How to Make Hot Cider the Wrong (but Still Delicious) Way

I've been making hot cider using this recipe every year for 12 years and it was only last month that I was informed I've been doing it wrong all these years. Nevertheless, it's still a nice drink, so I decided to share this recipe, I only ask Americans not to bully me too much ;).

Cider in the UK is a carbonated, alcoholic drink. Comes in cans, large plastic bottles, boxes and glass bottles. There is an alcoholic cider, alcohol-free version and there is apple juice. And that's it.

Google tells me that British cider is called hard cider in the US and completely different from actual cider, which is unfiltered, untreated apple juice. I've been making my hot cider based loosely on an American recipe and never realised that all those recipes called for non-alcoholic, unfiltered apple juice.

Anyhow, as weird as it is, it's still a good recipe to keep in mind if you end up with an excess of hard cider no one wants to drink and no idea what to do with it. It's cooked for so long, that most of the alcohol is completely evaporated in the end, so it won't make you tipsy. And if you want an extra kick, you can always mix it with a shot of rum to warm up.

Ingredients:

2L (8 cups) alcoholic cider

2 oranges

2-3 apples

Cinnamon- 2 sticks or 1 tablespoon powdered

Whole cloves - about one flat teaspoon worth

1 star anise and few cardamom pods - optional

Brown sugar, honey or sweetener

Wash apples and oranges.

Grab a large cooking pot and grate the apples directly into the pot. Don't worry about the seeds or anything like that, it will be passed through a sieve later.

Grate the orange rind from both fruits and add it to the pot. Cut the white skin away from the oranges, slice them and put in the pot. You don't want any of that white skin in your drink, it's too bitter.

Add cinnamon, cloves, star anise and opened cardamom pods.

Don't add any sugar at this point, most ciders contain sugar already, so we will add sweeteners later.

Pour your cider into the pot. Since it's carbonated it might boil over, so use a large enough pot, don't fill it to the brim.

Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to medium and cook for 45-90 min until it's reduced by about 25%.

Pass through a sieve and return to the pan.

Taste and add sugar if it's not sweet enough.

Cool it down and pour back into the original bottle or a jug and keep in the fridge. Microwave or heat on the stove when ready to serve.

Great with an afternoon cookie (biscuit) or a plate of sharp cheese.