Spiced Apple Cider (Pressure Cooker)
The flavour of the variety of apples, combined with the warming spices and citrus, is intensified when it’s reduced in a pressure cooker. This makes it a hot and comforting drink on a chilly evening.
I love apple cider. There’s something about it’s robust flavour and warm spices that make it a very versatile drink. You can drink it warm on a cold night, or serve it over ice in the summertime. And it taste delicious mixed in with a red-wine sangria!
Apple cider is different from apple juice. Apple juice is filtered and pasteurized, so it stays fresh longer. The clear drink usually has preservatives added.
Apple cider is less processed, unfiltered, and it’s flavours are a lot more complex than apple juice. It’s usually found in stores around the autumn months, and shelf life is about a week or two in the fridge.
I didn’t realize it was so easy to make, and having a pressure cooker or Instant Pot® makes the cooking process so much quicker. It’ll be ready in less than an hour, including prep and straining time.
As for the types of variety of apples to use, that’s up to you. If you like your cider more on the sweet side, try apples like Golden Delicious or Honeycrisp. If you like things more tart, McIntosh or Cortland. What would work better is if you used a mixture of apples in this recipe, so play around with it until you find the best combination. Check out the Ontario apple variety listing on the Ontario Apple Growers website for more info on what each apple flavour profile is like.
Once you make a batch, you’ll never go back to buying store-bought again. This lasts about a week in the fridge, or you can freeze it for a few months.
Monique Creary
Yields about 4 cups (1 litre)
The flavour of the variety of apples, combined with the warming spices and citrus, is intensified when it's reduced in a pressure cooker. This makes it a hot and comforting drink on a chilly evening.
20 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
40 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
4 large apples (a mix of sweet and tart works well)
1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup
2 cinnamon sticks
4 green cardamom pods (crushed)
1 star anise
4 whole cloves
2 allspice berries
1" piece ginger root (peeled and sliced)
rind of 1 small orange
4 cups (1L) water
Directions
- Wash, core and slice your apples (leave the skin on).
- Add the apples to the pressure cooker pot, along with the maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, star anise, cloves, allspice, ginger and orange rind. Pour in the water.
- Cover and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes (it may take 10-15 minutes for the pressure to build).
- Carefully release the pressure using the quick-release, and manual if needed. Remove the lid.
- Use a potato masher to help release all the liquid from the fruits.
- Use a fine-meshed sieve or strainer lined with cheesecloth and strain the mixture in batches, pressing down the top to make sure all the juice is extracted from the pulp. Discard/compost solids.
- Serve hot or cold. Lasts up to a week in the refrigerator stored in a closed container.
Notes
If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can still make this recipe. After bringing everything to a boil in a large pot on the stovetop, just simmer on low for about 2 hours.
You can substitute brown sugar for the maple syrup. If you're on keto, feel free to use a sweetener like erythritol or monk fruit.
Garnish with long cinnamon sticks, sliced apples, or even fresh cranberries.
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