Making the Most of Mulling Spices

[ Warm and Inviting: Mulled Spice Beverages ] ~ from Herbco

During the colder months, there's nothing more warm and inviting than mulled spiced beverages. These recipes will delight your family and guests while creating wonderful aromas in your home. Mulled spiced beverages, which were popular with early American colonists, have become part of our American holiday traditions. It's easy to include these festive drinks in your fall and winter gatherings -- or savor them on ordinary weekdays.

The convenient Mulling Spice Blend by HERBCo combines the traditional mulling spices of cinnamon, allspice, clove and dried orange peels. In addition to easy use in recipes, this fragrant mixture can become an instant potpourri — just put one pound in a decorative bowl.

When paired with our round steel tins, our Mulling Spice Blend also makes thoughtful holiday gifts.

mulling spice with wine

Mulled Red Wine
This recipe is inspired by Glogg, a traditional Scandinavian drink. It's particularly flavorful because of cardamom, a fragrant spice frequently found in Scandinavian baking.
Ingredients:
1 bottle full-bodied red wine (e.g. Merlot)
1/2 cup mulling spice blend
1/4 cup sugar
6 crushed cardamom pods or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup blanched almonds

Directions: In a large, nonreactive pot, combine red wine with mulling spice glend. Add sugar, 6 crushed cardamom pods (or ground cardamom), raisins and blanched almonds. Cover and bring to a simmer. Uncover and reduce to low heat, occasionally stirring. Simmer for at least 20 minutes until spices infuse the wine and the raisins plump. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer.
Serve warm in mugs in 1/2 cup portions.

Makes at least 4 servings.

mulling spice with apple cider

Fast & Flavorful Recipe: Mulled Spiced Cider
This simple recipe takes only minutes to assemble. Your family will be sipping a warm-your-toes drink in 30 minutes. Ingredients:
8 cups apple cider or apple juice
1 cup Mulling Spice Blend
8 2 3/4" cinnamon sticks as decorative garnish stick

Directions: In a large, nonreactive pot, combine cider (or apple juice) and Mulling Spice Blend. Cover and bring to a simmer. Remove cover and reduce to low heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or longer.
Carefully ladle into mugs. Add a cinnamon stick into each mug.

Makes 8 servings.

Richly Spiced Mulled Cider
Gently toasting spices brings out their uplifting aromas and will fill your whole kitchen with a homey fragrance. Ingredients:
8 cups apple cider or apple juice
12 1" cinnamon sticks as decorative garnish stick
10 cloves
10 allspice berries
2 star anise pods
5 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried orange peels
1 teaspoon dried lemon peels

Directions: In a large, nonreactive pot, lightly toast 4 one-inch cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, anise stars and black peppercorns over low heat for about one minute until fragrant. Remove pot from heat; let cool slightly. Slowly add cider (or apple juice) and stir. Add dried orange peels and dried lemon peels. Return pot to heat and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce to low heat and continue to simmer for at least 20 minutes. Occasionally gently stir. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer.
Carefully ladle into mugs and add a one-inch cinnamon stick into each mug.

Makes 8 servings.

Making the Most of Mulling Spices

mulling spice with wine

mulling spice with apple cider

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