Instant Pot Apple Cider
Instant Pot Apple Cider is a delicious drink to enjoy throughout the Fall holiday season. It comes together easily and is made with only fresh fruit and whole spices.
Servings: 12
Calories: 77kcal
Equipment
- pressure cooker 8 or 10 quart
- large heat-safe bowl
- cheesecloth optional
Ingredients
- 12 cups water
- 8 large apples *see notes
- 2 oranges
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon allspice berries
- 1 whole nutmeg
- 1 star anise optional
- ½ cup sweetener of choice (such as honey, white sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup) optional
Instructions
- Wash the apples and oranges and cut into halves or quarters, leaving the skins on. Discard the apple cores.
- Put the oranges and apples in the inner pot of the pressure cooker. Pour in the water and add the whole spices (star anise, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries). Close the lid and seal. Set to pressure cook/manual on high for 15 minutes.
- Allow the pot to complete a full natural release of pressure. Remove the lid and use a potato masher to press down on the apples and oranges. They will easily mash, releasing lots more flavor into the liquid.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large heat-safe bowl. You can also place a cheesecloth over the strainer to catch as many fruit solids and spice residue as possible. Carefully pour the contents of the Instant Pot into the strainer to filter the solids out. Discard solids. *If adding sweetener, add it to the hot cider after straining out the solids.
- Transfer the hot cider into a glass or heat-safe jug. Serve warm (or cold).
Notes
Apples: the variety of apples you use depends on if you want a sweet cider or a tart cider. For sweet ciders, stick with Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious or Red Delicious apples. For a more tart cider, opt for Pink Lady, McIntosh, Jonathan, Braeburn or Granny Smith apples. Feel free to use a combination of apples or a combination of sweet and tart apples to make a sharp sweet-tart cider.
Sweetener: this recipe is very sweet without added sugar, but you can add brown sugar, honey or maple syrup if desired. Add in small ¼ cup increments until your desired level of sweetness has been reached.
Storing: keep in the fridge for up to 10 days or the freezer for about 6 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 8oz | Calories: 77kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 0.3mg