Hot Mulled Apple Cider

How is apple cider made?

Per Wikipedia:
Cider used to be a laborious process involving a trough fashioned from stone or wood and a circulating wheel to crush the apples. A large manual screw-press was used to express the juice from the pulp. Straw was commonly used to contain the pulp during pressing, later replaced by coarse cloth. The Palmer Bros. Company, of Cos Cob, CT, made the most popular “modern” rack and cloth press from the mid 1800s to the mid 1900s, when production shifted to OESCO in Massachusetts. As technology advanced, rotary drum “scratters” came into use. Today, nearly all small pressing operations use atomic-hydraulic equipment with press cloths and plastic racks in what is commonly called a “rack and cloth press,” and atomic hammermill “breakers.”

Depending on the varieties of apples and using the optimal extraction methods, it takes about one third of a bushel (10 liters) to make a gallon (3.78 liters) of cider. Apples are washed, cut, and ground into a mash that has the consistency of coarse applesauce. Layers of this mash are then either wrapped in cloth and placed upon wooden or plastic racks where a hydraulic press then squeezes the layers together, or the mash is distributed onto a continuous belt filter press, which squeezes the pulp between two permeable belts fed between a succession of rollers that press the juice out of the pulp in a continuous, highly efficient operation. The resulting juice is then stored in refrigerated tanks, pasteurized to kill bacteria and extend shelf life, and bottled and sold as apple cider. The juice may also be fermented to produce hard cider, which then may be further treated by exposure to acetobacter to produce apple cider vinegar, or distilled to produce apple brandy. The waste left after pressing, known as pomace, is sold for cattle feed.

Spiced apple cider is a yummy way to give your immune system a boost.

As the apples are harvested in the fall and cider is made, we have the opportunity to experience a seasonal delight that can help us get through the winter months, whether it be to boost immunity or to shed the blues that can accompany winter.

I’ve drank warm cider many times and recently had it at our Holiday Essential Oils DIY gathering. I hadn’t had any in a while and was reminded of how good it is.

When you look at the ingredients it is a variation of the Thieves blend. doTERRA has their own version of the Thieves blend called On Guard.

Thieves got it’s name back in the 15th century when Europe was being ravaged by the plague. Four men went about robbing the dead and dying, but never got sick. The story goes that they wore a small cone over their noses with the ingredients inside. Other variations of the story say it was in a vinegar form.

The men were arrested and offered a deal: their freedom for their secret.

There doesn’t seem to be definitive proof of this story, but when this blend is studied it has been found to kill over 99% of airborne bacteria. This is why we will cover the ingredients in depth below. See studies at the bottom of the post for reference.*

Ingredients:

– 1 Gallon Apple Cider
– 1 Orange
– 2-3 Cinnamon Sticks
– 1 TBSP Whole Cloves
– 1 Whole Nutmeg
– Cheese Cloth (about 6-7 inches square)