Apple season is already upon us. Can you believe it? Fall and Winter are my favorite when it comes to food. I love the ingredients that are in season. Apple sales are starting up which means you can get killer deals. Now is the time to stock up on your freezer supply of homemade apple cider. Throw it in the crockpot now, and enjoy it all the way through Christmas.
It is super easy to make a base apple cider and you can alter it slightly for different occasions. Throw in a splash of orange and cuddle up for your first fireplace start up of the winter. Add some caramel and whipped cream for a dessert drink. Whatever you decide to do, you’ve got to start with your base apple cider and this stuff is awesome. Super easy and way better than that expensive jug you buy at the store. Go buy your apples by the bushel while the season is in full swing!
Watch the video for more great tips and tricks for making this recipe. You can also check out my YouTube channel for hundreds more of my cooking videos.
MY OTHER RECIPES
Slow Cooker Apple Cider
- 8 gala apples, cored and quartered
- 4 sticks cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice
- 10 cups water
- ½ cup brown sugar
- Place your quartered apples into a slow cooker. Add in cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and allspice in there and pour in the 10 cups of water.
- Cook on high for 3 hours.
- Mash the apples with a potato masher. Add in brown sugar. Cook an additional 1-3 hours on low.
- Strain the solids from the liquids. Discard solids and store liquids in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for later use.
This recipe first appeared on The Stay At Home Chef on September 19, 2013
Morgan @ Peaches, Please! says
I'm making this right now!
Anonymous says
This inspired me to pull out my slow cooker and make some cider! Smells amazing!!
Leslie
Anonymous says
I'm trying this without the sugar/spices to see what the base tastes like; may add them later depending on the taste.
Anonymous says
how much does this make?
Rachel Farnsworth says
About 10 cups of cider.
Anonymous says
Did this recipe have an after taste or bitterness to it?
Rachel Farnsworth says
It should not. Well, I mean, it will have an aftertaste because the flavor doesn't just disappear, but it should be a good one. Any bitterness would be do your apples or potentially their peels. If you are worried about bitterness you could peel your apples beforehand.
Anonymous says
I made this recipe overnight (so it cooked for ~12 hours) since it was full to the rim. It tastes great!
Laura says
Was it on low?
Elizabeth says
There’s two differences with the recipe and video so I didn’t know which one to follow. In the video she says one teaspoon of allspice but in the recipe it calls for one tablespoon! Then she says in the video cook on high for three hours but in the directions it says cook on low for three hours. I am making this and I am worried I did it wrong. I did it by the video because that’s how I started but how is it correctly made?
Rachel Farnsworth says
The recipe just needed to be updated. I’ve changed the recipe since it was first posted several years ago and the video has more current information. Both work, but I prefer the latest version.
Butters says
I don’t know what I did wrong! But this is actually pretty gross… I’m a huge fan of apples and apple cider but this turned out just awful. It might not have been the recipe, just something I did wrong. It’s bitter and just…. I don’t even know how to explain it. Not good.
Rachel Farnsworth says
Bitter? That sounds like an apple issue. The only thing that could cause such bitterness in this recipe is the apples. What kind of apples did you use?
maggie says
i love this recipe and have made it several times this winter..in fact have some in the crock pot right now….warms your tummy on cold nights
Courtney Anderson says
How can I substitute ground allspice and ground cloves in this recipe. I can’t get my hands on whole of either!!
Rachel Farnsworth says
You can add ground, but you may get a bit of a grainy texture. When mixing ground spices into liquid you just want to make sure they don’t clump up so sprinkle far and wide 🙂
Courtney Anderson says
Perfect and what ratio would you use to substitute ground for the whole??
Beatrice says
Is it safe to drink? Tons of information on unpasteurized apple cider on the internet. But none say if using the crock pot is the same thing. Does anyone know? Apparently pasteurized just means heating to a specific temperature.
Rachel Farnsworth says
Yes it is safe to drink. It has to be at 161 degrees for a very short amount of time. This recipe is more than adequate to meet pasteurization requirements.