Normally around this time a year, crazy is gearing up in the Bacon house.
The kids are getting ready to go to school, which means back to school shopping is happening. They start acting up in nervous anticipation. The garden is simultaneously winding down from summer while gearing up for fall produce. I start daydreaming of homemade grape jellies, a clean house and all things pumpkin spice flavor (yeah, I am one of those).
This year however was different. The whole summer was nuts. I couldn’t seem to get my life to feel balanced. My garden is feral and my children are even more feral. We didn’t really DO anything which may have been part of the problem, but my kids had made the summer resolution to not wear pants and they are nothing if not committed. We were still really busy though! Baby quails happened, baby ducks happened AND baby bunnies happened. Learned a few things and made some new friends. We did the bonfire thing and roasted marshmallows. Still I felt stretched thin, stressed, and I really needed a break.
So I took one. Whenever my life gets to the point where I need to step back, one of the things I do is head to the kitchen. It doesn’t matter how chaotic life is, if you follow the recipe you always know what is going to come out of it. I don’t follow recipes but if I did I am pretty sure that’s what would happen. I guess just the possibility of something turning out for me is enough?
This is a recipe that I have wanted to try for a while. It is a tweaked form of several other recipes that I have come across. I have waited MONTHS for apple cider to make its way back into the stores to make this and there it was waiting at the store last Friday, after my meltdown from “houses” made from clean clothes and dishes in every room of the house. It was finally meant to be.
Listen, if you can’t take a vacation then at least have an adult beverage, because everyone deserves a break now and then. Am I right?
Needed:
1 Gallon apple cider
1 quart of apple juice
1 750 ml bottle of Everclear or vodka (100 proof, but try to get your hands on 190 proof)
2 cups of rum
10 cinnamon sticks
3 cups of brown sugar
1 cup of honey (I used raw honey, but it doesn’t have to be, you can substitute white sugar)
Large stock pot.
Directions:
Mix the cider, apple juice and cinnamon sticks into stock pot and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring every now and again. Take off heat and add brown sugar stir until dissolved. If adding white sugar or regular honey add it at this time. If adding raw honey wait until you can comfortably stick your finger in the liquid and feel that it is warm but not hot . . . maybe 20 minutes? Please don’t boil your flesh off. It will ruin your drink.
Wait until liquid is room temp. Stir in the Everclear and the 2 cups of rum. Pour into jars or jugs or wine bottles adding a cinnamon stick or two depending on the size of the container.
It is drinkable right away. FYI it is REALLY good with some vanilla ice cream. I made a boozy float out of it. (Hey there was some that wouldn’t fit in the jars) BUT if you can wait, let it sit for at least two months. I stored mine in the basement.
That’s it folks. That is all there is to it. I stored mine in different sized jars because I plan on using some of them as Christmas gifts. It turned out SO well that I think a lot more apple cider needs to be bought before the season is over!
UrbanFarmingMom 