Holiday Spice: Mulled Apple Cider + Sweet Potato Asian Pear Juice

Warm up this holiday season with two delicious spiced beverages: mulled cider, made with apples and lemons, and sweet potato-Asian pear juice, both infused with spices ground in the PURE Juicer.
There’s a chill in the air, the fire is crackling, and your favorite holiday movie is cued up. The only thing that’s missing? A cozy drink!

At PURE, nothing exudes winter holiday comfort like the smell of cinnamon, cloves and other mulled spices. Lucky for us, we had a stainless steel two-stage cold-press juicer that could not only extract fresh juice for us during these cold winter months, but could also easily grind spices to make hot mulled cider and spiced juice.

What’s the difference between mulled apple cider and apple cider?

There are a few ways to distinguish apple cider from mulled cider. First, apple cider is made from fermented apples and spices, usually served cold and without the flavors of other fruits. “Mulled” means to heat, sweeten, and flavor. Mulled cider is typically an apple juice heated with spices and citrus fruits. Some versions of mulled cider include the addition of an alcohol like bourbon.

What are mulling spices?

Mulling spices are the spices used to make mulled beverages — spices with a bit of a kick to them.

Cinnamon, cardamon, star anise, and black peppercorn are all some of our favorite spices to grind in the PURE Juicer to be mulled in our cider or added to our sweet-potato-asian pear juice.

Can you really grind spices in a juicer?

You can really grind spices in a juicer! Our two-stage, hydraulic press juicer is so versatile that you can just as easily grind cinnamon and cloves as you can grind and press apples for fresh apple cider.

Learn how to clean your PURE Juicer

Cold-Pressed Hot Apple Cider Recipe with Ground Spices

This cold-pressed apple-lemon juice tastes amazing on its own (you might want to set aside a jar of it for when you’ve got a hankering for apple juice), but mulled cider really can’t be beat on a cold winter’s day.

Ingredients

• 8 apples
• 1 lemon
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• cloves
• black pepper
• cardamom pods
• nutmeg
• vanilla

Directions

1. Place spices into the grinder. Place a hand over the top to prevent kick-back. Set ground spices aside.
2. Chop apples and lemons into slices.
3. Place a strainer over a bowl, under the grinder.
4. Use #8 grid and grind apples onto the strainer.
5. Place apple mash in the center of a press cloth.
6. Lay lemon slices on top of the apple mash before folding the press cloth in a tic-tac-toe formation.
7. Press apple and lemons.
8. Pour excess apple juice from the bowl into the apple lemon juice.
9. Pour apple lemon juice into a pot; let it simmer.
10. Add ground mulled spices to apple lemon juice.
11. Heat until the delicious smells float through your house.
12. Place a fine mesh strainer over a mug to catch the spice remnants and ladle cider slowly into mug.
13. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and enjoy!

Sweet Potato-Asian Pear-Spice Juice

Ingredients

• 2-4 sweet potatoes
• 1-2 asian pears
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• cloves
• black pepper
• cardamom
• nutmeg
• vanilla

Make Mine a Hard Cider

While we’re of the opinion both the mulled cider and spiced sweet-potato pear juice taste perfect on their own, if you’d like to serve your beverage spiked, we recommend adding a finger of bourbon to your glass

Health Benefits

apples: nutrient dense and high in soluble fiber, apples are an excellent source of vitamin C and antioxidants like vitamin E and polyphenols.

cardamom: cardamom contains antioxidants and adds a warm, aromatic flavor to juices and ciders.

cinnamon: a warming, aromatic spice that contains antioxidants.

pears: known for their high fiber content, pears are also packed with vitamins C and K and copper.

sweet potatoes: a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, sweet potatoes are also rich in antioxidants. Sweet potatoes get their bright orange color from beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A.

vanilla beans: in addition to the calming aroma and pleasing taste of vanilla, vanilla beans contain antioxidant compounds.

Sources

8 Impressive Health Benefits of Apples

6 Benefits of Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Beans

5 Health Benefits of Cinnamon

10 Health Benefits of Cardamom, Backed by Science

9 Health and Nutrition Benefits of Pears

6 Surprising Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before changing your diet, especially if you have a health condition or take medication.