Why You Should Cook With Apple Cider This Fall
+ Cook
Adds a delightful fall flavor to baked goods (such as our Cider Doughnuts with Maple-Tahini Glaze below). Also shines in sauces or bastes for roasted pork and chicken: Cider's pectin thickens it to a rich, glossy glazy when reduced.
+ Buy
Look for unfiltered, fresh cider—deep brown and cloudy, it has a complex, sweet-tart flavor and lush mouthfeel. Find it refrigerated at orchards, farmers' markets, and supermarkets.
+Skip
Avoid shelf-stable, clear "cider"—it's indistinguishable from apple juice, lacks flavor nuance, and doesn't have the naturally thickening pectin that makes fresh cider so great for cooking.
+ Store
Refrigerate for up to two weeks. Should be safe if constantly chilled until the "use by" date on the bottle. Raw, unpasteurized cider will have a shorter shelf life.
+Eat: Cider Doughnuts with Maple-Tahini Glaze
We make old-fashioned, cake-style cider doughnuts even more irresistible by adding maple frosting laced with nutty tahini. Look for tahini in the supermarket’s international aisle or at Mediterranean markets. It’s an incredibly versatile flavor booster, simple yet sophisticated, like peanut butter with a passport.
