So far, we have shared our apple chutney and apple snow recipes. Our third recipe is this delicious spiced apple juice, a family friendly version of hippocras. Hippocras is a spiced wine sweetened with sugar or honey, thought to be named after the Greek physician Hippocrates.
Wine, sugar and spices were all luxury items in the Tudor period because they had to be imported, so hippocras would only be served on special occasions in wealthier households.
The spices and honey in our non-alcoholic version give the drink a lovely aromatic flavour, perfect to enjoy on a cold winter’s evening.
Ingredients:
1
litre apple juice (sharp or dry apple juice works well)
1-2 tbsps
runny honey
½ a
cinnamon stick
½ tsp ground
ginger
½ tsp
freshly grated nutmeg
Squeeze
of lemon juice (optional)
Method:
Pour the apple juice into a saucepan. Break the cinnamon into pieces and add to the pan along with the honey, ginger and nutmeg. Warm the juice over a low heat to let the spices infuse and the honey melt. Add lemon juice if it tastes too sweet. Serve warm with gingered bread or pieces of cake.