Slow Cooker Hot Mulled Cider Recipes

HOT MULLED CIDER

Steps:

• Special equipment: a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker and a cheesecloth square
• Combine the apple cider, hard cider, calvados, lemon juice and honey in a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker. Place the cinnamon, cloves and star anise in a square of cheesecloth, tie the ends together to close and toss in the slow cooker. Heat on high to bring to a simmer. Then turn to the warm/hold setting. Serve the cider in a mug with a cinnamon stick.

HOT MULLED CIDER

Steps:

• Simmer the apple cider with orange and spices: Pour the apple cider into a 3-quart saucepan, cover, turn the heat on medium-high. While the cider is heating up, take a vegetable peeler and peel away a couple thick strips of peel from the orange. Press about half of the cloves into the peeled part of the orange. (You can also just quarter the orange and add the slices and cloves separately. I just like seeing the orange bob up and down.) Place orange, orange peel strips, the remaining cloves, and the rest of the ingredients into the sauce pan with the cider. Keep covered and heat the mulled cider mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat.
• Strain out the orange and spices: Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the hot mulled cider away from the orange, cloves, and other spices. If you want, you can add a touch of bourbon, brandy, or rum to spike it up a bit. Serve hot. Add a cinnamon stick to each cup if desired.

MOM'S MULLED CIDER FOR THE CROCK POT

Steps:

• Set a medium or large crock pot to HIGH heat.
• Fill crock pot with cider- leaving room for the apple and orange to float around (we'll get to them in a minute).
• You will have extra cider at this point- use this for replenishing later.
• Wash the orange and apple and dry off.
• Poke cloves into the flesh of the orange and the apple- as many as you like.
• Set the cloves studded fruit into the crock pot.
• Add cinnamon sticks and some brown sugar to taste.
• Using a vegetable peeler, cut off two long strips of lemon rind from one of the lemons, being careful not to get any of the white pith.
• Drop these into the cider pot and save the rest of the partially zested lemon for another use.
• Slice the remaining lemon into thin slices and drop 4-5 slices into the cider pot.
• Save the remaining slices for later or another use (I set them in a dish for guests to use as garnish).
• Cover crock pot and let mixture come to almost a boil (this may take up to an hour- this will vary greatly depending upon the size of your crock pot).
• Once it is almost boiling,sprinkle with a very light dash of each ground spice to taste (don't add too much or it will be gritty).
• Turn the heat down to LOW and allow cider to cook at least another hour before serving.
• Leave the crock pot on LOW and allow guests to ladle out mugfuls.
• Keep replenishing more cider as the crockpot empties.
• You will NOT need to add more spices, etc, as long as you still have 1/4 of the original mulled cider left in the crock.
• No need to return to a boil, just pour in the new cider and continue to heat on LOW.
• The last dregs of cider will be very heavily spiced- I usually discard the remaining 1/4 of liquid after I am finished replenishing the cider for the day.