Mulling Spices Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is mulling spices made of? ›

The combination of spices varies, but it usually consists of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg, and less frequently star anise, peppercorn, or cardamom. It also usually includes dried fruit, such as raisins, apples, or orange rind. Mulling spices can be bought prepackaged.

Nothing says holiday like the smells and tastes of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove. My recipe for mulling spices has all these delicious rich warm spices and makes a thoughtful hostess or holiday gift. Use the spice packets to make hot apple cider or spiced mulled red wine.

How long do mulling spices last? Homemade mulling spices should last 6 months in an airtight container. So it's great to make a huge batch at the beginning of fall to use through the winter.

Spices do not expire in the same way that milk does nor do they become moldy or rotten in the same way fresh produce does. It's better to think of spices as going “not good” rather than bad.

Full-bodied, dry and cloudy ciders that thins out when heated, are often a popular choice to mull. A sweet cider with a strong apple flavour is preferable, but it's also important that there's a hint of acidity to cut through the syrupy richness that too sweet a cider can result in.

Between day 9 and 12 of active fermentation the cider loses all apple flavor and becomes bitter.

Spiking Mulled Cider

Add alcohol to a single mug or the batch of cider after cooking so the alcohol doesn't cook off.

Very little alcohol will cook off. The boiling point of ethanol is 79C - you should WARM mulled wine and certainly not bring it anywhere near close to 79C.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary cites the first use of the word “mull” in 1618 as a verb meaning to heat, sweeten, and flavor with spices. The use of the word really hasn't changed in hundreds of years! So Mulling Spices are literally spices that you use to mull wine or cider.

What are the English mulling spices? ›

Cinnamon, Orange Peel, Whole Star Anise, Lemon Peel, Whole Allspice, Whole Cloves, Vanilla Extract, Orange Oil.

Merriam-Webster determined that the first use of the word “mull” as a verb, meaning “to heat, sweeten, and flavor (as wine or cider) with spices,” was in 1618, which was late-medieval prime time. The idea, however, was already there.

Whole spices: These last for 4 years, and include spices like cloves, whole peppercorns, mustard seeds, caraway seeds, cumin seeds and cinnamon sticks. They have the longest lifespan, primarily because they have less surface area exposed to air, moisture and light.

Ground spices lose their freshness the quickest and typically don't last past six months. The best freshness test for ground spices is to give them a whiff — if they smell like nothing, then it's time to say goodbye. Whole spices, on the other hand, can be fine for up to five years.

Ground spices retain most of their flavor for 2-3 years. Whole spices retain most of their flavor for 3-4 years. Spice blends retain most of their flavor for 2 years. Dried leafy herbs retain most of their flavor for 1-3 years.

What is mulling spice made of? Mulling spices is a spice mixture used in drink recipes and as a flavoring or fragrance. The spices are often used to flavor hot apple cider, mulled wine, wassail, and other drinks during the autumn or winter.

the act or process of heating wine, cider, ale, etc., sweetening it, and flavoring it with spices: Their gourmet spice blends carry the strong flavor needed for the mulling of wines, ciders, or juices.