MOM'S MULLED CIDER FOR THE CROCK POT

Steps:

• Set a medium or large crock pot to HIGH heat.
• Fill crock pot with cider- leaving room for the apple and orange to float around (we'll get to them in a minute).
• You will have extra cider at this point- use this for replenishing later.
• Wash the orange and apple and dry off.
• Poke cloves into the flesh of the orange and the apple- as many as you like.
• Set the cloves studded fruit into the crock pot.
• Add cinnamon sticks and some brown sugar to taste.
• Using a vegetable peeler, cut off two long strips of lemon rind from one of the lemons, being careful not to get any of the white pith.
• Drop these into the cider pot and save the rest of the partially zested lemon for another use.
• Slice the remaining lemon into thin slices and drop 4-5 slices into the cider pot.
• Save the remaining slices for later or another use (I set them in a dish for guests to use as garnish).
• Cover crock pot and let mixture come to almost a boil (this may take up to an hour- this will vary greatly depending upon the size of your crock pot).
• Once it is almost boiling,sprinkle with a very light dash of each ground spice to taste (don't add too much or it will be gritty).
• Turn the heat down to LOW and allow cider to cook at least another hour before serving.
• Leave the crock pot on LOW and allow guests to ladle out mugfuls.
• Keep replenishing more cider as the crockpot empties.
• You will NOT need to add more spices, etc, as long as you still have 1/4 of the original mulled cider left in the crock.
• No need to return to a boil, just pour in the new cider and continue to heat on LOW.
• The last dregs of cider will be very heavily spiced- I usually discard the remaining 1/4 of liquid after I am finished replenishing the cider for the day.