Caramel Apple Syrup
Monday, October 18, 2010 at 7:25PM 
This sauce tastes just like a Caramel Apple, but better.
I think you're going to like this recipe.
It has ONE ingredient.
One very autumn-like, very local, very easy-to-find ingredient.
APPLE CIDER
I started this recipe with one half gallon of organic Gala apple cider.
I am always inspired by the abundance of fresh-pressed cider this time of year. In fact, besides making Caramel Apple Syrup yesterday, I made something else with apple cider too, but it had more than one ingredient, and one of them was Everclear. That's a whole 'nother story.
**************************
To make the Caramel Apple Syrup, I started by simmering an ample quantity of apple cider for a couple hours.
Then, when it had reduced to about one-fourth (yes, one fourth!) of its original volume, I poured it from a large pot into a sauce pan and cranked it up to a rapid boil. That's when the caramelizing kicked in.
The second phase: I boiled the cider in a sauce pan for approx 10 min.
I'm talking a rapid boil....no more simmering!
It reduced by about half, from 16 ounces to ~8 ounces.
I decided to strain the few tiny flecks out of it...
The process of reducing a half gallon of apple cider, to about one cup of syrup is sort of like magic. You use heat & evaporation to reduce the liquid, plus more heat to caramelize the naturally occurring sugars in the cider. A winning combination of flavors are your reward for a couple hours of easy, mostly back burner-type cooking.
The Caramel Apple Syrup is gorgeous...thick and glossy, with a rich brown sugar-like sweetness that only comes from cooking over high heat. The intense fresh-apple flavors have a subtle yet tart kick, which I think is necessary to keep the syrup from being too cloyingly sweet
.
It was incredibly delicious on the Pear Tart I made tonight, but it really deserves to be center stage. Tomorrow night? Vanilla ice cream!
Reader Comments (6)
Can you can this syrup? What an awesome idea for Christmas gifts!
Hi Mardi ~ I wouldn't can this recipe, because I don't think it has enough acid in it. I didn't check it with a pH test, because I knew I was just going to be eating it right away.
'Tis the season when apples are their best, and I'll be working with them a lot in the near future. I think I will come up with an apple syrup that can be preserved -- thanks for the great idea. It would make a wonderful Christmas gift and if you had a good source for orchard-fresh apples, it could be a budget-friendly gift too.
Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. I'll work on a new recipe soon.
I'm thinking the same thing Mardi M's thinking, so any progress on that front? We have apple trees and usually cold press about 100 gallons of cider every year, so I'm always trying to figure out new ways to use it. Thanks for sharing this one -- my husband LOVES it.
Mardi and Emilie --
I just found a recipe for Cider Syrup in a fantastic book called "The Joy of Jams, Jellies and other Sweet Preserves" by Linda Ziedrich. Her recipe is basically the same thing as mine: Apple cider boiled down until it is 1/8ths of its original volume -- she says "makes about 1/2 cup syrup for each quart cider".
This is actually a very old-fashioned way to make a delicious syrup that surprisingly few people know about!
Linda Ziedrich recommends that you "Pour the syrup into sterilized bottles and cap or cork them. If the syrup is sufficiently thick, you can store it in the cupboard rather than the refrigerator. It should keep for at least 6 months."
I hope this helps!
This sounds so delicious, I will have to try it since we have a abundance of apples. Our grocery store has ciders made from local growers I CAN get a gallon and try. I love carmel and you know it would be awesome drizzled over a crispy apple or hot turnover. lol
Yes...get a gallon and try it. It's so easy but sooooo good.
And thanks for suggesting the hot apple turnover Kim. Now I'll be thinking about it ALL DAY :D