Don’t you wish the apple cider sold in stores had less sugar? Recently, a friend of mine visited a nearby cider mill. She said it was a fun experience, but the cider she bought from there had so much sugar. It was so sweet that she had to dilute it with water to enjoy. I thought it would be fantastic if you could make your own apple cider at home with no preservatives and sugar added.
Apple cider is a must-have drink if you visit any farm this time of year in Michigan. Nothing is more relaxing than enjoying a cup of warm, freshly made apple cider on a crisp and colorful fall day. October was a fun and busy month for our family. With all sorts of school activities and Halloween parties, treats high in sugar were sneaking their way through. Did you notice your sugar consumption going up since last month?
Believe it or not, this is only the beginning. With the holiday season approaching, sugary stuff is going to be lining the shelves of the grocery stores. Is it really necessary to do this to ourselves, only to have to reverse the effects afterwards?
Absolutely Not!
My three-year-old Leo likes apple cider just as much as the bees do. So, with all the beautiful seasonal fruits, apples and cranberries, I made this sugar-free, spiced cranberry apple cider. He loved it so much that he wanted me to bring it to his school to share with his teachers and classmates.
Using a pressure cooker is a great way to save time and energy when preparing applesauce. The same is also true when using it to make this cranberry apple cider recipe. Without any bit of added sugar, this cranberry apple cider is naturally sweetened by the fruits and stevia. Unlike any store bought apple cider, it has a well-balanced tangy and sweet taste. No one would reject this healthier version, especially when it’s warm.
- 8 apples (McIntosh, Cortland, Gala, etc, experiment with different kinds for unique flavor mix)
- 1 cup cranberries frozen or fresh
- 2 sticks cinnamon bark
- 5 cloves
- 3 slices lime
- 14 cups water
- ¾ teaspoon pure stevia extract powder
- Clean apples, remove the core, and then cut them into wedges.
- Add all ingredients into pressure cooker (make sure your pressure cooker has enough capacity for all the ingredients). Follow the pressure cooker instructions and cook 15 minutes on low heat. Let pressure drop on its own.
- Remove the lid. Discard the cinnamon barks and blend with and electric hand blender until no chunks are present.
- Let the apple cider cool slightly and then pour it though a fine-mesh strainer to remove any solids. Serve warm or cold.
I have a big bottle of liquid stevia that I bought and really don’t like the taste of it. A friend of mine suggested using it in something cooked and perhaps I would like the flavor better then. What do you think? Could I use liquid instead of powder in this recipe?
Yes. You probably want to start adding a little bit to taste. I know some brands of liquid stevia has “filler” in them so it has an after taste. I like to use pure stevia powder that is made from stevia leaves (not the stem). It tastes the best.