Majestic Mulling Syrup

Can you tell I’m starting to run out of adjectives for my recipe posts? The recipe can be used to make mulled wine or cider, although please forgive me for having not tried it with cider since even mentioning the word cider brings back haunting memories of my first ever escapade into alcohol at 13 which resulted in much barfing and eventually being picked up by my dad after my friends exhausted their combined powers of patience and nursing care as as I lay gagging in a bush.

Ingredients

• 2 Fresh Oranges
• 2 Cinnamon sticks (I get mine from Holland&Barrett)
• Small cube of ginger
• 1/2 Whole nutmeg (You can get packs of whole nutmeg in Holland&Barrett for cheap)
• 9oz Caster sugar (granulated will do)
• 6 Whole allspice berries
• 4 Whole cloves

Extras

• Bottles that can hold around 800ml of the mulling syrup (sterilised, see how here)
• Very fine sieve

Method

• Pop a litre of water in a heavy bottomed saucepan (you’ll need a fairly big pan). Slice your oranges in half and throw them in with the rest of the ingredients and the nutmeg which you need to grate before adding.
• Over a low heat bring the whole lot to a simmer. Make sure all the sugar has dissolved before turning down the heat and simmering for another 20 minutes.
• Leave it to cool down and then strain it.
• If your not using your syrup right away you need to reheat it all until its hot, then pour into your bottles and seal them shut while its hot.
• If you want to use the syrup then and there (and why the hell wouldn’t you eh?) heat 400mls of syrup with around 750ml of cider or red wine. Perhaps save getting sozzled until after you’ve put up the tree or risk being fished out of your spruce by a family member.
• PS. Keep the syrup dark and cool and it should keep for up to 3 months.

Adapted from BBC Good Food