DIY Apple Cider

With fall here, many people go apple picking. Some will make apple pie with all the apples, others, well, its apple cider. Its not hard to make, and you can even make it taste as if you bought it straight from the apple orchard.

All you need to get started is to cut up your apples of choice into quarters. Don't worry about cleaning, in the cooking process all the skin and seeds will take care of themselves.

Now you want to get out your large cooking pot. Then you want to add just enough water to cover all your quartered apples. Next add one cup of sugar to your pot.

I like to take cheesecloth folded in half and put some cinnamon and allspice in it and then make my self a pouch. I then tie it with some butcher twine. Then I drop it into my pot.

You then will boil your apples uncovered for good hour. Just watch it, so your pouch does not come undone.

When you have cooked your apples for a hour, it's time to put the lid on, turn the temp down to a steady simmer, and leave it there cooking for two hours.  When the time is up, just turn the stove off and let the apples rest and cool. 

Now it's time to take that pouch out of the pot. Get out your potato masher and start pressing your apples. You will do this until you get a consistency of liquid. Next it's time to strain your mashed apples. You can get rid of your pulp, pouring it into your cheesecloth. Do this by placing your cheesecloth into the bottom of the strainer. It's simple. You keep pouring and pouring and straining until your pulp is less and less.

Then store your cider in a good air tight container, and place in the fridge. In your fridge the cider will last up to a week, but if you place it into your freezer, it will last a good while.