Homemade Apple Cider, YUM!

I was in the grocery store and noticed one of my favorite things making its way to the shelves. I love this time of year for all my little favorite things. I couldn't help but notice that there weren't many refrigerated ones, which I think taste the best, and only ones out on a shelf. Something about the ones that are kept preserved/warm on a shelf, seem to taste so carbonated to me. So, here I went to find a recipe to....what?...yes, do at home :) 

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 8 -10 apples ( I used gala for a less tart or intense taste)
• 1/2-1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons cinnamon ( or 4 cinnamon sticks)
• 4 tablespoons allspice

Directions

1. Quarter your apples (no need to remove peel or seeds).
2. In a large stock pot add your apples and fill with water--just enough to cover the apples.
3. Add your sugar.
4. Wrap your cinnamon and allspice in a doubled up cheese cloth and tie, and add this to the apples and water.
5. Boil on high for one hour (uncovered) checking on it frequently.
6. Turn down heat and let simmer for two hours (covered).
7. Take off the heat after two hours of simmering and let cool.
8. Remove spices and mash up the apples to a pulp like consistency (a potato masher works well for this).
9. Once cool pour into a strainer over a large bowl. When most of the juice has drained away, put the remainder of the pulp into a doubled up cheese cloth and squeeze over the bowl until no more juice comes out.
10. (At this point you can either restrain the juice to get out the little bits of pulp that remain with a cheese cloth draped inside the strainer to catch them or just leave it like I do).
11. You can store in an air tight container in your refrigerator for up to a week or you can freeze it for later use if you like.

http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=253224