How To Properly Pre-Batch Your Own Canned Apple Cider

Not to be confused with the alcoholic beverage, apple cider is essentially raw, cold-pressed apple juice. Because it's unprocessed, there's pulpy sediment left at the bottom, giving cider a murkier, darker hue than a simple apple juice along with a much more concentrated flavor. However, canning apple cider at home involves cooking it, as the heat is the mechanism that makes it shelf stable.

You can make apple cider the old-fashioned way by cold pressing it through a cider press, juicer, or even with the help of a food processor. Then you'll need to heat the cider by bringing it to a simmer. At the same time, bring a huge canning pot with water in it to a boil. You can use the simmering time to bloom additional flavors like cinnamon and clove. A splash of lemon juice will bring a bright finish and added acidity to ensure the cider is safe for water bath canning. After simmering the cider, you can parse it out into various mason jars or other sealable glass containers. Use a funnel so every last drop makes it into each jar. Then, once you've topped each mason jar with a metal top and seal, place the jars into the pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the cans sit for another five minutes before extracting them from the pot.

Cold pressing is a key method for making fresh juice that becomes the raw, unprocessed apple cider with a much fresher, brighter flavor than processed and filtered apple juice. Even when you bring a cold pressed cider to a simmer, it'll still retain that fresh flavor even after you've canned it. That said, cold pressing is a time consuming method. So, you can save yourself the time by simply brewing apple slices in a stock pot. While this method is more associated with how apple juice is made, it's a faster and easier way to make canned apple cider at home. Boiling the apples with spices, brown sugar, and other citrus fruits like lemons and oranges in a stock pot will create a flavorful cider that you can easily strain through a metal strainer into canning jars.

The canning process is the same for both pre-batching methods. You should consult a reliable source on safe canning practices to ensure your cans are properly sealed and sanitized. If executed properly, canned cider can last for a year or more on your pantry shelves. Cider tastes delicious on its own, over ice or hot. It'll also make for a delicious mixer in for fall cocktail recipes — like boozy apple cider spiked with whiskey.