Boiled Apple Cider

I’m in the last minutes of waiting for another batch of boiled apple cider to be finished. My computer is right by the boiling pot; at this stage of the game, as the cider becomes thicker and more like syrup, it doesn’t pay to walk away for long. The first pot of cider I boiled taught me this lesson. The syrup burned before I had a chance to catch it. Burning happens that fast.

So basically, I pour 2 gallons of cider into a large pot, take a measurement with a stick so that I can monitor the reduction by 1/7, and start the pot on a hard boil. As the syrup gods would have it, the raw cider measures to nearly seven inches. No math necessary for this non-math wiz! Five to six hours later, the cider becomes a deep, dark amber. At 1 inch in depth, it’s done.

Poured into sanitized jars, the syrup should be shelf stable. I keep mine in the fridge nonetheless.

Pictured is a bit of boiled cider with sparkling water – a very yummy soda in its own right – topped of with a dribble of cinnamon liquor. The syrup is nearly as good just drizzled over ice cream. I’ve stirred it into hot oatmeal in the morning, and used it as a flavor boost for apple muffins. Tomorrow I’ll add a bit of syrup to the apple bars I’ll be making.

Okay – time to hover over the pot…