Nanny's Apple Cider

My grandmother is a great cook.  Several of my favorite recipes are also family favorites from her kitchen.  Now that the cold weather is upon us, it's time for one of her classic recipes:  Apple Cider.  This is a really simple recipe.  It smells delicious, tastes delicious, and is downright...delicious.

My grandmother says that she believes this cider recipe was posted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer years ago.  She moved here from Cleveland over 30 years ago, so trust me when I tell you that this recipe has stood the test of time.

Did you notice the remnants of my cool Halloween manicure in that picture?  The apple cider was made for our Halloween party, and like the pumpkin bread, is unfortunately long gone.

In case you can't read the image from the picture above, here are the ingredients:

Nanny's Apple Cider
 
1 gallon Apple Cider
1 stick of Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Whole Allspice
1 teaspoon Cardamom Seeds
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
3 Orange Slices, each studded with 5 Whole Cloves

You can go two ways with the other spices.  One way is to dump them all in the cider and then strain it before serving.  I think that's a little too time and labor intensive, so I usually make a 'homemade tea bag' with a paper towel and float it in the cider.  One day I will get really fancy and buy a tea ball...

After the spices have been added, the cider should simmer for 30 minutes with the orange slices floating on the top. I'm rather fond of spearing the orange slice with the sticks of whole cinnamon.  I think it looks pretty when you float them in the apple cider.

My mom recommends preparing the cider a day in advance because she thinks its better after its been reheated.  So, if you've got the time, you should definitely do it that way.  If not?  Still delicious.