Cranberry Spice Sachets For Mulled Wine Recipes

Steps:

• Wrap the cinnamon stick, peppercorns, orange zest and cloves in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie closed with kitchen twine to make a bundle.
• Combine the cranberries, sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, the wine and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan; add the cheesecloth bundle and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the sauce thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Transfer the cranberry sauce to a bowl and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight; discard the cheesecloth bundle. Garnish with thin strips of orange zest.

Steps:

• Mix cranberries, orange juice, and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer; cook and stir until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add wine, cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix well. Continue simmering until sauce starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Add wine, orange juice, cranberries, and sugar to a 3-quart or larger Crock Pot. Stir to help sugar begin to dissolve.
• Wash orange thoroughly and stud the orange with the cloves - just stick the cloves directly into the peel, pointy end first. I like to poke it all over with a toothpick first to make holes for the cloves.
• Add the clove-studded orange and the cinnamon sticks to the wine.
• Cook on low for 2 - 3 hours, or until the berries are tender. You can cook it for an hour or two longer if you wish, but take care that it doesn't boil.
• Remove the orange and the cinnamon sticks, then VERY CAREFULLY pour the mulled wine through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heat-proof bowl. Using the back of the spoon, press on the cranberries to get all of the juices into the bowl. A berry or two may burst, so watch out!
• Return wine to the Crock Pot and stir in the brandy. Taste and add additional sugar until it's just sweet enough. I like it just past the pucker point; you may prefer a sweeter mulled wine.
• Ladle into mugs and serve with a cinnamon stick, an orange slice, and/or fresh cranberries pushed onto a cocktail stick, if desired.
• Keep your Crock Pot on the "warm" setting to keep the wine nice and hot. If your Crock Pot doesn't have a warm setting, try alternating between "low" and off.

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, combine the wine, cinnamon, anise, ginger, the juice and the flesh of the oranges, lemons, limes, the sugar, cranberries, and apple cider. Bring to a slow simmer for about 1 hour and check for seasoning, may need more sugar. Serve strained in mugs.

Steps:

• For the cranberry-spice bags, combine 1/4 cup cranberries, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 candied orange peel strips, and 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger in each of eight decorative bags. Store at room temperature up to 1 month. Makes enough for 8 batches of mulled wine or cider.
• When it's time to make mulled wine, bring the contents of one bag of spices and the wine to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and barely simmer 30 minutes, until flavor is infused into wine; stir in sugar until dissolved. Strain. (This will make around 6 servings).
• If you would perfer mulled cider, prepare as directed for mulled wine, except omit the sugar.