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    Home » Wild Fruit

    Mulled Crab Apple Cider

    Published: Oct 14, 2023 Modified: Oct 14, 2023 Author: Alan Bergo

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Nothing says fall like a warm mug of spiced cider and the smell of apples mingling with cinnamon and spices. This mulled crab apple cider recipe is crazy delicious, and a great, low-sugar alternative to jelly. Once you taste it, you might think twice about dumping a gallon of regular cider in the slow cooker for your next holiday gathering. It's also easy to make with 100 % foraged ingredients if you have the right crab apple trees.

    How to Make Crabapple Cider

    The traditional way to make crab apple cider is pressing them in a cider press. After pressing, the juice can be made into fermented crab apple cider.

    An electronic, pedal operated cider press.
    An electronic cider press.

    My recipe is a shortcut made by cooking small, red crab apples to make crab apple juice, adding maple syrup and spices and simmering to make an addictive warm drink.

    A a pile of red, ornamental Chinese crab apples.
    Chinese crabapple trees may be planted in landscaping, they're dry and best cooked into juice.

    I think it's an ingenious way to make homemade crabapple cider without a cider press. It's also naturally bright red in color, so there's no need to add handfuls of cinnamon candies like red hots.

    A pot of crab apple cider with a ladle.
    Raw pressed apples will make an oxidized, brown juice like cider from a store. Red crabapples will give a red juice when cooked.

    Step-By-Step

    The recipe starts the same as making crab apple jelly. First you'll need to make crab apple juice by cooking the apples with water.

    The apples are washed, put in a pot, covered with water and brought to a boil. The apples are cooked until soft, then mashed with a potato masher.

    Adding water to a pot of crab apples.
    Mashing cooked crab apples with a potato masher.

    The apple mash is poured into a colander lined with cheesecloth and allowed to drain. After cooling, the cheesecloth can be squeezed to yield a generous amount of extra juice, although it won't be as clear as the first batch.

    Straining cooked crab apples through cheesecloth.
    Cooled, strained crab apples.
    Squeezing cheesecloth to extract crab apple juice.

    The finished crab apple juice is mixed with water and maple syrup to taste, as well as orange zest, a small piece of cinnamon, and other spices like clove, spicebush or allspice, if you want.

    Adding cinnamon and spice bush berries to crab apple cider.
    Adding orange zest to crab apple cider.
    Adding maple syrup to crab apple cider.

    How to Serve It

    When the cider's hot, you ladle it into mugs and serve, preferably with a halved crab apple garnish. Just like regular mulled cider, it can be held warm in a slow cooker for guests to serve themselves.

    Adding sliced crab apples to a pot of mulled cider.
    A spoon in a pot of crab apple cider showing off the red color.

    The finished product will be a brilliant red. It can be served hot and sipped from a mug, or, for a twist, served cold, where the mouthfeel of the pectin will be noticeable, and, strangely pleasing.

    A mug filled with red crab apple cider next to a bowl of crab apples and a pot of crab apple cider.

    Related Posts

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    Wild Apple Sauce

    Apple Molasses

    A wooden kuksa mug filled with mulled crab apple cider.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 7 votes

    Mulled Crab Apple Cider

    Bright red, tart and sweet homemade crab apple cider you can make without a cider press. Makes a great festive drink. The recipe is easily scaled.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Cooling time1 hour hr
    Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer, Beverage, Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: crabapple cider
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 126kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Equipment

    • 1 gallon pot or pasta pot.
    • 1 Potato masher
    • 1 Cheesecloth as needed
    • 1 2 quart sauce pot for heating the mulled cider

    Ingredients

    • 5 cups crab apple juice from about 5 lbs of crab apples
    • ½ cup maple syrup
    • 1-2 cups water *see note
    • 1 inch piece of cinnamon preferably Ceylon cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon spicebush berries optional
    • 1 inch strip of orange zest
    • 10 small crab apples as a garnish

    Instructions

    Crab Apple Juice

    • Wash the crab apples you’ll make juice from. Save an apple or two for each person to use as a garnish in the mug, if you like.
    • Put the apples in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the apples soften, about 15-20 minutes.
    • Mash the apples with a potato masher then simmer for another 5 minutes.
    • Pour the apple mash into a cheesecloth lined colander or strainer and allow to cool.
    • Squeeze the cheesecloth to extract as much juice as possible. From here the juice can be refrigerated or frozen until needed.

    Mulled Cider

    • Combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat and allow to infuse for 20 minutes. Skim any scum that rises to the surface.
    • Halve the crab apples you saved for a garnish and add them. Note that crab apples with a mealy texture may break down if cooked too long.
    • Adjust the seasoning until it tastes good to you. If it's slightly astringent, add a little more water and maple syrup. Ladle into mugs and serve. You can also keep it warm in a slow cooker.
    • You can serve the cider warm or cold. You can adjust the consistency by adding more water and maple syrup to taste.

    Video

    Notes

    Notes
    • The water is added to taste here as a way to curb any astringency and stretch the juice. I list 1-2 cups as a place to start but 1-3 or even more can be possible depending on your preference and the crab apples you're using.
    • High acid or astringent crab apples may need more water. The less water you add, the more the pectin's silky texture will be noticeable when served cold. 
    • The type of apple you use here as a garnish is important. Mealy crab apples that disintegrate when cooked will turn your cider cloudy.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 6oz | Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarah Tysk

      January 02, 2025 at 9:33 am

      You mention having the 'right' crab apple trees - are there specific kinds you look for?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        January 04, 2025 at 8:27 am

        Taste them to make sure they're not overly astringent.

        Reply
    2. AC

      October 21, 2024 at 8:19 am

      Sounds really good! Thanks for the recipe.
      Can you freeze the cider in jars to use throughout the winter in MN?
      How long would crabapple last in the garage?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 21, 2024 at 11:11 am

        Hello. Yes you can freeze it. I just did a gallon, I portion into quart containers and freeze.

        Reply
    3. Arwen

      October 22, 2023 at 9:40 pm

      5 stars
      This has got me creeping around for crabapples! In the meantime, what is this fancy ladle??? Google Lens just leads me back to you!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 23, 2023 at 10:00 am

        Hey Arwen. Cool name. This cider is so good I've been making all kinds of variations of it. I got sick this week and drinking it warm, still thick with pectin worked wonders on my throat. Then I cut it by 50% with water and has it as tea. Definitely try if you have some crab apples near you. I can't remember where the ladle is from, prob Williams Sonoma, many years ago.

        Reply
    4. Allan Gaudette

      October 17, 2023 at 10:02 am

      5 stars
      This recipe just missed this year's crop from my tree. The apples seemed to be larger than my first, last year's I think from lot,s of rain!
      Thank you for the down to earth,s recipe.
      Do you know what the bumps are from? Allan .

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 18, 2023 at 8:33 am

        Hey Allan. I'd assume the bumps are genetic.

        Reply
    5. Jenny

      October 17, 2023 at 10:01 am

      5 stars
      This was absolutely delicious.

      Reply
    6. Christine Merriman

      October 15, 2023 at 9:52 pm

      5 stars
      Made crabapple jam and cider today! The cider is so fantastic and love the fact that I can control the amount of sweetness! It isn’t cloyingly sweet after adding a bit of maple syrup.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 18, 2023 at 8:34 am

        Yeah you can just sweeten it to taste, if it's a little tannic or sweet, just add a splash of water. Super flexible.

        Reply
    7. Sarah

      October 14, 2023 at 9:20 am

      I have a glut of freshly picked crab apples, so I will be making this today! Thank you for sharing this recipe (and all of your recipes). ❤️

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 14, 2023 at 9:36 am

        Hey Sarah. It's sooo good. One of the coolest parts is tasting it cold vs warm. When it was still hot in MN a couple weeks ago I served it ice cold at an event. The pectin is noticeable cold and is really refreshing. Let me know how you like it!

        Reply
    5 from 7 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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