The Best Apples To Use For Homemade Hot Apple Cider

Apple cider is a quintessential holiday flavor sitting right up there with pumpkin spice. Whether you're adding it to your autumn mimosas or using it in a piping hot batch of apple cider doughnuts, there's no denying the potent fall power that this combination of spices and apples brings to the table. For some, the love of apple cider extends far beyond the fall season, too, which poses a bit of a problem. After all, you can buy apple cider just about anywhere in the chilly months, but it pulls off an immaculate disappearing act in spring and summer. What's a number one apple cider fan to do? Well, you can make your own apple cider without needing an apple press–how about them apples?

Homemade apple cider is easier to make than you might think, but the first and most important step is deciding what apples you're going to use. The good news is that you can use any apple, so don't worry about your apple-picking harvest going to waste. To lean into the sugary side of the drink, pick a sweeter apple like Fuji, Red Delicious, or Honeycrisp. If you want to cut down on sweetness, pick a tart or sweet-tart apple like Jazz, Sweetango or Sugarbee. Bonus tip: Choose apples low in tannins to avoid bitterness. You can even mix and match your apples to create a totally unique cider flavor. It's really all about customizing your cider to your personal palate.

The type of apple you use for your cider won't make much difference, but its ripeness sure will. You want to use ripe apples. Really ripe. Apples that perhaps toe the line and edge into overripe territory, even. In fact, some people will wait until the apples are so ripe that they fall out of the tree and simply collect them from the ground. Just don't go for any apples with enormous bruises or super soft spots; they're in the "so close to rotting that you should really avoid it" category. You also want to swerve from apples with mold, cuts, or damage from insects. This isn't an aesthetic thing. You're going to be cooking your apples whole, so you don't want anything nasty getting into the pot.

The apples you pick should feel firm and heavy, and the pips inside should look glossy and black instead of light brown once you cut the apple open. With the ripest apples picked, all you have to do is dump them (quartered and unpeeled) into a stockpot and cover them with water. For flavor, use ¾ cup of brown sugar and your chosen spices; cinnamon and allspice amp up the fall vibes. Let this all boil for an hour and simmer for another two, and then strain all the solids out. Easy as that, you have your very own apple cider, now accessible at any time of the year.