Making apple cider from scratch

[wacky1980]

Never done this before and I'm not sure why. This house smells goooooooood. So here's what I'm doing:

• 1 bag gala apples
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 an orange
• 5 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 1 tsp allspice

Cut up apples and 1/2 orange. Add all ingredients to big pot with 10 cups water. Boil, reduce and simmer covered for 2 hrs. Pull oranges out, peel+mash apples in the pot, simmer 1 more hr. Strain and squeeze juice from pulp. Makes approx 1/2 gallon.

If you want to add booze to make it more fun, add 1-2 cups spiced rum depending on strength preference. Bring heat back up to ~160⁰ (don't bring to a boil or the alcohol will boil off first). Enjoy. 

[wacky1980]

Wife says too much clove flavor. She hates cloves, so idk. Tastes pretty good to me. 

[resurrected]

I was not fond of cloves either, but they add a nice flavor to carnitas. 

I do bet your house smells good. It's not cold enough for apple cider here yet, but it's some good stuff. Usually around Christmas for us down here.

[wacky1980]

it turned out pretty good, but there's no way in hell i'm spending that much time to make a half gallon of the shit in the future. double the recipe, at least.