Mulled cider is one of the treats of the winter season. Drink it after or during picking out a Christmas tree, or decorating one. Enjoy a cup of hot mulled cider while caroling or baking a batch of Santa’s favorite M&M; cookies. Hot mulled cider is a nice alternative to hot cocoa after a day of playing in the snow or frolicking on the slopes. Stock up today with these warm, aromatic and comforting ingredients for making a variety of hot mulled apple cider recipes during the holidays.
Juices
Apple Cider – Fresh
The easiest ingredient to start with in any hot mulled cider recipe is real apple cider. Find it on the shelves of your local grocery store or from a local apple orchard that is open during the holiday season.
Tip: Perform a taste test and smell test on apple cider before you mix it with any other ingredients. Apple cider is not always uniform in taste or texture. Also, some apple cider tends to start fermenting and you will be able to tell if you taste it first.
Apple Juice – Frozen
It’s a good idea to keep a couple of cans of frozen apple juice or apple juice canned concentrate on hand. You can make a hot mulled cider flavored drink with apple juice, if you use the right spices.
Some hot drink recipes for the holiday season use cranberry juice. It’s best to buy an unsweetened, pre-mixed variety. Ocean Spray cranberry juice is flavorful with the right amount of sweetness and tartness. Stay away from cranberry juice sweetened with artificial sweeteners, because the hot drink recipe will be remembered only for its not-so pleasant aftertaste.
Keep one or two containers of frozen orange juice concentrate on hand. The orange juice can be used to add a citrus flavor to any hot holiday drink recipe.
Fruit
Fresh Apples
Fresh apple slices add a gourmet look to your hot mulled cider.
Fresh Lemon
Bitter fruit like lemon add a needed acidity to some hot holiday drink recipes. The lemon will also balance out the sweetness of hot drinks. Use sparingly, and to taste.
Spices
Allspice – Ground
Ground allspice is one spice you can use in hot mulled cider recipes or in hot Chai recipes. Only use whole allspice if you will be making your own spice sack in a cheesecloth or using a tea diffuser.
Ground Coves or Whole Cloves
Whole cloves is one of those spices which should not be consumed whole. You are better off using ground cloves, unless you are making your own spice sack.
Whole Cinnamon Sticks
Opt for short cinnamon sticks that are about three inches long. They make a very festive addition to a pot of mulled cider. They also add a touch of holiday spirit to a mug of any hot drink recipe when served. They can also serve as a convenient stirrer for the drinker.
Sweeteners
The best sweeteners for hot drink recipes for the holidays are the ones which melt quickly and do not leave any solids behind.
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is used in some hot mulled cider recipes. It is very sweet, use sparingly.
Honey
Honey adds a more natural flavor to a hot holiday drink recipe than other sweeteners might. You could even serve a hot mulled cider or a hot Chai drink with a honey straw, if you can find them in the local gourmet tea or coffee shop.
