Having something special to sip makes any occasion more memorable. Some of our other favorite and family friendly options are Homemade Eggnog, European-Style Hot Chocolate, and Pumpkin Juice. It’s so satisfying to take fresh pears and apples and turn them into a delicious sipping cider to keep you warm on cool winter nights. Pears are in season all winter long and they add a deliciously sweet and unique dimension to a more classic apple cider.
Why this Recipe Works
Prep is simple since you don’t even have to peel the fruit or remove any seeds. Just chop everything up and throw it into the Instant Pot and strain out the solids later!You can adjust the level of sweetness by adding more maple syrup, if needed.This gives the same delicious results as my Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Cider but in a fraction of the time.
Recipe Ingredients
Fruit: The primary flavor of this beverage comes from the juice given off from the apples and pears, but oranges and cranberries also give it wonderful depth and a bit of tartness that is so good in a cider. Look for sweeter apples like Envy or Honeycrisp. Bartlett or Bosc pears are our favorite for this cider.Spices: Whole anise, nutmeg, and cinnamon sticks add warmth to the cider without the grittiness that you get from ground spices.Sweetener: We like using maple syrup to sweeten this drink but you could also use granulated or brown sugar if you don’t have real maple syrup on hand.
How to Make This Recipe
The prep is really easy for this apple & pear cider recipe. Just wash and quarter your pears, apples, and oranges. Then add them to your instant pot along with enough water to completely cover the fruit, whole cranberries (fresh or frozen is fine), cinnamon sticks, star anise, nutmeg, and maple syrup. Lock the lid into place and set the valve to seal, then cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Once the timer goes off, do a natural pressure release for 15-20 minutes, then open the sealing valve to release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid and fish out the orange, cinnamon stick, star anise, and nutmeg. Mash everything else (the apples and pears) with a potato masher in the pot to break everything up into a pulp. Strain the mashed pulp and liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Be sure to press all of the juice out of the pulp using the back of a wooden spoon. Enjoy warm or transfer to a pitcher and chill in the fridge for a few hours if you prefer your cider cold. We like to garnish it with thin orange slices, some more fresh cranberries, and a sprig of rosemary for a festive look!
Recipe Tips
If your apples and pears are on the smaller side, you might need to increase the amount to 4 or 5 of them rather than 3 of each.If you want an even spicier cider, you might consider adding a few whole cloves or allspice along with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and star anise.Storage: Keep your cider in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can rewarm on the stovetop or in your instant pot using the saute setting if you like serving it warm.Freezing: This cider freezes well! Just let it cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe container. Be sure to leave an inch or two from the top of the container so the cider has room to expand as it freezes.
More Apple Recipes
Instant Pot Homemade ApplesauceSecret-Ingredient Baked ApplesEasy Apple Oatmeal MuffinsClassic Apple Cider Donuts
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