Boiled Cider (Apple Cider Syrup)
Ever wanted to bottle up fall and enjoy it all year round? Boiled Cider captures the essence of fall in a bottle. Making apple cider syrup is easier than you’d think and oh-so rewarding. Dive in and get to know the secret ingredient your fall recipes have been missing.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
- Intense Flavor Worth the Wait. This recipe takes some time to make (it’s a great excuse to spend a Sunday home watching football!) but it’s well worth it. Concentrated to perfection, every spoonful is intensely apple flavored. Make it once and you’ll have enough to last the whole season or more.
- Versatility at Its Best. Your new secret ingredient from marinades to drinks and desserts. It’s also great for gifting!
- Makes Your House Smell Great. Fill your kitchen with the quintessential aroma of autumn.
Cozy Up This Fall with Homemade Apple Cider Syrup
Fall is right around the corner, which means one thing: it’s apple season!
Nothing says autumn like a day at the orchard and I always come home with more apples than we can eat, plus cider and other goodies. I’ve always wish I could bottle up all of that flavor and make it last all year long.
Cooking fresh cider down into a concentrated syrup is a wonderful way to preserve that fresh apple flavor.
Wondering how to use it?
Whisk into a vinaigrette.
Drizzle over pancakes or oatmeal.
Glaze for the most delicious pork roast.
Add a soulful note to my favorite apple cider sugar cookies.
Or just mix it with hot water to make a big of hot apple cider any time you’d like.
Pro Tips:
Opt for a cider without additives. Nothing beats cider fresh from the farm, but I made this batch with grocery store cider and it was still incredible. Just choose an unfiltered variety without any preservatives. You want 100% apple.
Don’t forget about it. As the cider reduces, it’s essential to keep an eye on it to prevent burning — especially in the last hour or so as it really starts to thicken (ask me how I know….) I like to give it a stir every 15-20 minutes.
Utensils Matter. Use a heavy-bottomed pot to ensures even heat distribution and a wooden spoon to prevent scratching. I love using cast iron to make boiled cider since it retains heat so well once I turn the heat on my burner down. The more surface area your cider has, the faster it will reduce, so opt for a wide, shallow pot over a taller, narrow one if you’re in a hurry (or just impatient.)
Make a note of how full the pot is when you start to cook, so you can eyeball how much it’s reduced by. The cider is done when it’s reduced to 1/8 of it’s original volume, which works out to 2 cups if you started with a full gallon. The boiled cider will have a texture that’s similar to warm honey and when you stir it, dark bubbles with form and cover the entire surface.
Commonly asked questions
How to store it
Store your cider syrup in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Can I freeze it?
Yes! Frozen, it will keep indefinitely.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Using a slow cooker is a great way to maintain a steady cooking temperature. You can simmer the cider on high with the lid off for several hours, just as though you were making it on the stove.
How do I use it to make drinkable apple cider?
Ok I know that reducing cider just to rehydrate it sounds silly at first, but it’s actually brilliant. It’s a great way to preserve cider (and not have it take up a ton of room in your fridge) so you can have a mug whenever the feeling strikes. Just stir 1 tablespoon of the cider syrup into 1 cup (8 ounces) of hot water and enjoy!
Should I cover the pot while it cooks?
No, leave the pot uncovered so the water can cook off.
Do I have to make exactly one gallon?
Nope – make us much or as little as you’d like! Just not that the deeper the cider is in your pot, the longer it will take to reduce. So a half gallon will be done much more quickly than three gallons. Just keep an eye on it.
More delicious apple recipes
- Vegetarian Rice Pilaf with Apples and Cranberries
- Unsweetened Instant Pot Apple Sauce
- Grain Free Apple Crisp Foil Packs (Paleo, Gluten Free)
- Creamy Apple Cider Slush {Dairy Free}
- Earl Grey Apple Cider Cocktail
- Creamy Apple Cider Mussels
Boiled Cider (Apple Cider Syrup)
Ingredients
- 1 gallon apple cider unfiltered
Instructions
- Pour apple cider into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low.
- Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally. The liquid should reduce to about ⅙ of its original volume, or 2 cups, producing a thick, concentrated cider.The reduction is ready when stirring produces dark, copper-colored bubbles that cover the surface.
- Allow to cool, then transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate.
