Cider dresses the kitchen for fall

Capture the seasonal spices in a variety of ways,

Summer’s bounty of fruits and vegetables is so wide and plentiful that it’s easy to forget how to cook. A fresh-picked tomato and an ear of corn hardly need more than a little salt and pepper to taste divine.

But as autumn sets in, we begin to dress our food for the coming colder months. Cold-storage squash, onions and sweet potatoes don myriad spices. We throw a mantle of ciders, syrups and glazes over heavier fruits such as apples, quince and pears. Fall’s gastronomic wardrobe lets us get back to mixing and matching the creativity we didn’t know we were craving in the kitchen.

Apples are the quintessential fall fruit – the culinary equivalent of that perfect pair of ankle boots that go with, well, everything.

But what of apple cider? Sure, everyone drinks it – it’s delicious and refreshing. Unlike apple juice, cider hasn’t been heated to flash pasteurization to make it shelf stable. It’s also not strained, so you’ll usually find sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

It’s just mashed, pressed apples. So how about cooking with it?

Cider is a great way to add nuanced apple flavor to just about anything. Use it in baking to boost apple flavor, in glazes and vinaigrettes for winter vegetables, meats and salads. Drizzle a cider reduction over ice creams and desserts to add a layer of warmth. Consider it the feather in the cap of your fall and winter pantry.