I was doing a little culinary sleuthing for new apple pie recipes when I stumbled upon several that incorporated boiled cider. Having grown up mostly in the south, where apple cider is a little less common than here in the Empire State, I had absolutely no idea what the heck these recipes were talking about. It turns out that boiled cider is just that: cider that has been slowly boiled over a low flame until it becomes the consistency of syrup. I found the stuff for sale online and it was kind of expensive. So I decided to make my own – in true Brooklyn Farmhouse fashion. I loved the way the boiling cider made my kitchen smell – like caramel apples. I can’t wait to use it in an apple pie. Or on top of vanilla ice cream. Or on pancakes.

You’ll need:

1 liter fresh apple cider
A heavy pot large enough to accommodate all of your cider
Some extra time

Procedure:

1. Pour the cider into your pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring from time to time.
2. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the cider gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced by about 80%- 85%. This took several hours, but I think I was being overly cautious by keeping the flame so low (I was doing other stuff and didn’t want to hang out in the kitchen the whole time, stirring the cider). Just make sure that you keep a good eye on it toward the end of cooking, when you see it really starting to reduce. You’ll notice the smell of caramel – at this point, stir a little more frequently so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom (because that would be tragic).

Makes about 1 cup.