Creating Your Own Mulling Spice Packets
Mulling Spice Packets
Mull – to heat, sweeten, and flavor with spices for drinking, as ale, wine or tea.
One popular late fall and winter tradition is the creation of hot mulled beverages to enjoy on those cold days, and even colder nights. Mulling is a centuries-old practice in which various spices and fruit essences are infused into teas, heated juices, wines, ciders or brandies. While there is just no getting away from the ritualized, community-building aspects of sharing bowls of spicy ales and punches, a favorite story of the spiced “wassail” involves the indigenous populations of Southern England. It appears that is the apple-growing, cider-producing regions of Medieval Britain, the winter cider celebrations were a way to sing and celebrate the health of the apple trees to ensure a good harvest of cider apples for the coming year.
Through my research, I have discovered a recipe for mulling spices that works great with teas, apple cider, wine, or other festive holiday drinks. Bags of this mulling spice also make wonderful gifts for the holiday season! It can also be boiled on the stovetop as a nice spicy potpourri!
The recipes for using these spices may vary somewhat, but in general, they include allspice, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and various dried fruit peels. So whether your craving a warming hot toddy, or dreaming of sweet and spicy apple cider, ’tis the season!
Mulling Spice Packet Mix
Nutmeg, ginger, star anise, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, whole cloves, lemon peel, allspice, orange peel, cinnamon chips, vanilla beans.
Ingredients
4 organic whole nutmeg
½ cup organic cardamom pods
½ cup organic cinnamon chips (sweet)
¼ cup organic orange peel
¼ cup organic lemon peel
¼ cup organic ginger root
¼ cup organic whole cloves
¼ cup organic allspice berries
2 organic vanilla beans
organic star anise, whole pods (optional)
organic cinnamon sticks (sweet)
Directions
Put nutmeg and cardamom pods in a thick plastic or cloth bag and whack with a mallet or heavy rolling pin to break into pieces. You can also do this in a food processor or spice grinder, but don’t grind too fine. Put nutmeg and cardamom pieces in a bowl and add the cinnamon chips, ginger root, orange and lemon peel, allspice berries, and cloves. Scrape the inside of vanilla beans and add to this spice mixture (you can save the vanilla pods for homemade vanilla extract or to infuse sugar or honey.)
This makes about 2 ½ cups–enough mulling spices for several recipes. You can put about ¼ cup in a cotton drawstring bag or wrap in cheesecloth and tie well. Toss in 1-2 star anise pods per bag, if you’d like. Suspend the cinched or tied bag in the wine, cider or punch. You may also toss in a couple of whole cinnamon sticks too for flavor.