There is something about spiced cider that just makes me feel like the holidays have arrived. As I type this post I have a pot of cider brewing on my stove and my house smells amazing…
When I was little it was always a tradition in my house to have a pot of spiced cider on the stove on Halloween. Now when I think of Halloween I can’t imagine not having the wonderful smell of apple cider wafting through my home.
As kids we used to love to help my mom push the cloves into the oranges. The design possibilities were endless, jack-o-lantern faces, fun spirals, words, etc.
Spiced apple cider is sinfully easy to make; apple juice, oranges, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Bring all of the ingredients to a boil and then lower the heat to a very low simmer. Test the “spiciness” of the cider as it simmers and when it reaches the flavor profile you prefer, remove the cloved oranges (otherwise it will get REALLY strong). Throughout the day some liquid will evaporate, so simply pour some filtered water into the pot to bring the volume back up. The cider will be very hot, so have some ice on hand for when you serve it to little ones.
What Halloween traditions did you have in your home growing-up?