Hot Pear Cider with Cinnamon and Spices

My house is under construction, and it’s been a struggle. Between the early morning drilling and hammering, and the barking chihuahuas that accompany it, I have found myself in need of relaxation. The evenings are nice and quiet. We can check on the progress, and enjoy a calming drink, like this hot pear cider with cinnamon and spices.

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What You Need to Get Started

You can easily find all of the ingredients for this hot pear cider at your grocery store. You can also order online using Amazon Pantry, or try Amazon Fresh for grocery delivery.

• Produce: Bosc pears
• Spice Rack: Cinnamon sticks, Allspice berries, Whole cloves, Star anise
• Equipment: Masticating juicer, Nut milk bags, Mesh strainer, Measuring Cup, Pot, Wooden spoon

Let’s Make Hot Pear Cider

I discovered recently how easy it is to make apple cider using my juicer, and it turns out that pear cider is made exactly the same way. There are some differences, of course, between the two fruits. Unlike apples, pears continue to ripen after being picked.

For this recipe, you will want to work with crisp pears that are a little bit under ripe. I used pears that had been sitting out for one day. They were firm, but with a little give. Bosc pears are a great choice, because they tend to be quite sweet before turning fully ripe.

To get started with this recipe, begin by prepping your pears. Cut off the stems and a little bit of the base. Then halve and remove the seeds. Chop them into large chunks that will fit in your juicer. Don’t worry that the pears will begin to oxidize quickly; that’s okay when you are making cider.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to feed the pears into your masticating juicer. I have not tried making this recipe with a centrifugal juicer or using a blender, but you may find that it works pretty well.

This recipe makes enough cider for two, but it’s very easy to multiply or cut down. In general, one cup is 8-16 oz of cider, and you’ll need slightly more volume straight out of the juicer, since you’ll be straining it again.

Straining is not required but it does wonders for the texture. I like to use a large nut milk bag, which will allow the liquid to pass through, while breaking up or blocking any pulp left behind by the juicer. Squeeze the bag to release all the juice. If you make multiple batches, rinse the bag in between to remove excess solids.

Next, prepare a smaller nut milk bag or a spice sachet. If you don’t have these, you can also use a tea ball, but you may need to break your cinnamon into a few pieces to fit. You want something the liquid can flow through, but that will keep the spices contained.

This will infuse the flavor of the cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and anise into the cider. If you aren’t a fan of one of those, feel free to leave it out or lessen the amount used. You can always replace it with your favorite fall spice instead.

Add the strained pear juice and the spice bag to a medium pot and begin cooking it over medium-high heat. Stir this occasionally, using a wooden spoon, and use the spoon to help keep the spice bag submerged in the liquid. Once it comes to a boil, turn off the heat.

Place the spoon on top of the spice bag so that it continues infusing flavors into the cider. Let it rest and cool for about 5-10 minutes, then taste. You can leave the spices for a bit longer if you prefer a stronger flavor, or for less time to focus on the pear. Squeeze out any excess cider from the bag and remove it.

How to Serve Spiced Pear Cider

Ladle warm cider into individual mugs and garnish each with a long cinnamon stick. This adds just a little extra flavor, and it also works to stir the cider. I like using festive clear mugs, but any will do. This drink is perfect for fall and winter, when the weather is cooler.

You can enjoy it for breakfast, alongside any of your favorite cinnamon-spiced treats. Try lingering over apple butter brioche cinnamon rolls. For something a bit quicker for a busy holiday morning, you’ll love this paired with Christmas morning apple kuchen.

This drink is also the perfect way to end the evening. It will go wonderfully with fruity desserts, like a gorgeous apple and blueberry crumble cake. For something a bit more rustic, try a skillet plum buckle.

If you are looking for similar drinks, try a chai white hot chocolate, for something warm and cozy. Or get a similar flavor with a bit more kick in a cinnamon, pear, and rum cocktail.

Use Up Leftover Ingredients

• Use up extra pears by baking a pear and apple crisp, or for something more savory, pear tart bars with goat cheese crumble.
• Season homemade no-peel slow cooker applesauce with both cinnamon sticks and star anise.
• Add some whole cloves and allspice berries to the poaching liquid for a honey pavlova with poached plums.

Special Equipment

• Masticating juicer
• Nut milk bags
• Mesh strainer
• Measuring Cup
• Pot
• Wooden spoon

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