Spiced Crab Apple Cider, Hot or Not

  There is something about this cider. We aren't saying it has any magical powers, but it does somehow just capture fall in cup and the colour is unmatched.

Crab apples. Either you, your neighbour or someone you know, has a crab apple tree. Whether you give this hot or cold cider a try or try our Fresh Crab Apple Salsa recipe, maybe this is your year to get as local as possible!

Spiced Crab Apple Cider

makes about 4 litres

about a one gallon bucket of crab apples

about 5 litres of water to cover

1/2 cup whole allspice

1 TBSP whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 TBSP cardamom pods

1 star anise

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 grated nutmeg

1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions:

Rinse your apples well and remove any rotten ones. Leave the stems on and keep the apples whole. Add them to the pot with the water and all of the nourishing spices (don't add the syrup yet). Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Cool a bit, strain the juice into another pot, add maple syrup and stir well. Discard the apple scraps. Serve hot or cold.

Alternatively, you could add less water and after you have removed the apples, you could simmer the cider down to remove the majority of the water leaving you with a thick syrup that would be delicious on ice cream.

The spices can be tailored to your liking and you could get very creative and work with things like elderberries, juniper berries, chaga mushroom, goji berries, schizandra, citrus peel, fresh ginger, etc. We have a variety of spices, dried berries and other treasures that can be found at Amaranth. Options vary at each location. What will you make?

Recipe, post and photos by Amy Buckman, Community Ambassador, Amaranth Whole Foods Markets.