How to make your own mulling spice

It’s Autumn. That means you can find fancy little packets of fancy little mulled spice at fancy little grocery stores. It’s handy, especially if you’re the type that consumes a lot of mulled wine and cider, but it’s also redundant, especially if your spice cabinet is well-stocked.

The truth is that you don’t need a lot of different spices to make a good mulled spice blend.. If you are not sure, One of the following (the amount next to each indicates the amount needed for a batch of 8 cups of mulled wine or cider):

• Cinnamon sticks (1-2 sticks))
• star anise (1 pod)
• Whole cloves (6-8 pieces)
• Whole nutmeg (about 1/4 of a nut)
• allspice berries (1/2 teaspoon)
• Juniper berries (1/2 teaspoon)
• pepper (1/2 teaspoon)
• coriander seeds (1/2 teaspoon)
• cardamom pods (1/2 teaspoon crushed pods)

With 3 or 4 of these, you can make your own mulled spice. Other than that, you’ll need a few lemon or orange peel strips or a few slices of fresh ginger.Add a few cinnamon sticks in your milling pot With 2 or 3 spices, seeds, berries, or pods from the list above.Sauté the seasoning over medium heat until cooked. fragrant (1-3 minutes), add 8 cups wine or cider Garnish with 3 or 4 strips of orange or lemon zest and/or 2 slices of fresh ginger.

strain solid and Return the wine or cider to the pan and keep warm over low heat. (If making mulled cider, the coffee is strained through a filter-lined sieve to remove cider solids that can congeal and adversely affect the mouthfeel of a fine drink.) extra cinnamon sticks Or strips of orange peel with cloves tucked in for garnish. The mulled drink can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week and can be reheated at leisure.