In the kitchen with Kelley: Slow Cooker Apple Cider

About this time last year, I came home one day to a house that smelled absolutely wonderful — and a teakettle that was ruined. My daughter had found a recipe on Pinterest for a concoction that you simmer on the stovetop to fill your house with the smells of autumn: apples, cinnamon, etc. Unfortunately, she made it in the teakettle I used to boil water for … tea. And she left it on a little too long, so it boiled down too much and coated the bottom of the teakettle. Oh, well. Lesson learned.

Shortly thereafter, she discovered apple cider — and we both discovered that preparing it in the slow cooker makes the house smell good all day. So we fix it often during apple season. She and my younger son love to drink it. We all love to smell it. And I like to set aside some to make cider-braised pork loin. (I’ll share that recipe later.)

It’s no surprise that apples are good for you. They lower cholesterol, prevent breathing problems, fight colds (and maybe even cancer), decrease diabetes risk and boost brainpower.

To discover other ways apples can boost your health, and more apple recipes, click here.

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Slow cooker apple cider

Author: Kelley Martin

Ingredients

8-10 apples, assorted types, quartered (We use 5 Gala apples, 4 McIntosh apples and 1 Granny Smith apple.)
1 orange, quartered
3 cinnamon sticks
1 whole nutmeg
2 teaspoons whole cloves
4 quarts water
½ cup honey

Instructions

Place apples in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Add cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and cloves.
Cover with water until only about 1 inch of space is left at the top of the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 7 hours.
Remove the lid and use a potato masher or a spoon to mash the apple and orange slices until they are soft. Replace the lid and cook for 1 more hour.
Strain the cider into a clean pitcher or pot. Discard remaining fruit peels and spices.
Add the honey to the cider and stir until the honey dissolves. Serve hot. Leftover cider will keep in a sealed container for up to 5 days.