Campfire Spiced Apple Cider with Orange and Cinnamon
Pour apple cider into a pot, add orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves and a little brown sugar, then set it on a grate over medium-low coals. Heat for 15 to 20 minutes until steaming but not boiling, stirring now and then. Ladle into mugs. Total time is about 25 minutes.
This is the mug you want when the sun drops and the temperature follows. Apple cider, orange, cinnamon and a few cloves simmer together while you sit by the fire. It smells like fall the whole time.
It uses one pot and a ladle. Keep the heat low and the cider will not scorch. Add a splash of bourbon to adult mugs if you like, or leave it out and the kids can drink it as is.
Campfire Spiced Apple Cider with Orange and Cinnamon
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium-low coals
- Pack weight
- 9 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- No stove
- Low water
- One-pan cleanup
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- Large pot (3-quart or bigger) with a lid
- Campfire grate
- Long-handled spoon
- Ladle
- Heat-resistant gloves
- Cutting board and knife
- 6 heatproof mugs
Steps
-
Build a coal bed
Let the fire burn down until you have glowing coals and little flame. Set a grate over the coals so it sits about 4 to 6 inches above them.
-
Combine the ingredients
Pour the cider into a large pot. Add the orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, brown sugar and ginger, then stir.
-
Heat it gently
Set the pot on the grate over the medium-low side. Stir every few minutes so the sugar dissolves and the bottom does not scorch.
-
Watch for steam
After 15 to 20 minutes the cider should steam and show tiny bubbles at the edges. Do not let it boil hard, which makes the spices bitter. Slide the pot to the cooler edge if it gets close.
-
Steep off the heat
Move the pot to the edge of the grate, away from direct heat. Let it steep 5 minutes for more spice flavor.
-
Ladle and serve
Use a ladle to fill each mug, avoiding the cloves. Add 1 tablespoon of bourbon to adult mugs if using, and top each with an orange slice. Use oven mitts or a thick glove to handle the hot pot.
Trail Notes
Slice the orange at camp. Keep the cider in its jug in the cooler until you heat it, and use it within a few days of opening. Store the spices together in one small bag.
Measure the brown sugar, ginger, cloves and cinnamon into a bag at home. At camp, dump the bag into the pot and you are done.
Use apple juice if you can't find cider. Add a few slices of fresh ginger in place of ground ginger, or a star anise pod for a licorice note.
Strain the spices and orange slices into a bag and pack them out. Do not pour sugary leftovers onto the ground, since it attracts wildlife. Let the fire burn to ash and drown it fully before leaving.
Campers ask
Can you heat apple cider directly over a campfire?
Yes, but use a pot on a grate over coals rather than open flames. Low, steady heat keeps the cider from scorching or boiling over.
How long does mulled cider keep at camp?
Keep unheated cider cold in the cooler at 40°F or below. Leftover heated cider should be cooled and put back in the cooler within 2 hours, then used within a day.
Can I make spiced cider without alcohol?
Yes, the recipe works as written without any bourbon. Add the bourbon to individual mugs only, so everyone can choose.
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