Mulling Spice
Everything a pot of warm cider needs, already measured and mixed. One handful, one hour, one house that smells like November.
What It Is
Mulling spice is a blend of whole warming spices and dried citrus traditionally stirred into hot cider, wine, or juice during the colder months. This mix is cinnamon, allspice, cloves, black pepper, and dried orange slices, all organic, nothing ground. Because the spices stay whole, they release flavor slowly and never turn the liquid cloudy or gritty.
The black pepper is quiet here, not sharp. It rounds out the sweetness without announcing itself. That is what separates a mulling blend from what you might shake out of a jar.
What To Do
Add about two tablespoons of spice per quart of liquid. Pour your cider, red wine, or juice into a pot, drop in the spices loose or bundled in a square of cheesecloth, and warm it gently over low heat for at least thirty minutes. Do not let it boil. Strain before serving.
Leftover blend works in other places too. Simmer it in a small pot of water on the stove just to scent the kitchen. Tuck a spoonful into a sachet for a drawer. Store the spice in an airtight container away from heat and it will hold its punch through the whole season.
