- 2 quarts unfiltered apple cider
- 12 whole cloves
- 3 star anise
- 3 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
- 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, finely chopped
- 1 organic orange, unpeeled, thinly sliced
- extra cinnamon sticks and orange slices for garnish
- Pour the cider into a large pot. Stir in the cloves, star anise, orange slices,
cinnamon sticks and ginger. - Using medium heat, bring the contents to near boiling, but DO NOT BOIL.
Turn down heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. - Strain and, if you want to serve straight away, return the mulled cider to the
pot to keep warm. If not, allow to cool and reheat when ready to use. - Serve in mugs with a cinnamon swizzle stick and an orange slice.
Variations: Try this with grape or cranberry juice or organic red wine. Instead of having to strain the whole mixture, you can tie the spices up in cheesecloth and remove after cooking.
For the holidays, you may want to step things up a notch: add a splash of rum or brandy to each mug before adding the mulled cider. To fill your whole house with tantalizing spicy aromas, prepare this in a crockpot – cook on low 4-5 hours, then keep on warm setting for serving. Makes 8 cups. Happy Holidays!
