Mulled Cider with Chai Spices
I tend to overbuy pears and apples when they come into season. My fridge is not big enough to house all of them, so more often than not, I am left with some pears and apples sitting on the counter where they tend to ripen faster than the ones inside the fridge. When I eat apples and pears raw, I like them crunchy, so the ones sitting on the counter tend to go in baked goods, compotes, or this pear and apple cider I make every year.
This year, I bought more pears than I did apples, so this year’s first batch of cider is pear-heavy. You will need a juicer for this recipe, but if you don’t have a juicer and still want to make this at home, you can use a combo of store-bought pear nectar and apple juice, or leave it all apple or all pear, but just make sure you buy ones that have no added sugar. The pears and apples are plenty sweet.
I switch up my mulled cider methods every single year. This year, I opted to use Monsoon Coast’s Railway Chai spice blend for this. I have been doing some photo work for them throughout the course of this crazed year, and was already working my way through their chai recipes, so when it came time for me to juice my overripe pears, I thought, well… why not combine a chai concentrate with the pear juice?
I do make my own chai spice blend, but I have a pound of their Railway Chai in my pantry, and I can honestly say, without bias, that theirs is the best chai spice blend I have tasted. Yes, it takes a proper 15 minutes to simmer, but that work will be well worth it. Steeping chai & black tea blends in hot water (the ones you get from tea shops) do not do the spices proper justice. A slow simmering brings out the warmth, depth, and wide breadth of all those spices. Your kitchen will smell like heaven for hours after, too, believe me!
I added a HUGE chunk of ginger (roughly the 2/3 the size of my fist) because I REALLY love ginger. I want to feel the spicy burn of that ginger when I drink this juice. You can, of course, adjust this to taste, but trust me… add more ginger than just a thumb-sized worth.
Mulled Cider with Chai Spices
(makes a little over a litre)
7 pears (I used a combo of anjou, bartlett, and bosc)
4 apples (I used a combo of hidden rose and pink lady)
ginger (use however much you want; mine was almost the size of my fist)
2 to 3 oranges navel oranges
3 cups water
5 tsp Railway Chai
4 tsp loose leaf Assam tea*
(*A Chinese black tea like Keemun will also work; it adds a lovely smokiness to the overall cider. If you want to be bold, use 2 teaspoons of Lapsang Souchong with 2 teaspoons Assam. This will work especially well if you plan to use this cider with some rum or bourbon whisky.)
1) Juice the pears, apples, ginger, and oranges. I strain out the pulp, but you can also leave the pulp if you prefer.
2) Make the chai concentrate. Crush the chai spices lightly with a mortar and pestle. Pour the spices in with the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat to its lowest setting and leave it to simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
3) Turn off the heat and add in the loose leaf tea. Steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
4) Strain the chai and black tea mixture into the juice. Stir to incorporate.
The juice will keep for about a week and a half in your fridge, but trust me ... it won't last that long. It'll last about three days, max, if you're anyone like me and my husband.
Like I mentioned earlier you can also use store-bought pear nectar and apple juice for this:
1) In a large stock pot, add 3 cups of pear nectar, 2 cups apple juice, the juice and zest of 3 navel oranges, grated ginger, and 5 teaspoons of the crushed Railway Chai. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
2) Turn off the heat, add the black tea, and steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
3) Strain the mixture into a serving jug and store in the fridge.
You can, of course, warm this up gently if you prefer your cider warm. I like mine iced. Sometimes I put a splash of orange La Croix for that holiday spritzer feeling. You can also add 2 oz. of rum to this with a dash of cardamom bitters if you wanna make this into a cheeky cocktail; just stir to incorporate, express the oils from a piece of orange peel before garnishing with said peel. My husband does not drink anymore, and I rarely ever drink these days, so... it'll be the non-alcoholic version for us all winter long!
Happy cider-ing!
xo,
lssha