Making Cider Syrup
Photo Credit Laura Cabot
Photo Credit Laura Cabot
Imagine a double smoked pork chop, it’s fat crispy, the flesh succulent. Now imagine that bite with a drizzle of a reduction of star anise spiced cider reduction. Elevated. To be sure…and so easy. Bonus, it makes the house smell good and it’s actually easier than pie.
Here’s what I do :
- Find a gallon of locally pressed apple cider
- Empty it into a heavy bottomed kettle.
- Add spices you like, I use star anise and allspice, 1 cinnamon stick. Maybe some lemon peel.
- Let it simmer all day on a low flame.
- When you get close to the bottom of the pot, now that’s the time you need to watch it. Do not let it scorch. I takes a practiced eye to get your syrup right. If you leave it too long, it gets stiff, like taffy. Just right and you’ll have a lovely syrup to drizzle judiciously over roast pork.
And BONUS if you happen upon juice containing a lot of natural pectin, once in a blue moon you’ll get Cider Jelly, which is heavenly on toast and impossible to find in speciality shoppes anymore.
Full of flavor and just natural sugar, it works for me!
Give it a try one fine Fall day!
