Hot Apple Cider

I was "researching" mulled apple cider recipes on Pinterest (of course!) and began to wonder what the difference was between apple juice and apple cider.

Maybe you're savvy to that information but I was not.  Cider is raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles of pulp or sediment, whereas the juice has.  Removing these particles helps the apple juice stay fresh longer.

Here is a mulled apple cider recipe from Pioneer woman, Ree Drummond, that tastes SO good!  It's not difficult to make and includes an "adult version" with rum.  I skipped that part this time.  I used store-bought apple cider since I didn't have fresh apples...or a juicer.  The only thing I would do differently next time is cut the amount of maple syrup in half.  

Hot Apple Cider

Ingredients

• 4 whole Cinnamon Sticks
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 8 whole Allspice Berries
• Orange Peel From 1 Orange
• Lemon Peel From 1 Lemon
• 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
• 6 cups Unfiltered (fresh Squeezed Is Great) Apple Juice
• 1/2 cup Dark Rum (optional)

If you have whole cloves, the conversion is 3 whole cloves=1/4 tsp ground, so use about 1 1/2 whole cloves.  If you have ground allspice on hand instead of whole, the conversion would be 6 whole berries to 1/4 to 1/2 tsp, so I would suggest using a healthy 1/4 tsp.  I used a vegetable peeler to remove the orange and lemon peels to avoid getting too much of the pith (white stuff).  Add a cinnamon stick to each cup when serving to "fancy" it up a little.

Preparation Instructions

(Adapted from AllRecipes.com.)
Place cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, allspice berries, orange peel, and lemon peel in a medium saucepan. 

Pour in maple syrup and apple juice, then bring to almost a boil. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and serve in mugs.  Serves 12  YUM!