"apple cider" news and stories

Sure, it may be cider season, but the yen for one glass can lead to a large leftover jug in the fridge.

Cinnamon sticks and cloves infuse steaming apple cider with the taste of winter. While the apple brandy and cinnamon schnapps add an extra layer of winter warmth.

Get this apple cider recipe along with many others after the jump.

Red cider apples. Photo: ipresents, Flickr.

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• Only in the wine world could evaluate a bottle that's covered in fungus to be a hot, high-priced commodity. This time around: bottles of Armagnac Vieux and Clos du Griffier cognac from the 1700s and 1800s.
• The perfect perks of fall: drinking, cooking and delighting in fresh apple cider straight from the mill.
• Product pick: Dr. McDougall's Chunky Soup.
• Recipes: Maple Pepper Bacon Strips With Boston Lager Glaze, Garlic Cheese Popovers, Salmon-Potato Cakes, Provence Fresh Herb Sauce for Dipping and Saucing

Mmm, seasonal punch, fall cider, apple-related-alcohol, whatever you want to call it, it's good. Warm or cold, alcoholic or non, even spicy or streudelly, there are a number of ways to enjoy a good autumnal apple drink. Here are links to eight delicious recipes!

1. A solid booze-free basic
2. Classic brandy with cider
3. Heat up some apple juice and put rum and a cinnamon stick in it. No link required!
4. A whiskey version
5. Cider with tequila!
6. An ultimate indulgence with hibiscus and cayenne
7. Decadent cider streudel (streudelly)
8. Chilled and sparkling!

Click here for more things you can do with apple cider.

I can't resist picking up jug apple cider whenever I stop by my local farmer's market. I've always loved the stuff, and I remember begging my mom to bring some home from the supermarket every fall when I was younger. Now that I can get it on my own and drink as much as I want (that's right, mom: sometimes I drink juice not milk), I love it even more. It's just so thick and delicious -- perfect in a cold, tall glass on an autumn afternoon, but also for cooking, mulling, and even baking! Here are some innovative ways to incorporate this fall treat into your daily diet...

Apple cider chicken -- One of my favorite fall recipes from Eating Well

Martha Stewart's spiced apple cider from Martha Stewart

Apple butter from 101 Cookbooks

Mulled apple cider sorbet from Epicurious

Warm autumn punch from All Recipes

Garden salad with apple cider vinaigrette from the Food Network

Apple walnut cake with apple cider glaze from Big Oven

Cider-glazed root vegetables from the Washington Post