🍎 From Orchard to Mug: Making Mulled Apple Cider
Hi Farm Family,
What a cozy day at Farm School! Today we made fresh, kid-friendly mulled apple cider — the perfect way to welcome fall. 🍂
Although it wasn’t quite the weather for a warm drink, it was a little overcast this morning and fit our theme beautifully. The smell alone made it feel like autumn had arrived.
🍏 Measuring, Estimating & Juicing Fun
The kids took turns cutting their apples and juicing them with our electric juicer. I’m learning to bring in more ideas as we go, and today we used our manual scale!
We zeroed it to account for the bowl weight and estimated how heavy the apples were as we went along. Our goal was about five pounds, since this recipe takes roughly 5–6 pounds of apples. We also practiced estimating weight by hand—such a good life skill! Here is Amazon Link for a scale similar to the one I have.
Our poor electric juicer got a little tired from all the juicing, but the kids had so much fun with it. Sometimes the apples would pop back out, and they thought it was hilarious! 🍏😂 Amazon Link for a great juicer.
But if you don’t want to invest in one (totally understandable!), you can still make fresh apple juice the old-fashioned way:
Homemade Apple Juice (No Juicer Method)
🍎 Roughly chop 6–8 apples (no need to peel).
💧 Add 4 cups of water to a large pot.
🔥 Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the apples are soft.
🥄 Mash them well with a potato masher, then simmer another 10 minutes.
🫙 Pour the mixture through a fine strainer or cheesecloth to separate the juice from the pulp — and voilà, fresh apple juice!
It’s simple, delicious, and makes the whole kitchen smell amazing. Bonus points if your little ones help with the mashing — that’s always their favorite part!
Yes! I’m an Amazon affiliate. When you buy through my links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it helps support our farm school projects and free homeschool resources. Thank you for being part of our little farm community! 💚
🌿 Discovering Our Spices
Next, we learned about the spices that make cider special. The kids were amazed that cinnamon is actually tree bark!
One curious kiddo asked, “What are cloves, really?”—and I realized I didn’t actually know! Turns out, cloves are dried flower buds from a tree native to Indonesia. 🌸
That question led to another from a parent: “How did you learn all this?”
The truth is—I didn’t grow up using many spices (baking, yes, but not much beyond that). I just start with something I want to make, then research and learn as I go. I’m not afraid to make mistakes—that’s half the fun! Honestly, Farm School has taught me just as much as it teaches the kids.
We smelled star anise (our “spice star”)—some said it smelled funny, and I told them I think it smells like black licorice! We even saw whole nutmeg and sprinkled a pinch of already powdered into our cauldron.
🍋 A Little Lemon Magic
Our oranges on the tree aren’t quite ready yet, so we used dried lemon peels instead, which added a bright, fresh flavor that worked beautifully. 🍋
These were actually just peels leftover from making lemonade earlier this season! I cut and dehydrated them and keep them on hand for moments like this. I also love adding them to my tea—they make it taste fresh and sunshiney. 🌞
Lemon peels aren’t just for flavor—they’re full of natural goodness! The peel actually contains more vitamin C than the juicy part of the fruit, along with plant compounds that support immunity and digestion.
When we added dried lemon peel to our cider, it gave the drink a gentle vitamin C boost and a burst of brightness straight from nature.
☕ Tasting Time
We didn’t wait long for our cider to warm (let’s be honest, the kids are really here for the animals 🐇). Kylie ladled out the pre-made cider, and most of the kids gave it glowing reviews!
A few weren’t fans, which led to a great conversation about why. Cooking from scratch gives so many opportunities to make it your own:
Too spiced? Use less next time.
Want it sweeter? Add a touch of maple syrup.
Too thick? Strain it or use store juice.
There’s always room to experiment and make it yours!
🧪 Homeschool Lesson Connections
This simple recipe opens the door for so much learning:
🌡 Science: Exploring Heat, Flavor, and Preservation
Aroma molecules: Heating spices like cinnamon, cloves, and star anise releases their aromatic compounds. Kids can smell and describe the changes, learning how heat transforms flavor.
Acids in action: Lemon peel and citrus juice not only brighten flavor but also help preserve the cider naturally. Discuss why acidity slows down bacterial growth.
📏 Math: Measurement, Proportions, and Estimation
Estimating weight: Kids can practice weighing apples or spices with a scale, or visually estimate amounts before checking.
Measuring and converting: Compare tablespoons to teaspoons, cups to ounces, and explore doubling or halving recipes. How does that change yield?
Fractions and ratios: Discuss how the ratio of spices to juice affects flavor intensity, turning math into a tangible, delicious experience.
Try this at home: Encourage children to scale the recipe for more or fewer servings, practicing multiplication and division in a real-world context.
📖 History: Spices Through Time
Every time we warm a pot of spiced cider, we’re taking part in a tradition that has warmed hands and hearts for more than a thousand years.
Imagine ancient Rome — the streets bustling, people wrapped in wool cloaks, and merchants pouring spiced wine from steaming bronze pots to travelers stopping for warmth. They believed it helped with digestion and kept illness away during cold months.
Hundreds of years later, in medieval Europe, families would gather in stone kitchens lit by flickering firelight. Cinnamon and cloves were so rare and expensive that only the wealthy could afford them — but at Christmas or winter feasts, everyone shared in a cup of “wassail,” a warm, spiced drink meant to bring good health and cheer.
Then came the Colonial days in America — when imported spices finally reached homesteads, and cider became the drink of choice. Settlers used what they had on hand: local apples, dried orange peel, nutmeg, and honey or maple syrup for sweetness. It was simple, comforting, and celebratory — just like ours at Farm School.
Through every generation, mulled cider wasn’t just a drink — it was a moment. Something families made together while telling stories, watching the fire, and celebrating the harvest.
So when we stirred our own pot today, surrounded by laughter and the smell of spice and apples, we weren’t just making a recipe — we were continuing a story that’s been shared for centuries. 🍎🔥
Want to try this at home? Pick a spice and research its history. Imagine being a Roman merchant trading cinnamon, or a colonial cook creating spiced cider for winter gatherings. History comes alive in the kitchen!
or Have kids map the trade routes of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Discuss how access to spices influenced cooking, economy, and culture in different regions.
🍽 Life Skills: Patience, Observation, and Adaptation
Cooking teaches patience — simmering cider slowly releases flavors, demonstrating delayed gratification.
Observation skills: Kids can note color, aroma, and taste changes as cider warms.
Adjusting recipes: Too spicy? Too sweet? Too sour? Learning to adjust teaches confidence, creativity, and problem-solving in the kitchen.
Try this at home: Let kids be the “head chef” for a batch. Encourage them to make small tweaks, record the results, and even create their own signature cider blend.
Thank you all for your excitement and encouragement — it keeps me inspired to keep blending farm life, food, and learning together. 💛
With gratitude,
Suzi + Kylie @ K2 Acres
