Apple Cider

When I told Anna that I made apple cider the other day she demanded that I put it up so she could try it. 

This was pretty good. It made the house smell AMAZING. It wasn't quite as apple-y as we thought it should be, but that could be because I put too much water in it. 

Definitely use a very fine strainer. Otherwise you get some apple mush/ spice attack in the bottom of your cup :)

Anyway, it was fun to try. And I've enjoyed it for breakfast the last few days. 

http://hollyshelpings.com/2013/11/07/homemade-apple-cider-recipe/

• 8-12 apples (over ripe is fine)
• 4 sticks cinnamon or 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2-1 cup brown sugar (start small, you can always add more at the end)
• 1-2 tsp allspice
• Pinch nutmeg
• water to fill pot until apples begin to float (I think I may have done more water than necessary)

1. Rinse your apples well. Roughly chop them up. Seeds, stems, and skin are all fine because we will be straining later.
2. Add the apples, cinnamon sticks, allspice, and nutmeg to a large pot. Add water until the apples are all floating.
3. Simmer over low heat covered for 4 hours.
4. During this time, begin to crush some of the apples whenever you walk by or think about it. This will help release some of their flavors. (I used a potato masher)
5. When the apples are all mushed up and everything smells wonderful, run this mixture through a fine sieve into a clean bowl.
6. If you’d like to filter out more of the spices still, filter again through cheesecloth.
7. Serve hot or allow to cool and store in a sealed container in the fridge.
8. Enjoy your homemade apple cider.