Today we’re making mulling spices!
Every few years, around the holidays, I make mulling spices in bulk to give to friends. I’ll place a large cupful of the spices in a mason jar or several individual portions in loose-leaf tea-bags in that jar to give as a gift on its own. Or I’ll bundle a bottle of wine or half-gallon of cider with a single-serve portion in a loose-leaf tea infusion bag.
Here’s the Mulling Spice Blend I’ve settled on. Though you can come up with your own using a base of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice or clove. I’ve also included a quick DIY for the dried citrus peel, which is an absolute no-brainer and makes your living space smell amazing. And of course, you’ll find the proportions and instructions for mulled wine and cider to share with family and friends.
Et Voila: SSJ’s Best Mulling Spices
SSJ’s Best Mulling Spices
Makes 3½-4 Cups, or 22+ servings
Equipment
- Ziplocs and a mallet or rolling pin for bashing spices
- Mason jars for storage or gift giving
- Individual Tea Bags OR Cheesecloth and Twine OR a Tea Infuser for gift giving AND for making the mulled wine or cider
Ingredients
SSJ'S BEST MULLING SPICE BLEND
- 4 Whole Nutmeg, bashed
- 8 Small, Whole Star Anise, bashed
- 1 cup Cassia Bark, ie Cinnamon Stick Shards [85g or 3oz] or the equivalent weight in Whole Cinnamon Sticks, bashed
- ⅓ cup Green Cardamom Pods
- ¼ cup Dried Lemon Peel,* Coarsely Chopped
- ⅓ cup Dried Orange Peel,* Coarsely Chopped
- ¼ cup Allspice Berries
- ¼ cup Whole Cloves
- ¼ cup Diced Crystallized Ginger [Optional]
*DIY DRIED CITRUS PEEL
- 3 Navel Oranges [yields 1/3 cup]
- OR
- 4 Lemons [yields 1/4 cup]
FOR MULLED WINE
- 2-3 tbs SSJ'S BEST MULLING SPICE BLEND
- 750 ml Bottle of Red or White Wine [We like a reasonably priced Shiraz or Malbec]
- ⅓ cup Sugar, Honey, or Other Sweetener [May be omitted]
FOR MULLED CIDER
- 2-3 tbs SSJ'S BEST MULLING SPICE BLEND
- 8 cups Cider [1/2 gallon]
Instructions
SSJ'S BEST MULLING SPICES
- Place the whole nutmegs, star anise, and whole cinnamon sticks [if you can't find shards] into a large ziploc-style bag, and pound the spices with the flat side of a meat tenderizer or rolling pin until broken into small pieces.
- Place the spices, *dried citrus, and diced crystallized ginger [optional] in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Distribute the mixture into smaller jars or by ~3 tbs measure into single-serve tea bags for giving.
*DIY DRIED CITRUS PEEL
- Heat oven to 170° F.
- For each batch, line 2 large baking pans or cookie sheets with parchment.
- Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel but not the pith of your oranges or lemons, and place them on the parchment-lined pan.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, checking to make sure the peel is not browned or burnt at the 40 minute mark.
- Turn off the oven and leave the pan in the oven for 2-3 hours.
- If the peel is not fully dried, allowed to cool on the counter for a few hours.
- Place the peels in a ziploc-style bag and bash with the flat side of a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin to reach a coarse chop.
FOR MULLED WINE
- Place ~3 tbs of the mulling spices in a single serve teabag, a few layers of cheesecloth tied with twine, or a tea infuser.
- In a pot on the stove, combine one 750ml bottle of wine with the bag of mulling spices and ⅓ cup of honey or sugar. [Sugar may be omitted]
- Heat on low for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
- Compost or otherwise discard the spices.
- Ladle the mulled wine into mugs and serve warm.
FOR MULLED CIDER
- Place ~3 tbs of the mulling spices in a single serve teabag, a few layers of cheesecloth tied with twine, or a tea infuser.
- In a pot on the stove, over medium high heat, combine 8 cups [half a gallon] with the bag of spices and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Compost or otherwise discard the spices.
- Ladle the mulled cider into mugs and serve warm.
Notes
Mulled Wine and Mulled Cider recipes may be doubled.
Leave a Reply