I have always loved the holidays and the traditions that go with them. Needless to say, I am “all over Christmas!” Every year I try and incorporate an old custom, or food, or even a type of ornament into our family’s festivities. I like the idea of linking past and present. One year we strung yards and yards of cranberries and popcorn and wrapped them around our tree instead of garlands or tinsel. It looked so pretty!
This year I decided that instead of our usual holiday beverages, I would make wassail. I love the idea of wassail, not only because it has wonderful ingredients that make your house smell amazing, but because there’s a story behind it. The tradition of wassailing (pronounced like fossil-ing) began centuries ago when people went door to door singing and drinking to their neighbors’ health. This eventually turned into Christmas caroling which is one of my favorite holiday activities – despite the fact that I can’t carry a tune. So share this wonderful beverage with your family and friends and together raise a glass of warmth and cheer.
Traditional Wassail
Ingredients
- 1 gallon of apple cider
- 2 cups of cranberry juice
- ½ cup of honey
- ½ cup of sugar
- 2 oranges
- Whole cloves
- 1 apple peeled and sliced
- Allspice
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- 3 cinnamon sticks (or 3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon)
- ½-1 cup brandy (optional)
Set your crockpot to its lower setting (a large pot on the stove will work just as well), and pour apple cider, cranberry juice, honey and sugar in, mixing carefully. As it heats up, stir so that the honey and sugar dissolve. Stud the oranges with the cloves, and place in the pot (they will float in it). Add the diced apple. Add allspice, ginger and nutmeg to taste – 2 tablespoons of each is usually plenty. Snap the cinnamon sticks in half and add in.
Cover the pot and allow wassail to simmer for 2-4 hours on low heat. Add brandy about a half hour before serving.
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