Whether you eat them straight from the tree, bake them into a pie or use them as an edible nut butter utensil, nothing quite compares to a crisp apple in autumn. While we could go on for several paragraphs listing all the delicious things you can make with this versatile fall favourite, we’ll jump right to one of our go-to recipes — apple cider.
Unlike apple juice, apple cider skips the filtration and pasteurization, giving you a natural off-the-branch flavour that you just can’t beat. There is however one thing about apple cider that we could do without — the plastic container. With about 8 million tons of plastic waste escaping into our oceans from coastal nations every year, there’s no denying we have a plastic crisis on our hands and it pains us to know that we’re contributing to the issue.
With this in mind (and knowing we’ll likely be guzzling a few gallons this fall) we wanted to explore how to make this bevy as sustainably as possible. Below you’ll find our easy-to-make zero-waste recipe that just requires a few hours of free time to make.
Zero-Waste Apple Cider Recipe
Ingredients:
- 10 apples
- We suggest a mix of tart (Granny Smith) and sweet (Honeycrisp) apples.
- 1 orange (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon (or 3 sticks)
- 1-2 teaspoons of ground cloves
- 1/2 cup of sugar for a sweeter cider, 1/4 cup for less sweetness
- Cheesecloth for straining
Instructions:
Quarter your apples and place them in a large stockpot. Peel and segment the orange and add into the pot with the apples. Add in cinnamon, ground cloves, and sugar. Stir to combine.
Add water until the apples and orange segments are covered by about 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
After simmering for 2 hours, remove orange segments and use a potato masher or wooden spoon to mash the apples helping to release their flavour. Cover and allow to simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
Remove cider from the heat and set aside to cool. Once at room temperature strain cider using the cheesecloth. We suggest double straining if you have the time. Make sure to compost discarded fruit.
Your cider is now ready to be served. Enjoy it cold or warm, and refrigerate in a sealed re-useable container for up to a week.
Looking for something to do while you wait for your cider to cook? Check out our top reading recommendations for fall for a good read to pass the time with.
