I’m a big fan of apple cider.
Growing up, the minute the temperatures outside dipped below freezing (which, in my neck of the woods, is sometimes October), my mom would deliberately set a big stockpot on the stove, fill it with jug after jug of apple cider, add further flavor with spices, and turn the burner on low, just enough so the cider was almost hot, so we kids could come inside from playing in the snow and enjoy a warming cup of cider as our frigid skin melted. The pot would stay on the stove, continually being refilled, until it was getting too warm for that sort of thing – usually when our subzero winter temps started creeping up to the 20s in February or March.
Once the kids were all moved out, the tradition got shortened, with a duration of while we were home for the holidays. Still, colder temperatures tend to awaken a craving for apple cider. Now that I live on my own and I’ve adopted a real food lifestyle, I wanted a different alternative to the apple cider sold in a jug (made from juice concentrate and additives). With a little bit of research and time in the kitchen, I made an apple cider that definitely satisfies this year’s cravings!
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