Ahh. The warm scent of cloves, allspice and cinnamon. Cooking with these spices fills up a room with a lovely, comforting aroma that always reminds me of the holidays. There's no better time to brew up some hot mulled cider!
To make mulled cider or mulled wine, you can use any blend of spices you like, but typically, mulling spices include cloves, allspice, cinnamon and orange peel. Frieda's has a 3-ounce bag of mulling spices ready to go. It contains whole dried allspice berries, big chunks of cassia cinnamon, whole cloves and pieces of dried orange peel.
The ratio of spice to juice is about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of spice to a half-gallon of juice. I used Litehouse Gala Apple Cider.
I didn't have cheesecloth handy to make a spice sachet, so I just put the loose spices right into the pot with the juice.
I heated the cider in my slow cooker for 2 hours on low. The house smelled fabulous!
I just strained the juice to serve. I also strained the remaining cider and refrigerated it for later enjoyment.
Yum! If I had cinnamon sticks handy, they would have been perfect in these glasses with a wedge of orange or lemon. The perfect warming winter drink! (If you are feeling more naughty than nice, you can always add a splash of brandy to your mulled cider for a little extra warmth...)
Coconuts are getting pretty trendy these days, especially the fresh juice or “coconut water” stored inside the shells of these tropical delicacies. Now, you don’t have to be in a tropical location to enjoy the water out of a fresh coconut: Frieda’s Specialty Produce distributes fresh, whole Young Coconuts to supermarkets around the country.
Not to be confused with coconut milk, coconut water is the clear, sweet, crisp and refreshing liquid known for its amazing hydrating abilities. Coconut water is naturally fat-free and contains an excellent balance of potassium and salt that can replenish your electrolytes during a sweltering day or strenuous work-out. Several brands now manufacture coconut water as a health and sports beverage, but fresh is always best.
Young Coconuts are harvested immature while the skin is still green. For shipping, the green outer skin is pared away to a white cylindrical husk with a pointy, pencil-like tip. Inside the thick, white husk is the familiar round coconut with its hard, fibrous shell. Inside the shell is a cavity filled with sweet, refreshing water and a thin layer of soft, jelly-like flesh.
To open a Young Coconut, you will need a strong, large knife -- maybe a meat cleaver. Make 4 deep, straight cuts around the pointed top (about 2 inches from the point) in a square shape. Then pry off the tip. Click here to see an example of what it looks like.
Once you’ve enjoyed your fill of fresh coconut water, scoop out the soft flesh that clings to the inside of the shell. Enjoy this sweet, creamy, rich meat out of hand, or use it in a variety of ways: dice it into fruit salads, blend into shakes and smoothies, or use to make your own coconut milk from scratch. Many like to blend the water and flesh together into a refreshing beverage. Here's our Pineapple Coconut Smoothie recipe.
Choose heavy coconuts with no cracks, mold or soft wet spots. If you give the Young Coconut a shake, it should be full of liquid with no air inside, so it shouldn’t slosh too much. Keep refrigerated, wrapped in plastic to retain moisture, and use within five days.
Nothing takes you on a tropical escape like drinking the delicious, refreshing water out of a fresh Young Coconut!
What’s a Hatch Chile? These long green chiles are exclusively grown in the Mesilla Valley near Hatch, New Mexico. Their robust, spicy flavor makes them a beloved pepper for chile fans, who go nuts for the zesty aroma as they are roasted over an open flame. Because of the Hatch Chile’s limited season -- late summer/early fall – pepper aficionados all over the country flock to New Mexico’s famous Hatch Chile Festival each year over Labor Day weekend. Luckily, Los Angeles and Orange County residents can get their Hatch Chile fix at a local Ralphs supermarket.
This month, Frieda’s Specialty Produce, Orange County-based distributor of exotic fruits and gourmet vegetables, is supplying select Ralphs Grocery stores with loads of the authentic extra hot Hatch variety. And for three Saturdays in August, Ralphs is holding live Hatch Chile roasting events at 6 stores in Orange and Los Angeles Counties.
Buy a 10 lb. or 30 lb. sack of fresh Hatch Chiles at Ralphs and have them tumble roasted outside the store in a flash. Then head to your kitchen to get Hatch happy with salsas, chile rellenos, enchiladas, chili and more. You can also freeze the roasted chiles to extend your Hatch happiness throughout the winter.
Ralphs Hatch Roasting Event Schedule:
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (or until supplies run out!)
Saturday, Aug. 13
Ralphs - Costa Mesa, 380 E. 17th St. (949) 645-8283
Ralphs - La Canada, 521 W. Foothill Blvd. (818) 790-0584
Saturday, Aug. 20
Ralphs - Los Angeles, 11727 Olympic Blvd., (310) 473-5238
Ralphs - Huntington Beach, 5241 Warner Ave. (714) 377-0024
• 10 lb. boxes and 30 lb. sacks available (roasting included)
• Extra Hot Hatch Green Chile variety
• Meet the Frieda’s Street Team at the events for more info and coupons!
Visit www.friedas.com/Hatch for at-home chile roasting and handling tips, recipes and more.
Here's a quick video to see how the Hatch Chiles are roasted:
I’m sorry it’s 85 degrees today
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Yesterday morning I made a phone call to a client in Pennsylvania. As part
of the conversation, I asked about the weather. "Cool and raining" was his
answe...
Founded in 1962 by Frieda Caplan, Frieda's, Inc. was the first wholesale produce company in the U.S. to be founded, owned and operated by a woman. Once a small produce stand at the Los Angeles Produce Market, Frieda's has emerged as the nation's premier marketer and distributor of specialty produce and now offers more than 600 specialty items to grocery stores and foodservice distributors throughout the U.S. and Canada
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