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Hot Mulled Cider

Hot Mulled Cider

Tis the season to be jolly, and to drink hot mulled cider. This delicious hot apple cider drink is a specialty of New England. Spiced with a clove-studded orange, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon, hot mulled cider is the perfect drink to serve during the holidays.

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Hot Mulled Cider Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 gallon of fresh, unfiltered apple cider
  • 1 orange
  • 15 cloves
  • 4 3-inch sticks of cinnamon
  • 15 allspice berries
  • 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
  • 7 pods of cardamon
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

Method

1 Pour apple cider into a 3-quart saucepan, cover, turn the heat on medium-high. While cider is heating up, take a vegetable peeler and peel away a couple thick strips of peel from the orange. Press about half of the cloves into the peeled part of the orange. (You can also just quarter the orange and add the slices and cloves separately. I just like seeing the orange bob up and down.) Place orange, orange peel strips, the remaining cloves, and the rest of the ingredients into the sauce pan with the cider. Keep covered and heat the mulled cider mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat.

2 Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the hot mulled cider away from the orange, cloves, and other spices. If you want, you can add a touch of bourbon, brandy, or rum to spike it up a bit. Serve hot. Add a cinnamon stick to each cup if desired.

Makes 8 cups.

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7 Comments

I've been wondering something for a long time... what is the difference between cardamom pods and the cardomom I see at stores? I have only seen and bought "cardamom" and it looks like litte grains, not pods. I've never seen anything that looks like pods labeled "cardamom". What am I missing here?

When I have recipes that call for 'pods' I will often be brave and just use about 10 'seeds' for each 'pod' called for. Is this a bit error?

Wondering,
Tara

Posted by: Tara on December 22, 2005 7:54 AM

Your question made me curious so I found this site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamom#Types_of_cardomom_and_their_distribution
I've seen those at my local Halal Mart. Other places that deal in bulk herbs/spices might have them too.

Posted by: Anonymous on December 22, 2005 8:39 AM

Tara -- To get cardomom pods, just go to an Indian or Middle Eastern store. When you add them to anything, you need to crack open the pod so the liquid comes in contact with the seeds. Whole cardomom is much more flavorful than the ground stuff you buy in the grocery store.

Posted by: Sara on January 14, 2006 12:38 AM

The cardamom pods will also last much longer than ground cardamom.

Posted by: Elise on September 21, 2007 3:44 PM

I made this last night for a Party and it went down really well (literally!). I used the same recipe to make Hot Mulled Apple juice for the drivers as well. By the end of the evening everyone was standing in the kitchen so they could fill their glasses up as soon as they emptied. Delicous!

Posted by: Helen on December 13, 2007 4:23 AM

Some people choose not to add the brown sugar because it makes the cider too sweet. I wonder if you could get the flavor of the brown sugar without the sweetness by just adding a teaspoon of molasses?

That should work fine. ~Elise

Posted by: Greg Esres on November 29, 2009 2:03 PM

Just wondering ahead before I make up my batch in the morning. When making the mulled cider and you want to double the recipe, do you double the spices too?

Yes, that would be a good idea, though not absolutely necessary. ~Elise

Posted by: Joy Swinehart on December 24, 2009 6:19 PM

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