Conference turris::cooks

    Hi!  I had hot mulled cider at a party recently and was told that
    bags of the seasoning are available at the kitchen store (Joy
    of Cooking?) in the Natick Mall.
    
    It was absolutely delicious, and I will be buying a few bags myself 
    when I'm in the vicinity.
    
    Enjoy!
    

	Also available at Idylwilde farms in Acton, and at several farm stand 
	type stores is a brand called J.J. Crows (?).

	However, it's easy to wing it, if you have the ingredients I use:

		1	Gal Cider
		5	3" cinnamon sticks
		10	Star Anise stars
		1	Tbsp Allspice berries whole
		5	cloves
		1	slice fresh ginger (1"x1"x.5")
		optional the zest of 1 orange
		optional the zest of 1 lemon


						     
							- JP

    For those of you in the Nashua/Hollis N.H. area, the Kimball
    Fruit Farm on Rt. 122 (Mass/N.H. border) has mulled cider mix
    that is wonderful for consumption as well as lending a delightful
    aroma to the area it's brewed. They also make their own "special
    holiday blend" cider, which is distributed locally, and served
    at many local restaurants.

    The recipe in .2 is close to what I make, but be sure to remove
    the cinnamon sticks quickly, or the cider will turn out to be too
    sweet (depends somewhat on what sort of apples it was, too, of course).
    For the same reason, don't try to use ground cinnamon if you don't
    have cinnamon sticks around.  Yum!  I LOVE cider!

	Yeah!  You can save the cinnamon sticks for use as a garnish 
	when you serve the cider.  

	By the way, my personal preference for cider is the the freshly 
	squeezed stuff that you get during apple picking season.  The 
	pressings from stored fruit always seem too watery, and lacking
	in that sweet-tart apple flavor.  The good news is that cider 
	freezes!  Without harming the flavor!  If you have the freezer
	space, set aside a few half gallons.  (I used to go for gallons,
	you know...go for the bulk discount...but the 2 halfs are easier
	to arrange in storage than 1 whole.)  Then around January-February,
	cut open the plastic jug, and put the large ice cube in a pan to 
	mull (on the woodstove).  Go shovel some snow, or sled or whatever.
	When you get back inside, it's a real treat...'specially with some
	Meyers's!

						     
							- JP

    I buy the stuff in the package at Country Creations in Hudson MA.
    
    I have an old coffee pot, the perculator type.  Mine is one of those
    old glass electric ones.  I put the seasonings in the basket, pour
    the cider in and it perks.  Tastes great, smells great and because
    the pot is that glass type with a light inside, it looks great.
    By putting the seasonings in the basket, there is no need to strain
    them out before drinking since they remain in the basket.
    
    Judie
    
    

    
    
    You can also get the bagged seasonings at Bolton Orchards on Rt.117
    in Bolton.
    
    pam

    and it's also very good with a little dark rum
    
    

	It's also good with lots of dark rum!

    Here in Europe Cider is a lovely strong ALCOHOLIC drink. The really
    good forms are the English SCRUMPI (commonly called jungle juice)
    or the French or Belgian forms. 
    
    	Great to get blasted on
    
    		MBr

    Alcoholic cider is usually called "hard cider" in the US.  If you
    let fresh-pressed (no preservatives) cider sit around for a few
    days, it will get "hard" due to fermentation, but usually isn't
    very good.  Good "hard cider" is bottled in Quebec -- but you can
    get a really TERRIBLE hangover from drinking that stuff, tasty as
    it is.
    
    Don't use hard cider to make mulled cider.

                         THE RECIPIE
                       ---------------
                       
     If anyone is planning to attend a homecoming game this Thanksgiving
     this is the recipie that will keep you WARM from head to toe.....
     discourage Jack Frost from nipping,,,and give you that holiday
     GLOW!
    
     INGREDIENTS:   1 QT. CAPTIAN MORGAN'S SPICED RUM 
                    ( MAY SUBSTITUTE WITH CRUZAN GOLD)
                    1 PINT OF SOUTHERN COMFORT
                    1 CUP OF GINGER BRANDY
                    1 HALF GALLON FRESH APPLE CIDER
                    6 - 7 CINNIMON STICKS
                    1/2 TEASPOON CINNIMON
                    1/2 TEASPOON NUTMEG
                    1/8 TEASPOON GROUND CLOVES
                    ( OR COOK WITH 5-6 WHOLE CLOVES THEN REMOVE )
    
       IN A BIG SAUCE PAN ( OR CORN KETTLE ---  ALWAYS MAKE ENOUGH
       TO SHARE THE WARMTH ) COMBINE APPLE CIDER AND BOOZE... HEAT
       WITH CINNIMON STICKS -- YOU CAN USE REDS CINNIMON CANDIES BUT
       STIR OFTEN AS THEY STICK TO THE BOTTOM OF YOUR PAN...STIR
       INGREDIENTS UNTIL JUST BEFORE BOILING - LET SIMMER THEN POUR
       INTO ONE OR MANY THERMOUS CONTAINERS, GO TO THE GAME AND ENJOY!
    
       REMEMBER TO SHARE BECAUSE IF YOU DRINK IT ALL...YOU WON'T EVEN
       REMEMBER THE TURKEY, WHO WON, WHO YOU SAW.....HAVE FUN!
      
               * HAPPY HOLIDAY *
     
     

    I finally tried this recipe for a Cleveland Browns game, and it
    it is really good!  I didn't really want to buy a bottle of ginger brandy
    for just a cup, and I had some regular brnady already, so I just
    let a couple small knobs of real ginger float around in it while
    heating, and it was great - it took the edge off the sweetness!

    I'm going to try serving this out of a crock pot at a holiday party
    next.
    
    Thanks for the recipe!
    
    Terry
    

    I'm interested in making mulled cider in large quantities at minimal
    cost for an event that doesn't have a big budget.  I'll get a big
    coffee urn and follow the advice in a previous note about percolating
    it as well as making the mull mix from scratch which should be cheaper
    than the bags of premade mix.  
    
    But my concern is the expense of the cider itself, the event
    coordinators always buy generic store brand soda in bulk to lower their
    costs.  Will using a store brand apple juice be a poor alternative? 
    Will dilluting the apple cider with something stretch it further
    without ruining the taste?  If so, any ideas what the proportion of
    cider to whatever would be?  Any ideas for something inexpensive
    besides water to dilute it with?  If I combined apple juice and
    gingerale, would that make a good and cheap alternative or a disaster?
    :-)
    
    Any suggestions would be appreciated!
    
    Sharon
    

My Humble Opinion, of course... :-)

> Will using a store brand apple juice be a poor alternative? 

Yes.  Apple juice is NOT cider.  I don't think it would hold up to the mulling
spices.

>    Will dilluting the apple cider with something stretch it further
>    without ruining the taste?

I dunno, I think if you diluted it, you would end up with weakly apple-flavored
liquid overpowered by spices.  But having not tried it myself, I can't say for
sure.

I think you may have to bite the bullet and go for straight cider...

							-- Nina

IMHO, an unsweetened apple juice holds up very well to heating and spicing.
It is often used in the western USA in place of cider...in fact, I don't
really think there is any difference between unsweetened apple juice and 
cider except that the juice is filtered of solid matter.
Get a generic brand and save money.  I could not recommend that you "cut"
the apple juice with anything...I think that would be a bad idea flavor-wise.
However, if you do cut it, use plain, bottled water, and for every 4 cups of
juice, do not add more than 1 cup of water.  With the spices added, it might
pass.

    
    
    	re: .13   heating the cider in a big coffee urn might sound like 
    a good idea, but I wouldn't use a METAL coffee urn, the cider is acidic
    and will taste awful. Most recipes say to heat the mulled cider in a 
    glass or enamelled saucepan. You might try using a large, enamel
    canning kettle... (the previous note that referrred to heating it in a
    percolater coffee pot used one made of glass, if I read it correctly)
    

    IF you are with a non-profit organization why don't you go to an
    orchard and ask for a discount rate?  If you have to dilute real apple
    cider then try diluting with apple juice, a 1-4 ratio.  That's the most
    I would do it for.  Apple Cider is supposed to taste like apple cider,
    not spices.  It's like putting ketchup on eggs when you try to dilute
    and then bury the flavor with spice.
    
    Ferne
    
    
    

    I think you could probably get away with diluting the cider to some
    extent with apple juice, as .17 suggests.  Apple juice is often on sale
    cheap - my synagogue called me to ask me to pick up ten cases of it
    last week when the local Shaw's had them for $.99 for half gallons (the
    kids in the religious school go through a lot of it); that's about half
    the price of orchard cider (I don't buy the stuff with preservatives,
    but that may be cheaper).  Whatever you do, better mix up a small
    amount of it at home and taste it first.  I would be real sceptical of
    something like apple juice + ginger ale being anything but a disaster
    if people are expecting it to be "cider", although it might possibly
    pass as a "punch" - again, you'd best try it at home first!
    
    /Charlotte

    
    
    A friend of mine makes a delicious spiced apple punch.  I don't have
    the recipe, but it is made with:
    
    		Brewed apple/spice herbal tea (chilled)
    		Cider
    		Spices (cinnamon/cloves/allspice, etc.)
    
    Very tasty!
    

    
    Use a crockpot to heat up the cider and a ladle to serve in
    mugs/cups....