Hot Cider Recommendations?

[cookie cookerson]

What are your best recommendations for cider spices? What do you like to simmer yours with besides Cinnamon and Cloves?? I'm throwing a big open house soon and I thought this would be great for fall but I've never made it!!

[LaraW]

I have had good luck making a little pouch out of cheesecloth and adding broken up cinnamon sticks,, cloves, nutmeg, lemon and/or orange peel. You can also squeeze your lemon and/or orange into the cider. That is yummy!

Another thing you can do is to get a package of mulling spices for wine, and just use cider in place of the wine. I have done this before with good success.

Lara

[KelLeg]

I like to stick whole cloves into an orange and float the orange in the cider while it is simmering. I sometimes also add cinnamon, but not always. I love the orange/clove flavor.

[Searcher]

Hi Kelly,
Here are a bunch of crock pot beverages you might want to take a look at. We do the Hot Mulled Cider recipe and everyone loves it.Hot, Spiced Drinks (Crock Pot Recipes)


Hot Cranberry Tea

1 package (8 oz) fresh cranberries
3 quarts water
2 cups sugar
1 cup cinnamon red hots
24 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
3 oranges
3 lemons


Boil cranberries in 1 quart of water for 10 minutes; set aside. Mix in a 4, 5 or 6 quarts Crock Pot, 2 quarts water, sugar, red hots, cloves, cinnamon sticks; cover and heat on high until red hots dissolve, approximately one hour. Strain cranberry mixture and stir into crock-pot. Mix in the juice from oranges and lemons. Cover and heat 2 hours on High, turn to Low to keep warm and serve directly from Crock-Pot.




Spicy Peach Punch


1 jar (46 oz) peach nectar
1 jar (20 oz) orange juice
2 tablespoons + ½ cup light brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
¾ teaspoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon lime juice


Combine peach nectar, orange juice and brown sugar in Crock-Pot. Tie spice in cheese cloth bag or add loosely to punch. Cover and set on Low for 2 hours or on High for 1 hour. Stir in sugar and lime juice. Allow sugar to dissolve, approximately 30 minutes. Adjust to taste. Turn to low to keep punch warm. Serve from Crock-Pot.









-Continued-
Warm Fruit Punch


8 cups water
1 can (12 oz) frozen cranberry-raspberry juice concentrate, thawed
1 can (12 oz) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 can (16 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
½ cup sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
¼ teaspoon whole cloves
¼ teaspoon whole allspice
Garnish: thin orange slices halves, unpeeled


In a 6-quart Crock-Pot, combine all ingredients. The spices can be tied in a cheesecloth bag and placed in punch if desired. Cover and heat on High for 3 hours, then turn to Low. Remove spices from Crock-Pot with a small strainer or slotted spoon. Serve directly from Crock-Pot. Garnish with orange slice halves, if desired.




Orange-Cider Punch

1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole nutmeg
2 cups apple cider or apple juice
6 cups orange juice
2 cups vodka (optional)


Mix all ingredients, except vodka in crock-pot; stir well. Cover and cook on Low for 4-10 hours (on High for 2-3 hours). Just before serving, stir in vodka. Serve hot, in punch cups. Serves 10-15 (about 2 ½ quarts)




Hot Cranberry Punch


4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
4 cups cranberry juice
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon whole cloves and 1 cinnamon stick, tied in cheesecloth
1-2 cups vodka


Combine all ingredients except vodka in crock-pot. Cover and cook on Low for 4-10 hours. Add vodka before serving. Serve hot, in punch cups. Serves 10-15 (about 2 ½ quarts)



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Hot Spiced Wine


2 bottles dry red wine
3 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice


Combine all ingredients in crock-pot; stir well. Cover and cook on Low for 4-12 hours (on High for 1-2 hours). Serve hot, in punch cups or mugs. Serves 6-8 (about 2 quarts)




Hot Spiced Cherry Cider


3 ½ quart apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
2 packages (3 oz each) cherry-flavored gelatin


In a 4,5 or 6 qt. crock-pot, mix together the apple cider and cinnamon sticks. Heat on High 3 hours. Stir in cherry-flavored gelatin. Keep on High 1 more hour and allow gelatin to dissolve. Turn to low to keep warm. Serve directly from Crock-Pot.




Wassail

2 quarts apple juice or cider
1 pint cranberry juice
¾ cup sugar
1-teaspoon aromatic bitters
2 sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 small orange, studded with whole cloves
1 cup rum (optional)


Put all ingredients in crock-pot. Cover and cook on High 1 hour, then on Low from 4-8 hours. Serve warm from crock-pot. (About 12 cups)





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Hot Mulled Cider


½ cup brown sugar
2 quarts cider
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 ½ teaspoons whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
Orange slices


Put all ingredients in crock-pot. If desired, tie whole spices in cheesecloth or put in tea strainer. If spices are added loose, strain before serving. Cover and set on Low for 2–8 hours. Serve from Crock-Pot with ladle.




Hot Spiced Wine:

Use above recipe, substituting two fifths of sweet sherry or port wine for cider.

[beejayw1]

For cold winter/fall nights:

I fill a saucepan with cider
throw in a cinnamon stick
3 - 6 cloves

Bring nearly to a boil.

Pour through a tea strainer into mugs; in each mug pour 1 jugger of brandy or bourbon.

[RebeccaT]

Try studding an orange with whole cloves and floating it in the cider. I also do the cheesecloth thing, or you can dump the tea from a tea bag or two and fill them with your spices (since I never have cheesecloth).

Serve it with 1/2 a jigger of Captain Morgan's spiced rum for some extra holiday cheer! :D

Mmmmm. I love this stuff. Too bad it's still 85 degrees here in muggy Houston!!!

[Beth]

Here's another wassail:

2 qts apple juice
2 1/4 cups pinapple juice
2 cups orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp whole cloves
1 whole nutmeg


Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer another 20 minutes. Strain and discard spices. Serve hot. Makes 3 qts.