Last Updated on August 5, 2024 by Michelle
No fall is complete without amazing homemade apple cider & of course the taste of maple. Agree? Then this recipe for homemade apple cider made with maple syrup is for you!
Ugly Apples & Maple Syrup
Our apples aren’t pretty. These trees are old y’all. But they’re wonderful for baking and, well, drinking. Scroll to the bottom for the simply amazing recipe, brought to you by your crockpot and, of course, maple syrup. And don’t worry, ugly old apples–or a dutch oven over a roaring kitchen fire–are not required.
You can also make extra and can it for later (more about that below too).
Fall in New England Requires Maple Apple Cider
The crisp, windy fall days have made my clothes-line-drying heart happy. (Join in on the comments on my facebook post about the topic this week right here.)
I explained in my Tuesday fb live this week that it’s been an unusually wet and windy New England fall, and while we are usually spoiled with gorgeous foliage for a month or longer, this year it came and went very quickly, so I sure am glad I took a few pictures while it was here. (See this post for 5 simple tips for taking perfect fall photos. Or pin it here.)
Oh, if you missed it you may wanna hop over for that fb live; I gave you the low-down on how to know if you have a sugar maple in your yard and why you really wanna know. And if you DO have a maple tree, by all means, read all about how to make maple syrup–the secret ingredient in today’s recipe! And join me live on facebook at 9:50 a.m. EST every Tuesday morning.
So it’s been a busy week. If you follow on instagram you joined in, via daily stories, as we moved two cords of split wood this week, enjoyed some amazing sourdough bread, and marked some trees that we’ll be tapping this winter (if you don’t follow on instagram, please hop over and join me.)
Oh, and then there was the 100 bales of hay we gathered, brought home, and stashed in Scout’s barn. It’s been a tiring week, y’all. It’s time to make some amazing homemade apple cider, no?
The Secret to Easy Apple Cider
My secret to keeping the cider extra easy? I simply wash and quarter the apples and toss them in the crockpot, seeds, cores, stems and all.
My secret to keeping it all-natural? I use maple syrup. Mmmmmmm. It’s my firm belief that everything is better with maple. If you need a resource for possibly the best maple syrup, consider ordering this family’s syrup. It truly is top-notch.
If you’re going to be making a lot of maple apple cider… or just love to use maple in the kitchen, like I do… you’ll want to check out this syrup. This maple syrup right here is delicious, all-natural syrup.
The the added bonus to this simple-easy recipe? Your home will smell amazing all. day. long. Recently we served our cider over the fire when company was here for an extra-special treat, cause a long, cold New England winter is setting in, folks, we need all the simple little joys we can savor.
How to Can Apple Cider
As amazingly easy as this apple cider is to make (full recipe below), it’s almost just as easy to can.
If you make extra batches and want to savor this deliciousness all winter long, it really couldn’t be easier, since cider is naturally high in acid it doesn’t need any added sugar or lemon juice to preserve it and it’s just a simple 10 minutes in a water bath canner.
- Bring your quart jars, filled with water, to a boil in your water bath canner, also filled with water around the jars.
- Heat your apple cider to a boil in a separate pot. (No need to let it cook at all. As soon as it’s to a boil, it’s ready to can.)
- Remove hot jars from the canner, emptying the water into the canner, so you have enough water in the canner, once the filled jars are in, to cover the jars with water by at least a few inches.
- Fill hot jars with hot cider and place canning lids and rims on each jar, snuggly but no need to use full arm force (it’s called “finger tight”).
- Place the jars into the boiling water in the water bath canner, making sure the water covers the jars by at least an inch or two.
- Process 5 minutes. (This does vary with higher altitudes.)
- Turn off the canner and leave the jars in the hot water for another 5 minutes.
- Remove jars carefully and let cool.
Amazing apple cider
Ingredients
- 1 peeled orange
- 10 medium-sized apples
- 1 TB cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 8 cups water*
Instructions
- Place the orange and the washed apples, cut into quarters, into your slow cooker. Add the cinnamon, cloves, and syrup. Add enough water to cover the fruit.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
- Once the fruit is very soft, mash it to release all the juices. Then let it cook for another hour.
- Carefully strain the chunky liquid into a large pot or pitcher.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week. (But, let's face it, you won't have any leftovers.)
- Or store cider in freezer for up to 3-4 months.
Notes
Of course in addition to make delicious Maple Apple Cider, you might want to consider canning apple slices. In a recent podcast episode I share exactly how I can fruit in 100% all-natural maple syrup:
“Celebrate… at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.” Exodus 23:16
Other Recipes & Tips You’ll Love:
How to Bake with Maple Syrup (seriously. You need to know this!)
How to Cook Pork Steaks (better than sirloin!)
Make Your Own Taco Seasoning (include a recipe for making it in bulk!)
All my Favorite Tools in my Farmhouse Kitchen (the things I wouldn’t want to live without)
Talk to me!
If you have any questions, leave a comment below. And please tag me on ig to show me your delicious cider @souly.rested.
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Oh gosh! Guess what I did today? Made apple juice in the crockpot so I can make jelly tomorrow. It smelled SO GOOD. Guess what else? I still have buckets and buckets of apples to do something with, and all I need is an orange so I can make some apple cider, which is my hubby’s absolute favorite way to consume apples. It’s going to be hard to wait until Monday when I can go to the store for that orange! (Do you think orange juice would work instead?)
I bet you can substitute OJ, Kathi! I looked it up and one medium orange has roughly 4 tablespoonfuls of juice. Give it a try! And let me know!!
Looks wonderful Michelle! Will be making for sure💓
I had an interesting mishap with a critter here at my house. I have a sourdough crock with a lid that can be tilted down with little pressure. My sourdough wasn’t behaving normally so I decided to empty it and start over. As I poured it down the sink I see little “things” in the bottom with a not so nice smell.🤢
We figured out that a rat was collecting things and putting them into the pot at night while it rested on the counter. There was no evidence of any other activity. It gleaned from my “chicken bowl” . We could tilt the lid with little effort. Needless to say we were astonished but are always learning something about how to homestead wisely:)