Slow Cooker Cider Food

SLOW-COOKER CIDER

Steps:

• Place cinnamon, cloves and allspice on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with a string to form a bag. , Place cider and brown sugar in a 3-qt. slow cooker; stir until sugar dissolves. Add spice bag. Place orange slices on top. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until heated through. Discard spice bag.

SHORTCUT SLOW-COOKER APPLE CIDER

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash and dry the apples. Cut each apple into 8 wedges (skins, seeds and stems included) and transfer to a 7-quart slow cooker. Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks and 12 cups water. Cook on high, covered, for 4 hours.
• Remove the lid and carefully crush the apples with a potato masher. Cover again and cook on high for another 2 hours.
• Set a large, fine-mesh strainer over a large stockpot. In batches, ladle the apple mixture into the strainer and use the back of the ladle to press down on the apple pulp to extract the liquid. Discard the pulp. Stir in 1/2 cup of the brown sugar until completely dissolved. Taste and add additional sugar if needed.
• Serve the apple cider hot or allow it to cool fully, then serve it chilled over ice.

CROCKPOT HOT APPLE CIDER (WASSAIL)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine apple cider, brown sugar, ground cloves, ground allspice, cinnamon sticks, orange, orange, and cloves in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker.
• Cover crock pot and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Serve in mugs, garnished with star anise, if using, and enjoy.

SLOW COOKER HARD CIDER

Steps:

• Pour the apple cider into a slow cooker. Tie the ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice and black peppercorns into a cheesecloth to make a sachet. Add the sachet, brown sugar and orange slices to the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker on high for 1 hour then reduce to low and continue cooking for another 4 hours. Add the gin just before serving. Serve in mugs.

SLOW-COOKER CIDER BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place onion in slow cooker.
• In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook pork in oil about 10 minutes, turning frequently, until brown on all sides. Place pork over onion in slow cooker. In small bowl, mix cider and honey. Pour around pork.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker to cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. Shred pork into chunks, using 2 forks. Skim fat from cooking liquid in slow cooker. In small bowl, mix cornstarch and water; stir into cooking liquid. Increase heat setting to High. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until gravy is thickened.
• Heat mashed potatoes as directed on package. Serve pork with mashed potatoes and gravy. Sprinkle with additional pepper.

SLOW-COOKED PORK, CIDER & SAGE HOTPOT

Steps:

• Heat half of the oil in a deep ovenproof frying pan, or flameproof casserole dish, and fry the pork pieces over a medium high heat in batches until seared all over, then transfer to a plate. Add another 1 tbsp oil to the pan, if you need to, while you're cooking the batches. Once all the pork is seared, transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add another 1 tbsp oil to the pan with a little butter and fry half the leeks with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until tender. Add the garlic, fry for a minute, then stir in the flour.
• Pour in the cider, a little at a time, stirring to pick up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan and to combine everything. Add the stock, bay leaves and seared pork, then simmer, half-covered with a lid for 1-1½ hrs until the meat is just tender (it will later cook to the point of falling apart in the oven). Can be prepared a day ahead.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the sauce, if you need to - it shouldn't be too liquid or the potatoes will sink into the sauce. Stir in the parsley, chopped sage, remaining leeks, and the cream, then season well.
• Peel both types of potatoes and cut into slices 2mm thick, by hand or using a mandoline. Alternate layers of potato and sweet potato in circles over the pie, or randomly, if you prefer. Dot the cubed butter over the top and bake for 1-1½ hrs until the potato is tender. Nestle in the whole sage leaves, brushed in a little oil, for the last 10 mins. Leave to rest for 10 mins before serving.

SLOW COOKER MULLED CIDER

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients except the calvados in a slow cooker and cook for 1 hr on high or up to 4 hrs on low.
• Just before serving, stir in the calvados. Ladle into heatproof glasses or cups to serve.

SLOW COOKER HOT SPICED APPLE CIDER (WASSAIL)

Steps:

• Pour apple cider into a 2.5-quart or larger Crock Pot or other slow cooker. Add cinnamon sticks.
• With a toothpick, poke holes all around the orange, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch apart. Carefully poke the cloves into the toothpick holes in the orange.
• Place orange into the cider in the slow cooker.
• Cook on low until hot and spiced through, about 4 hours. Ladle into mugs along with an ounce or so of rum if using. Place a cinnamon stick in each glass if desired and serve.

SLOW-COOKER MULLED CIDER

Steps:

• Put the cardamom pods on a cutting board. Lay the flat of a chef's knife over them and gently smack the flat of the knife to lightly crush and crack the pods. Add the cardamom pods, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks and allspice berries to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the spices, shaking the pan often, until very fragrant, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the cinnamon sticks into a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Tie up the remaining spices into a cheesecloth bundle, and add that to the slow cooker as well. (If you don't have cheesecloth, you can use tea infusers or loose tea bags. You could also put the spices directly into the slow cooker, then strain the mixture as you serve.)
• Cut the piece of peeled ginger in half lengthwise and smash each piece by laying the flat of the knife over it and smacking with the heel of your hand. (At this point, put the slow cooker in the spot where you'd like to serve it, because it will become difficult to move once you've added all of the liquid.) Add the ginger, lemon, orange, salt and apple cider to the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high for 3 hours.
• Reduce the heat to warm. Add the rye whiskey and vanilla and stir to combine. You can leave the cider on warm for several hours, allowing guests to serve themselves, adding additional citrus slices and cinnamon sticks to their mugs, as desired.

SLOW-COOKER PORK LOIN WITH CIDER AND PRUNES

Steps:

• Dry the roast with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over med-high heat until just smoking.
• Brown the roast on all sides, reducing the heat if the fat begins to smoke, about 10 minutes; add the rost to the slow cooker.
• Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering.
• Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and cook for about 15 seconds.
• Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits.
• Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes, then pour into the slow cooker.
• Add the broth, cider, prunes, bay leaves, and thyme to the slow cooker.
• Nestle the carrots into the slow cooker around the edges.
• Cover and cook on LOW 5--6 hours, until the roast is tender and reads 165-175° on an instant-read thermometer.
• Transfer the pork to a carving board and tent loosely with foil.
• Let the cooking liquid settle for 5 minutes, then use a wide spoon to skim the fat off the surface.
• Discard the bay leaves.
• Set the slow cooker to high.
• Whisk the flour with the cream until smooth, then stir into the slow cooker.
• Continue to cook until the sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 15-30 minutes longer.
• Stir in the mustard, lemon juice, and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Untie the roast and slice 1/2 inch thick.
• Arrange the meat on a warmed serving platter and pour about 1 cup of the sauce over the top.
• Serve passing the remaining sauce separately.

SLOW COOKER BBQ APPLE CIDER PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Place pork into the bottom of a slow cooker and pour cider over the meat until it is covered. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, making sure they're in the cider and not on the sides of the slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on Low until pork shreds easily, 7 to 12 hours.
• Transfer pork carefully to a plate or bowl, being careful it doesn't fall apart in the cider. Shred using 2 forks. Stir in barbecue sauce.