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Mulled Spiced Concord Grape Cider

September 13, 2016 by Kayley 9 Comments

*Fresh Concord Grapes are simmered with apple cider and seasonal spices for a warming, rich, fruity drink that is perfect for sipping on cool Autumn evenings.

Mulled Spiced Concord Grape Cider

Are grapes an incredibly finicky fruit to grow?

I’m thinking they must be, seeing as we have a trellis covered in vines that has never gifted us so much as one teeny baby grape. When I was little I have memories of roaming through my grandparents grape vines, heavy laden with deep purple/blue Concord Grapes each fall. I would pop the grapes out of their dusky, sweetly floral scented skins, and into my mouth where I would savor the surprisingly tart, juicy flesh while dodging the prominent seeds. I don’t think there is a single scent or flavor more strongly tied to my childhood than that of the Concord Grape. My grandmother made gallon upon gallon of bottled grape juice with those grapes, and when we bought our home with the surprise bonus of mature grape vines I envisioned gallons of grape juice in my future.

Now, if only my vines would only produce actual grapes.

In a bizarre twist of events: this summer as I dug through the raspberry canes, plucking their berries from the center of the bush, I came across several small bunches of green grapes. In the raspberry bushes.

Go figure.

That one rouge vine was all we found and it left us about 1 1/2 pounds of of beautiful, fragrant purple grapes.

But what does one do with only 1 1/2 pounds of grapes? Since this variety of grape is full of seeds, simply enjoying them on their own didn’t seem like the best way to utilize them. 1 1/2 pounds is no where near enough to make grape juice with, though a drink was what I had hoped to make when I originally stumbled across the grapes. I found my answer thumbing through the pages of Amy Chaplin’s ‘A Whole Food Kitchen’. Grape Cider! Simmering the grapes with apple cider and spices seemed the perfect way to enjoy the few handfuls of grapes I gathered.

Mulled Spiced Concord Grape Cider

You can use store-bought apple cider or apple juice, but if you really want to make the most of this drink, find local fresh apple cider. It is incomparable.

If you don’t have the spices listed on hand, you can make substitutions as needed. I really wanted to simmer my cider with a spiky button of star anise but my tow is unaware of their existence , apparently (and yes, the internet makes anything and everything readily available, but THAT, my friends, would take advanced planning. Not always my forte).  Allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom were my spices of choice and I will say that they performed spectacularly.

Enjoy this sweet and subtly spicy drink on a cold fall evening  with someone you love, as its myriad of flavors and hot temperature lends itself to slow sips and long conversations 😉

Mulled Spiced Concord Grape Cider

Mulled Spiced Concord Grape Cider
 
Print
Serves: 5-6 cups
Ingredients
  • 1½ pounds Concord Grapes (on the vine), washed, stems removed
  • 3 cups Apple Cider or Apple Juice
  • 3 cups Water
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • 4 Whole Cloves
  • 6 Whole Allspice
  • 5 Cardamom Pods, crushed open
  • 1 Orange Slice
Instructions
  1. Place the grapes, apple cider, water, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice, cardamom pods, and orange slice in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/low, and let simmer for 30 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat and pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Press down on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids.
  3. Pour into mugs and serve warm.
  4. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for several weeks.
3.2.2925

 

Mulled Spiced Concord Grape Cider

More hot drinks to kick off your fall!:

 Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate

Thick Italian Hot Chocolate

Mulled Spiced Concord Grape CiderMulled Spiced Concord Grape CiderMulled Spiced Concord Grape CiderMulled Spiced Concord Grape CiderMulled Spiced Concord Grape Cider

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Filed Under: Beverages, refined sugar free, Seasonal/Autumn

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Comments

  1. Eva || foodbasedonemotions says

    September 13, 2016 at 8:53 PM

    Pretty pretty, soooo pretty 🙂
    Lovely recipes, makes it suddenly worth to go
    and pick some leftover grapes in my garden ?

    Reply
  2. Tori//Gringalicious says

    September 14, 2016 at 6:33 AM

    Wow, such fabulous photos and what a gorgeous drink!

    Reply
  3. grace says

    September 14, 2016 at 9:37 AM

    i’m ruined–i’ll never be content with mulled apple cider again! 🙂
    this is amazing–great idea and great execution!

    Reply
  4. Laura | Tutti Dolci says

    September 14, 2016 at 2:44 PM

    Just gorgeous! Cool September nights are meant for a cozy glass of cider.

    Reply
  5. Julia @ Happy Foods says

    September 15, 2016 at 8:10 AM

    My grandmother also had this type of grapes alongside with two other varieties in her garden. I as a kid, I would go always choose the other ones. It was only years later I fell in love with the Concord variety! Loved their strong flavour, aroma – just the seeds were a bit annoying :)! Brings back some memories :)! Your pictures are beautiful and love the bowl and jug!

    Reply
  6. Supriya Kutty says

    September 22, 2016 at 2:54 AM

    This looks delicious! What a perfect drink to serve at brunch

    Reply
  7. Sherri says

    November 30, 2016 at 10:25 AM

    If you cannot find Concord grapes in your store, could you use bottled grape juice and if so, how much would you combine with the apple cider? I have only seen fresh Concord grapes one time at a grocery store within an hour’s drive of my house.

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kayley says

      October 19, 2017 at 8:35 AM

      You definitely could! I would use a quart or so.

      Reply
  8. エロ動画巨乳 says

    December 4, 2016 at 10:09 PM

    I like this post, enjoyed this one thank you
    for putting up.

    Reply

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