It’s Fall Cider Time!

We are approaching mid-October and still seeing daytime temperatures over 90°F in Southern California.  I’m not a cold weather lover, but I do like to have 4 separate seasons and I do appreciate it greatly when we dip into the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s so I can wear my boots, jeans and sweaters and start cooking hearty soups, stews and sip warm drinks by the fire!

Having spent the weekend sweating and getting a sunburn, it was so exciting to wake up today to a gloomy, overcast morning.  I turned off the air conditioner, opened up all the windows to let the cool outside air in and grabbed a sweatshirt.  Then, even better, I remembered that I have a bowl of apples on the kitchen counter.  It’s Cider Time!

Spicy Pressure Cooker Apple Cider

• 12 Apples (I use a mixture of Granny Smith and Fuji)
• 1-2 Navel Oranges
• 3 Cinnamon Sticks
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar (packed)
• 6-8 Whole Cloves
• 1+ 1/2 tsp Ground Cardamom (or 2 Pods)
• 8 Cups Water

Preparation:

1. Core the Apples
2. Cut the Apples and Oranges into Quarters
3. Place Fruit into the Inner Pot of Pressure Cooker
4. Add the Spices
5. Cover with Water
6. Close the Pressure Cooker, set to High Pressure and Cook for a 10 minute cycle
7. Quick Release the Pressure and Mash Up the Fruit at the end of the cycle. I use my 3 sided steel meat tenderizer and get after it to make sure the oils from the skin of the apples get agitated and the oils release from the orange skins
8. Reclose the Pressure Cooker, set to High Pressure and Cook for an additional 10 minute cycle.
9. When cooking is complete, unplug the Pressure Cooker and allow to come back to natural pressure on its own.
10. Strain cider through a fine mesh sieve (I use the back of a ladle to push as much out of the solids as I can) into a large bowl or pitcher.  You can transfer to a tea kettle on the stove, your crock pot, or a pan to keep warm if you are planning to drink the cider immediately.
11. Serve with a thin slice of apple or orange and a cinnamon stick if desired.
12. You can also add cider to bourbon, champagne, or make a fun fall martini with it

Cheers!

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