Make some Instant Pot apple cider that tastes great, smells amazing, and is full of the spices of fall!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Pressure Reach & Release Time25 minutesmins
Total Time55 minutesmins
Servings: 2
Ingredients
8-10medium apples assorted such as Granny SmithHoneycrisp, Gala or Cortland
1-2orangespeeled and sectioned
1tablespoonwhole cloves
2-3cinnamon sticks
1teaspoonallspice berries
1whole nutmeg
Waterabout 8-10 cups
1/4 to 1/2cupbrown sugardepending on taste
Instructions
Clean and cut the apples and oranges. I peel the oranges but not the apples.
8-10 medium apples assorted such as Granny Smith, 1-2 oranges
Add the fruit to the Instant Pot. It should fill up to around the mark for halfway.
Add the whole spices to the Instant Pot. Then add about 2 quarts of water to cover the apples and reach the halfway part of the inner pot. You can go a little over halfway, but don't overfill.
Put the lid on making sure the sealing ring is in place and the valve is shut. Set the pressure cooker on Manual, high pressure, for 15 minutes.
It will take about 10 minutes for it to reach pressure. Once it finishes cooking let the pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure manually.
Take the lid off and remove the large spices like the cinnamon stick and nutmeg from the pot.
Mash the fruit with a potato masher or large wooden spoon against the side of the pot.
Strain the cider. I like to strain it twice, first through a colander into a bowl first to remove spices and large solids like apple peel. Then strain it again through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer, pressing solids against the strainer to release the juice. Discard the solids when you are done.
Stir in brown sugar to taste, a few tablespoons at a time.
1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar
Serve warm, room temperature or chilled with apple slices and cinnamon stick, if desired.
Notes
I made this in a 6 quart pressure cooker. You can make a larger batch if you have an 8 quart model.
You can also sweeten the cider with maple syrup or a low carb sweetener.