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Apple Cider Recipe with Herbal Cider Vinegar

By Ethan Boldt

November 7, 2022

My favorite Fall day growing up was gathering the apples from our giant Jonathan apple tree in Iowa, picking out the best ones for eating, and saving the rest (which was most of them, as Jonathans don't store very well) for cider.

My father had an old Amish-made cider press that was hand-cranked. My job was to get that apple grater going at full tilt with the crank while my Dad would carefully feed the cider press after soaking the apples. The apples would get reduced to mush practically by that splendid machine and be dumped straight down into a wooden barrel. Then we'd literally press the juice out. That first taste of fresh cider (before it got heated at high heat, so we didn't have much) was always so delicious, especially after all that work.

Well, you'll be happy to know that you can also make cider at home, but it doesn't need to be quite so challenging. And with the addition of Herbal Cider Vinegar, your batch of apple cider will have an advantage over almost any other type of apple cider.

Apple Cider with Apple Cider Vinegar?

Yes, apple cider can be prepared with apple cider vinegar, or our version of apple cider vinegar called Herbal Cider Vinegar. (Ancient Nutrition’s Herbal Cider Vinegar Tincture includes 10+ organic superfoods that are brimming with antioxidants and other beneficial compounds.)

Why use apple cider vinegar in an apple cider recipe? While it imparts a nice sharpness to balance the sweet flavor, it also offers many benefits courtesy of the acetic acid that is produced. It's one of the health-promoting compounds found in apple cider vinegar alongside other acids, vitamins, mineral salts, amino acids and polyphenol antioxidants.  

Due to the presence of these compounds, it’s thought that apple cider vinegar benefits can include support for healthy digestion, overall health, cellular health and more.

Compare that to apple juice, which is usually make with just water, is very high in sugar and doesn't offer many benefits.

Additionally, this spiced apple cider recipe uses cinnamon and cloves, which apple juice doesn’t. Not only do these warm spices add a ton of flavor, but they’re also good for you, too.

How to Make Apple Cider

Get a big stockpot set up on the stovetop. Get around eight apples and slide them up.

Add all the ingredients, including the Herbal Cider Vinegar, to the stockpot, then add water to at least 3 inches above the mixture. Bring to a boil and then cook for 3 hours on low heat.

Next, using a potato masher, mash the apples in the stockpot.

In a cheese or nut milk bag, add in apple cider mixture over a medium mixing bowl and strain the liquids from the solids. Alternatively, use a mesh strainer and press down on the mixture to squeeze as much liquid out as possible.

You can store this homemade apple cider recipe in the refrigerator for up to one month. If you want to serve it warm, heat up in a small saucepan over low heat until it’s reached the desired temperature.