Hot Apple Cider - apple cider

Method

• 1.
• Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a large stainless steel saucepan.
• 2.
• Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel and lemon peel in the center of a washed square of cheesecloth; fold up the sides of the cheesecloth to enclose the bundle, then tie it up with a length of kitchen string.
• Drop the spice bundle into the cider mixture.
• 3.
• Place the saucepan over moderate heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cider is very hot but not boiling.
• 4.
• Remove the cider from the heat.
• Discard the spice bundle.
• Ladle the cider into big cups or mugs, adding a fresh cinnamon stick to each serving if desired.
• My note: Instead of going through all the trouble to buy cinnamon sticks, I used: 1 teaspoons Cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoons nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoons cloves and put that in a bot and stirred until it was hot.
• This was a big hit at my party!
• It was unseasonably warm that day, so many people let the cider cool off before they drank it, and it was still great.
• I took the advice of several reviewers.
• To cut down the sweetness I started with a "natural" pressed cider (read: No Sugar Added) and I used all the maple syrup called for, but I used a syrup that had less sugar in it ("light").
• The fruit I just sliced up and let float (but removed it after about an hour), and I used ground cinnamon (1 tsp) and ground allspice (1/2 tsp).
• I recently learned from a New York State apple farmer who's family has been making hot cider for 150 or so years.
• Thinly slice and or chop up some McIntosh apples including the peel into small pieces and drop a small bunch of the apple pieces into each cup of hot cider just before serving.
• This makes a wonderful addition to this recipe, which I would say is the best hot cider I have ever tasted.
• My son made some in a crockpot at work and the citris turned it bitter after a few hours so be sure to remove the peels if you're letting it simmer for a long time.