Make Mulled Wine or Mulled Appe Cider in Your Microwave - The Perfect Winter BeverageMake Mulled Wine or Mulled Appe Cider in Your Microwave - The Perfect Winter Beverage

Author: Heather Krasovec

Mulled wine and mulled apple cider are both a great way to beat the cold divine on a dreary winter's night. They both chase away the chill in a very deicious way. The microwave oven makes preparation of these old-fashioned cod weather drinks very quick and quite easy. Here are my favorite recipes for mulled wine and mulled apple cider made in the microwave oven. Enjoy!

Ingredients For Mulled Apple Cider
32 ounces of plain, pure apple cider or apple juice (organic is best for flavor and health)
12 whole cloves
2 cassia cinnamon sticks
1 three-inch piece of fresh ginger root, about the thickness of your thumb
6 whole allspice berries
2 tablespoons of whole mace (substitute 1/8 teaspoon of grated nutmeg if you can't find the mace)
1/2 cup of good quality bourbon (omit the bourbon if you want a kid friendly spiced apple cider)
Directions
Slice the ginger root, with the skin still on. There is a lot of fllavor in the peel, so there is no reason to waste your time peeling the ginger. Gently smash the allspice berries, just enough to crack the outer shell. You may do this with a mortar and pestle or with the bottom of a heavy skillet. Or use any method that will lightly crush them.
Pour the apple cider into a large, microwave safe container. Add the sliced ginger, smashed allspice berries, cloves, cinnamon sticks and mace. Cook the cider mixture in your microwave oven at 50% power until hot, but not boiling. This should take between 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the wattage of your microwave oven. Stir well to distribute the flavors. You could add the bourbon then strain and serve the mulled apple cider at this point, but there is a way to extract more flavor if you have some time to spare. You could allow the muled apple cider to steep for 30 minutes. Then reheat the mulled apple cider before adding the bourbon and straining.
Ingredients For Mulled Wine
1 750 ml bottle of dry red wine (I like to use Cabernet Sauvignon or Chianti)
1 large juice orange, such as Valencia or Navel
1 two-inch piece of fresh ginger, about the thickness of your thumb
12 whole cloves
2 cassia cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons of whole mace (or substitute 1/8 teaspoon of grated nutmeg if you don't have the mace)
1/4 cup of good quality honey (I think orange blossom honey is best in this recipe, but any honey will do)
Directions
Thinly slice the orange and the ginger, leaving the skins on both. The skins on both oranges and ginger have a lot of essential oils and flavors that you want to take full advantage of.
Put all ingredients into a microwave safe container. Red wine can stain plastic, especially once heated. Keep this in mind when choosing your container. Glass wi be much easier to clean.
Heat in your microwave oven at 50% power until hot, but not boiling. This should take you between 2 to 3 minutes, depending on how powerful your microwave oven is. Stir to combine all the flavors. Just like the mulled apple cider, you could strain and serve immediately, or you could let the mulled wine and spices steep for 30 minutes before reheating and straining.
Any leftover mulled wine or muled apple cider should be refrigerated.
The Best Microwave Oven For Making Mulled Appe Cider or Mulled Wine
Ideally you will want a microwave oven with inverter technology when making mulled wine or cider, since these are the only microwaves capable of achieving a true 50% power. Most microwave ovens set to 50% power simply alternate between 100% power and 0% power equally. Microwave ovens with inverter technology actually lower the power output to the set level. This provides much more even cooking and less hot spots. You can use a normal microwave oven for these recipes, but exercise extra caution around the heated beverages, as they will be more prone to overheated spots. Visit Microwave Oven Reviews to find the best microwave oven for making mulled cider or mulled wine plus so much more. You'll also find more great free microwave recipes to help you get the most out of your microwave oven.
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About the Author
Heather Krasovec, creator of Microwave Oven Reviews, uses her extensive experience in food based industries to help consumers make better choices when stocking their kitchens.