Spiced Apple Cider for Lughnasadh
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Melanie Marquis, author of The Witch’s Bag of Tricks, A Witch’s World of Magick, Beltane, and the new Lughnasadh.
Nothing quite says Lughnasadh better than a warm cup of freshly made spiced apple cider! It’s easy to make and easy to customize to bring out the flavors and magickal properties that you find most appealing. The most important thing to know is that good cider starts with good apples. Many apple varieties come into season during this time, and you with a little poking around, you may be able to find a local grower who also produces their own apple cider. It takes a lot of apples and a lot of work to make cider, so you’ll probably want to purchase the cider ready-made; just get the highest quality you can, preferably organic and without any added ingredients. This will be your base.
What You’ll Need:
- 2 quarts apple cider
Plus any or all of the following add-ins:
- 1 orange, sliced into ¼ to ½ inch thick circular slices
- 1 vanilla bean, scored along the outer edge
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ cup orange juice
Pour 2 quarts of the apple cider into a large pot or saucepan. If you’re adding orange juice, put that in now as well. Simmer on low to medium heat as you select your spices. Add any solid spices or fruit pieces first, and simmer about five minutes before adding any powdered spices. Let simmer an additional fifteen minutes on very low heat until the smell of spiced apple cider fills the air. Ladle into cups while warm and enjoy!
Our thanks to Melanie for her guest post! For more from Melanie Marquis, read her article “Traditional Lughnasadh with a Modern Twist.”
