On Saturday, the 13th of October, I had an apple-picking party. It was such a perfect day. The group was great, the food was plentiful & the weather was perfect.
Some of us never even left the picnic blankets to pick apples.
Rum & Bourbon gave the spiced cider (recipe below) a nice jolt to warm us up (and the wine helped too).
Notice, of 4 of the men, 3 are pointing in completely different directions as they decide which apple trees to pick from.
The trees were loaded with fruit.
It was such a fun way to spend a Saturday. After returning from the countryside, we enjoyed a relaxing dinner at my apartment and enjoyed each others' company.
Hot Apple Cider
Ingredients:
6 cups apple cider
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice berries
1 orange peel, cut into strips
1 lemon peel, cut into strips
Directions:
1. Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a large stainless steel saucepan.
2. Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel and lemon peel in the center of a washed square of cheesecloth; fold up the sides of the cheesecloth to enclose the bundle, then tie it up with a length of kitchen string. Drop the spice bundle into the cider mixture.
3. Place the saucepan over moderate heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cider is very hot but not boiling.
4. Remove the cider from the heat. Discard the spice bundle. Ladle the cider into big cups or mugs, adding a fresh cinnamon stick to each serving if desired.
