Mull Your Own Cider with Farmview Fresh Ingredients

Have you been thinking of ways to celebrate fall? Try “mulling” it over some hot cider!

Hot apple cider is a wonderful fall tradition that comes to us from the Norse. Traditionally, the Norse cider drink was known as “wassail” and was consumed during the Yuletide. The warm cider was often served in a communal wassailing bowl that friends and family gathered around.

You, too, can create a sense of community by trying these updated versions of hot apple cider! We’ve curated this list of recipes that can be made using your slow cooker (or if you think about it, your modern-day wassail bowl).

All of these ciders will make your home smell like fall, which is an added bonus to how they taste! Try them now, before fall blows by.

Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Cider

• 5 apples, medium (red and green varieties)
• 1 orange, whole
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• ½ a tsp of ground nutmeg
• 1 clove, whole
• ¼ a tsp of ground allspice
• 8 cups of water
• ⅓ a cup of brown sugar
• ⅓ a cup of homemade or store bought caramel sauce

• Wash your produce. Then, chop your apples into quarters (you can leave in the stems, seeds, etc). Add them to your slow cooker, along with the whole orange.
• Add in water, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, clove, and allspice. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
• If you notice your orange has split open at any point during cooking, remove from the mixture. This will help prevent your cider from becoming bitter.
• One hour before the cider is set to be ready, mash your apples with a potato masher. Place lid back on and continue cooking for the last hour.
• Once done, use a fine mesh strainer to strain the contents into a heat-proof pitcher. Stir in brown sugar and caramel sauce and stir to dissolve.
• Serve warm, with fresh whipped cream and caramel sauce on top.
• Refrigerate any leftovers for 5-6 days. To serve again after, rewarm.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider

• 1 liter of apple juice, pure unsweetened
• 2 cups of orange juice, pure unsweetened
• 1 liter of cranberry juice, unsweetened
• ½ a cup of no calorie sweetener, granulated
• 3 cinnamon sticks, whole
• ⅛ a teaspoon ground cloves

• Add in all of your ingredients to a 4 quart or larger slow cooker. Cook the mixture on low for around 3-4 hours, until hot. Stir occasionally.

Honey Rum Marshmallows

Ingredients

• 1 cup of honey
• 1 ½ a cup of sugar
• 3 envelopes of gelatin
• 1 cup of cold water, divided
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of rum or vanilla extract
• ¼ a cup of cornstarch
• ¼ a cup of powdered sugar
• Non-stick cooking spray

• In your stand mixer, mix together ½ a cup of cold water and gelatin. Add on your whisk attachment.
• In a small saucepan, add together the other ½ a cup of cold water, sugar, honey, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook over medium high heat. Allow mixture to reach 240*F, as tested with a candy thermometer. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, just wait until the bubbles get thinner and much larger.
• Once your honey mixture is ready, slow pour into your stand mixer while the mixer is on low speed. Then, turn the speed up to medium. When it starts to bubble and get a little thicker, raise the speed to high and mix for around 15 minutes. Avoid turning the speed up too fast- the hot candy will be all over your kitchen.
• While this mixture is going, spray a 9x13” baking pan with non-stick spray. Add cornstarch and powdered sugar to a bowl and mix well. Then, use this mixture to dust the pan well. Dump the excess out of the pan and save the rest for later.
• When the mixture in your stand mixer has become thick and white, add in your rum or vanilla extract. Mix until well incorporated.
• Spray a spatula with nonstick spray and use it to transfer your marshmallow mixture from the stand mixer into your 9x13” pan. Dust with the cornstarch and powdered sugar mixture, just enough to coat. Let it sit overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
• To cut the marshmallows, transfer to a cutting board and cut with a pizza cutter. Use the leftover cornstarch and powdered sugar to dust the newly-cut sides of the marshmallows. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.