5 Unexpected Ways to Cook with Apple Cider

Pumpkin spice might have the best marketing campaign, but it’s not the true star of the season. That distinction belongs to apples–or more specifically, apple cider, the savory and sweet beverage usually only available in the fall. 

Unlike apple juice, cider is unfiltered and unpasteurized, which is why it has a seasonal shelf life. Because of its freshness, and because it sometimes has added warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, cider has a depth of flavor that runs circles around sugary, shelf-stable apple juice. 

1. Upgrade Your Pork Roast

The earthiness of the fresh apples and spices in cider make it a perfect complement to a pork roast, especially one accompanied by even more apples, like this stunning Apple Cider –Braised Pork.

It's also epic with roasted root vegetables, like this Bourbon-Glazed, Smoky Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin. Swap out the apple cider vinegar and soy sauce for fresh cider, then roast in your Hybrid Roasting Pan. For an easier preparation, coat a pork tenderloin in salt and pepper (and maybe fresh sage or rosemary), then baste with cider as it roasts. 

2. Boost Weekend Brunches

Apple cider works beautifully in brunchy baked goods, especially in treats that showcase warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or cloves. Substitute cider for water if you’re using a premade mix like an apple cinnamon quick bread, boxed spice cake or, hear us out, pancake batter. Add some of those aforementioned spices to the mix, then drop onto your 12” Griddle Pan and you’ve got a delicious fall breakfast. Even better, sauté some apples in cider and butter, with a pinch of sugar and cinnamon to go on top. 

For other sweet-and-savory apple dishes, try a recipe for Apple & Bacon Pancakes or German Potato Pancakes with Apple Compote–especially helpful if you’ve been to an orchard and are now wondering what to do with the bounty of apples that seemed like a great idea to buy at the time.

3. Punch Up Apple Pies

Apple pie is even better when cider is involved. The bright, acidic flavor takes the dessert to a whole new level–and using cider works in basically any apple pie recipe. After you peel and chop, but before you transfer to the prepared dough, sauté the apples with a little bit of butter and some apple cider in your 10" Hybrid Fry Pan, plus the sugar and spices from your recipe. Not only will you infuse the apples with an additional punch, you’ll avoid that heartbreaking air pocket under the top crust in your final product. (If you don’t have a pie plate, sub in a Hybrid skillet as your baking dish like in this Skillet Pumpkin Chiffon Pie.)

4. Simmer Your Own Hot Cider Toddies

Most cider is pressed fresh with the fall apple harvest, then sold chilled. Sometimes, though, you can find shelf-stable apple cider year-round, especially in fancier grocery stores. The bad news: it’s not nearly as good as the fresh stuff. The good news: You can work some kitchen magic at home and brew a next-level beverage. Next time you’re hosting, fill an 8QT Hybrid Stock Pot with cider, then add any combination of fruits like cranberries or apple, orange or lemon slices; and spices like cinnamon sticks, whole star anise, freshly grated nutmeg or whole cloves. Keep a bottle of bourbon or dark rum handy, garnish with a cinnamon stick or piece of star anise, and you’ve got unforgettable hot apple cider toddies.

5. Go Nuts for Cider Doughnuts

If you’ve never had an apple cider doughnut before, you’re missing out on one of life’s supreme pleasures: a treat that’s full of flavors that evoke everything wonderful about the fall, and best enjoyed straight out of the fryer. You might find them at the store, but those are pale imitations of what you’ll get freshly made at orchard farm stands, or in apple-growing regions like New England and the Pacific Northwest. 

The best recipes use an apple cider reduction, usually made the night before by simmering the cider in a Hybrid saucepan until the liquid is a super-concentrated syrup. Try this one from The Kitchn, which calls for the traditional frying (best done in a nearly-mess-free Hybrid Dutch Oven to reduce spatter and cleanup, or in a Deep Sauté Pan using your Splatter Screen) or this one from Sally’s Baking Addiction, which bakes the doughnuts instead. Either way, they’re worth the effort, we promise.

We have to ask: How do you like them apples?