Non-alcoholic mulled wine with cherry juice
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The winter months are the season for mulled wine, and not necessarily alcoholic wine! Spicy, non-alcoholic cherry mulled wine is no less tasty and warming. And the aroma that cherries imparts is something that classic mulled wine can only envy!
In addition to cinnamon, anise and cloves - traditional spices for mulled wine, it is worth adding fresh ginger root to non-alcoholic mulled wine made with cherry juice. Such an additive will perform two tasks at once - it will enhance the warming effect of the drink and its similarity to regular (alcoholic) mulled wine, due to the slightly burning aftertaste that ginger gives.
Like any mulled wine, cherry mulled wine does not require strict proportions and a set of ingredients. Everything can be adjusted to your preferences. Don't eat honey - add sugar. If you don't eat sugar, skip it altogether. If you don’t like any of the spices, don’t torture yourself, exclude them or replace them with one whose taste and aroma you like. And if you don’t have an orange on hand, replace it with tangerine, clementine, or lemon.
The amount of ginger can also be adjusted to suit your taste. I prepare a medium-rich version and add about 18 g of peeled ginger root. But if you love ginger, and you enjoy its pungency, you can safely increase its quantity to 40 g. With frozen cherries, the situation is ambiguous. On the one hand, it is not a mandatory component at all, but personally, I would advise adding at least a handful. That appetizing, juicy and rich cherry aroma that it brings to mulled wine is not capable of producing even the best and most natural juice! I recommend!
So, prepare your ingredients and let's start preparing our non-alcoholic cherry mulled wine...
Ингредиенты
Cherry juice - 1 l
Peeled ginger root - 18 g (or to taste)
Star anise - 2 stars
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Cloves - 3 pcs.
Orange - 1 pc. (180 g)
Honey/sugar - to taste (as needed)
Frozen cherries - 200 g (optional)
Рецепт
1. Rinse, strain and place frozen cherries in a saucepan without defrosting first. Use a pan for cooking mulled wine (any kind) made of non-oxidizing material, for example, enameled.
2. Peel the ginger root and cut into as thin slices as possible. Cut the orange into half rings 2-3 mm thick. Save about a quarter of the orange for serving the drink. Break the cinnamon stick into several smaller pieces. Add chopped orange, ginger, cinnamon, star anise and cloves to the pan.
3. Pour in just enough cherry juice to cover the fruit and spices (approximately 200-250 ml).
4. Over low heat, slowly bring the mixture to a boil (for me the process took about 8 minutes). Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 7 minutes to release the flavors of the fruit and spices.
5. Add the remaining cherry juice to the pan. Over low heat, bring the mixture almost to a boil again and turn off the heat.
6. Cover the pan with a lid and let the drink brew for at least 30-60 minutes.
7. Try the infused drink and, if necessary, add a little honey or sugar to taste.
8. Before serving, reheat the cherry mulled wine without bringing it to a boil. Pour the hot drink into glasses. If desired, add a slice of orange to each glass and serve.
9. Non-alcoholic mulled wine made with cherry juice is ready. Enjoy!