes as directed for a quick and easy holiday delight! There are numerous apple cider recipes littering the internet try a few and decide which one is a favorite at the next party


Read more at Suite101: Make Homemade Apple Cider Using a Food Processor and Slow Cooker http://www.suite101.com/content/make-homemade-apple-cider-using-a-food-processor-and-slow-cooker-a287977#ixzz14dzoKDH9

 

 

Variation 2:

Choose Your Apples

Different varieties of apples are used for making most commercial apple ciders. However, the best apples picked up for making a sweeter cider, include Red Delicious, Jonagold, Green Delicious and Fuji apples. Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Winesap, and Macintosh, produce a tarty taste and hence, are used for making a tangy and sharp flavored apple cider. While making apple cider at home, you can either opt for mixing various apples or pick up your favorite ones. While considering different varieties, get a mixture of red, green and gold for the best flavor. Since cider tastes best when cooked from fresh apples, try to get hold of an orchard or local farmer nearby for the freshest pick. Make sure that the apples are healthy and not battered or bruised. To make one gallon of apple cider, you should have 36 apples.

 

Preparing Apple Cider

• Wash off all the apples thoroughly under running water to get rid of any dirt or pesticides, especially if they are non-organic. However, even if the apples are organic, give them a good rinse to make sure that they are clean from any grime.
• Slice the apples into half and carve out the center of each half to get the flesh. Chop the cored apples into quarters and puree them into a smooth paste in a grinder or food processor.
• Continue processing till you achieve a finely ground pulp as the finer the pulp, the more juice you can extract.
• Take a large container and spread cheesecloth over it.
• Transfer the apple pulp onto the cloth and strain through the cheesecloth.
• Gently squeeze the pulp on the cheesecloth to extract all the possible juice beneath.
• Add flavor to your apple cider by throwing in some cloves, nutmeg, lemon peel or ginger.
• For some holiday flair, add in a cinnamon stick.
• Pour in a little rum and brown sugar for a harder cider.
• Store the apple cider in an airtight container. The cider keeps good for about seven days when stored in the refrigerator.
• If you have to store the cider for a longer period, say three weeks, pasteurize the cider by heating it at 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) and then storing it further.
• All in all, the apple cider tastes best when extracted fresh out of the strainer.