Homemade Apple Cider: Is It Worth It?

‘Tis the season to be full of apple cider!

Now that it’s October, shelves are stocked with cider. I will be consuming this fall beverage in mass quantities so instead of breaking the bank over gallons of store bought apple cider, I decided to give making it at home a try!

Most things are cheaper to make yourself (like brewing coffee at home) but is apple cider one of them? Let’s find out by doing it ourselves!

• Related: Stop Buying Coffee | Money Saving Challenge

Ingredients:

• 10-12 apples, quartered (I used a mixture of Gala, Granny Smith, and Fuji)
• 2 oranges, quartered (I used mandarin oranges)
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• spices to taste (I used Nutmeg, Cloves, and Allspice)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar/maple syrup or to taste
• 16 cups water (more or less depending on pot size)

Tools:

• Some type of large pot, Instapot, or crock pot – I used this dutch oven
• Some type of fine strainer and/or cheese cloth
• Wooden spoon or potato masher

The first thing to do is chop the goodies.

I used a mixture of Gala, Granny Smith, and Fuji apples. I also threw in some oranges (I had mandarin on hand) for that citrusy flavor.

Fill

Next, fill with water. You want to cover the apples (as best you can because the apples rise with the water level) but also leave 1-2 inches of space between the water and the top of the pot.

Add spices.

I mixed 1/4 teaspoon of each: allspice, nutmeg, cloves with water along with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and mixed it with the apples. I don’t think that was enough for my taste – I had to add more while cooking. Taste and add more as you go.

Add in the cinnamon sticks. If you have a little helper, this is a great way to get them involved.

Simmer

Heat on high heat, then reduce to simmer until apples are soft. The recipe says 2 hours but ours took longer. I tasted the mixture at this point and it was pretty watery. I mashed the apples and oranges and then let it continue to simmer for 4 more hours. That helped a lot. The apartment smelled lovely all evening!

We made this a two day process because I started it late in the afternoon – my bad. I let the mashed apples simmer for a while & cool and then put them in the fridge before I went to bed.

Strain

The next morning we began the straining process. First, I put it through a mesh strainer and then mashed it some more. I did this twice.

The recipe recommends a cheese cloth but we didn’t have any on hand. Scoop the mashed apples into the cloth to strain the solids. I enlisted the help of my hubby for this part and before I could stop it, he had already used one of my very nice and very new towels… Oh well. He promises me it will come out in the wash.

I would show you a picture of the pulp but it was just a gross looking brown ball of fiber-y mush. You’ll have to make it yourself if you want to see what I’m talking about.

We draped the towel over the dutch oven and poured the mixture one more time just to make sure we got all the solids out.

Once the cider is back in the pot, heat it up and sweeten to taste. I added 2 more tablespoons of brown sugar and a healthy sprinkling of allspice, nutmeg, and cloves.

Voilà! Homemade apple cider is done!

The original recipe said it would yield 12 servings. I got 48oz. Even at 6oz a serving, that would still only be 8 servings. The recipe also said prep time was 10 minutes… Maybe I’m just slow but total prep (cutting fruit, mashing, cheese cloth-ing, and straining multiple times) took me a lot longer than 10 minutes.

The Results

Nevertheless, it is so so delicious. You can sweeten it however you want. It is about the same thickness of cider from the store and this version is fairly mild. To get that kick or bite that some ciders have, add more spices.

You can spice up each cup individually to enjoy a variety of tastes.

So, does this DIY save you time and money?

Cost Breakdown: (the following are estimates)

• Apples: $2.25 (a little more than half a bag of apples at $4/bag)
• Oranges: $0.25 (2 mandarins out of a $3, 3lb bag)
• Sugar & Spices: a few cents
• Strainer: on hand
• Cheese Cloth: towel, on hand
• Pot: on hand

The Verdict

Is it cost and time efficient? A gallon of fresh apple cider at Walmart is about $4/gallon. I used about $2.50 worth of fruit and a few cents worth of spices to get 48oz. If we say it cost a total of $2.75 to make this batch of 48oz, that would come out to $7.15/gallon.

If cost is your only factor, then once you add up the ingredients, and the time spent making the cider, it would probably be faster and cheaper to stick a gallon or two in your cart next time you visit the store.

Variations

Next time I would use a lot more apples. There was only 8 in this batch. When pouring the water, I would keep a close eye on it – the apples rise with the water level so if you are trying to “cover” the apples, you’ll add too much water.

This would cook very quickly in an Instant Pot and I might try that next. My husband made his own batch in the Instant Pot and it took about 20 minutes. The only down side would be that you won’t get that wonderful smell wafting through the house all day long. A crock pot is also a great option.

If you are going for ease, grab a jug of apple juice and simmer it on the stove with some spices and cinnamon sticks. It’s not quite apple cider but it gets the job done.

Was it Worth it?

In short, yes. Sometimes cost isn’t the only factor. Making this cider felt like a labor of love. Yes it was time consuming but also rewarding. I had control over what ingredients were used. The apartment smelled wonderfully and I already have all these ingredients on hand so I can make it whenever I want. Next time, I’ll make a bigger batch with a lot more apples.

Making my own cider was a first for me and I feel as though I’ve gained a new skill along with a sense of accomplishment. It may not be cost or time efficient but it was worth it. And what’s better than homemade cider?

Hope you enjoy!

Here is the recipe I used from Gimme Some Oven.

Share this recipe with your friends and save to Pinterest!

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Now it’s your turn: what do you choose to make yourself, even if it isn’t the most time or cost effective? Let me know in the comments below! And, if you want me to investigate the time and cost effectiveness of other DIYs, let me know!

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