Canned Crab Apple Cider

Course: Drinks, Preserves

Cuisine: North American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 3

Canning Time: 10

Total Time: 3 40

Servings: servings

Calories: 207kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

What a deliciously rewarding way to put all of those garden crab apples to good use! This Crab Apple Cider is canned in a waterbath canner to ensure safe longterm storage. Nothing beats a warm, homemade crab apple cider on a cold wintery day!

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Ingredients

24 cups crab apples, washed well, stem end and blossom end both cut away and discarded (measure 24 cups after the crab apples have been washed and trimmed)
2 cups brown sugar
12 whole cinnamon sticks
4 teaspoons whole allspice
24 cups water

Instructions

Add the prepared crab apples, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, and water to a large pot. (If you don’t have a pot large enough, you can add half of each ingredient to two separate pots.)
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil for one hour and use a potato masher to break down the crab apples every 15 minutes.
Reduce the heat and set a cover on the pot. Simmer the cider for 2 hours.
Next, strain the mixture through a double layer of cheesecloth. Don’t force the liquid through. Allow it to seep through slowly. Let the mixture strain for 2-3 hours. I like to strain the cider twice to get a very pure juice without any trace of pulp, but once will suffice.
In the meantime, prepare your water bath canner. Wash your jars and lids. (More details on how I do this can be found in the body of the recipe post above.)
Once the straining process is complete, use a canning funnel, fill the jars leaving one inch head space. Wipe down the rim of each jar with a damp paper towel to ensure none of the cider has come in contact with the rim. Carefully remove the sealing discs or lids from the hot water with a magnetic lid lifter. Position it directly onto the lid of the jars. Do not touch the underside of the lid. Screw on the screw bands until firm – do not apply pressure! Just use your fingertips to tighten.
Using the jar lifter, place the jars into the canner and place the lid on. Once the water returns to a boil, process the cider for 10 minutes. Once done, turn off the heat and use the jar lifter to carefully remove each jar from the canner. Do not tilt the jars or try to wipe them dry. Place jars onto a wire cooling rack that has been covered with a clean kitchen towel. Leave the jars to cool for a minimum of 12 hours. Once cooled, wipe the jars of any residue that might have been transferred to the outside of the jar during the boiling process. Label the jars and store them in a dark, cool cabinet.

Notes

Recipe as written will make approximately 16 cups of cider. Serving size is one cup.

Nutrition