Apple Cider

Waaaay better than store bought sugary garbage. This is real food!

Ingredients

• 6 quart slow cooker (reduce the amounts for a smaller cooker)
• 15-20 medium size sweet apples (I like McIntosh, Empire, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, and Braeburn, do NOT use Red Delicious apples)
• 1-2 oranges
• 3 small cinnamon sticks
• 1 T whole cloves
• 1 T whole allspice
• 4 inch knob of fresh ginger (optional)
• Sweetener of choice to taste, up to 1 cup (granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or combo)

Instructions

1. Chop and core apples, place in slow cooker with all the other ingredients.
2. Fill the slow cooker with water, to the brim.
3. Cook on low for 8-12 hours, until the apples are completely soft.
4. Put all the apples and liquid through a food mill on the smallest disk and return to the slow cooker.
5. Test for sweetness and add sweetener if you’d like.
6. Store in the fridge up to 5 days or if canning, put HOT cider in jars and process in a water bath for 5 minutes (makes just over 4 quarts).

Adapted from: https://bakerbettie.com/homemade-apple-cider/