Autumn, Time to Harvest Apples & Pumpkins

Apple Cider, Hot Buttered Rum & Pumpkin Juice Recipes

© Corinne Shibley

Sep 28, 2009

Nothing quite evokes autumn quite like fall foliage, apple cider,and pumpkins. Want more than pumpkin pie? The Harry Potter books and movies have inspired a new use for pumpkins. Fresh pumpkin makes delicious juice, hot or cold. It's somewhat surprising that pumpkin juice isn't sold by small producers alongside apple cider in the fall.

Pumpkin Juice Recipe for Harry Potter Fans

• 1 Small fresh pumpkin
• 2-3 Cups pineapple orange juice
• 3 Cups apple cider
• 1 Cup sugar, more or less, to taste

1. Cut the pumpkin in half. Save the seeds to roast later (see instructions below). Use the side of a large spoon to scrape the inside of the pumpkin clean.
2. Cut the pumpkin into small chunks and boil until it is very soft and somewhat clear. It will also be darker. Remove from the water and let cool.
3. Peel the cooled pumpkin pieces and chop them into even smaller pieces.
4. Place the cooked pumpkin in a blender in small batches. Blend with just enough pineapple orange juice to make it smooth.
5. To 5 cups of the pumpkin, pineapple orange juice mixture, add 3 cups of apple cider and 1 cup of sugar, more or less, to taste.

Spiced Butter Recipe for Hot Fall Drinks

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 TBS ground cloves
• 3 TBS ground cinnamon

Blend the spices into the butter and place the mixture in a covered container in the refrigerator. You can use a pastry bag to pipe tsp size pieces into pretty shapes which can be frozen.

Hot Buttered Rum Recipe

1. Fill a heatproof mug halfway with either apple cider or pumpkin juice.
2. Add 1 tsp spiced butter and microwave until hot.
3. Add 2 tsp honey and fill with rum.
4. Stir with a cinnamon stick and serve.

Spiced Apple Cider for a Crowd

• 1 gallon apple cider
• 1 orange, thinly sliced
• 1 TBS ground cinnamon
• 1 TBS ground cloves
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder

Put all ingredients into a large crockpot 2-3 hours before serving. This gets even better the longer it brews.

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Don't throw away the seeds. Spread them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Bake about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. They roast quickly, so be careful not to let them burn.

Apples and pumpkins help to ease in winter. With or without rum, cider and pumpkin juice will continue to warm you throughout the winter. Another autumn favorite is country ham. Try this apple cake recipe to accompany your autumn drinks.

Iced Pumpkin Juice

Gala Apple

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