For A Fall-Inspired Beef Stew, Swap Broth For A Fruity Ingredient

During those dreary, cold winter days, there's nothing better to have warming on your stove or in the slow cooker on your countertop than a pot of steaming and hearty beef stew. Combining hunks of braised beef, potatoes, and carrots; flavored with onions, bay leaves, a variety of herbs, and a touch of Worcestershire sauce; and cooked in a broth and a bit of red wine, it is the perfect cold-weather comfort food. What if you can't wait until winter and want to give it a little fall flair? Try substituting the broth with autumn's favorite beverage, apple cider, and you'll almost be able to imagine golden leaves crunching under your feet.

Home cooks have often experimented with the braising liquids in their beef stews. Adding the vegetable juice V8, for example, adds a tomato-y, herbaceous flavor. Either a can of Guinness beer or a cup of coffee will add a rich, deep, meatier flavor to stews. But adding apple cider will give you a unique combination of sweetness and tartness. The acid in the cider will also tenderize the meat.

Keep in mind that apple cider is widely available only during the fall months. Its limited availability is one of the important differences between apple cider and apple juice. Apple cider is made by crushing apples as they are harvested. It is then bottled unfiltered, retaining some of the pulp and more vitamins and minerals, unlike apple juice. Although commercially available apple cider is pasteurized, true farmstand apple cider is not, so it doesn't keep for long periods of time. Apple juice is filtered and pasteurized and contains other additives that help extend its shelf life. Apple cider is also different from hard cider, which is fermented with yeast to turn the sugars into alcohol.

If you're making beef stew with apple cider, consider making some other adjustments to your favorite recipe. You may want to switch out some of the usual woodier herbs, like rosemary and tarragon, for warming spices that go well with apples like cinnamon and nutmeg. To give it even more apple flavor, you can cut up some apples and toss them in toward the end of the cooking time. Another fruity option is adding whole cranberries.

Keep in mind when you're experimenting that there are a lot of mistakes you want to avoid when making beef stew. Adding apple cider isn't one of them.