Delicious Wassail Recipe Made in Slow Cooker (2024)

FAQs

What is wassail vs cider? ›

Wassail is like the tastier sister to Apple Cider. Traditional wassail was made with hard liquor, apples, brandy, and other spices. This recipe is made with cloves, apples, cinnamon, lemon, orange, ginger, and nutmeg and is a nonalcoholic wassail recipe.

If you take an extra 10 minutes to sauté the aromatics before scraping them into the slow-cooker, the finished dish will have deeper flavor and better texture. (And some new slow-cookers allow you to sauté right in the insert, so you don't have to wash a separate skillet.)

There are very few differences between mulled cider and Wassail Punch. Both contain spices and some juice. One of the main differences is that mulled wine is often made with whole oranges. However, Wassail is traditionally made with apple juice.

Wassail is traditionally known as a holiday drink made with hard liquor, apples, brandy, and other spices. Think of it like a fancier hot apple cider.

Because wassail is made with fruit juices and spices such as cinnamon and ginger, it can be soothing for a cold, and may even be helpful in easing congestion.

The tradition of wassailing (alt sp wasselling) falls into two distinct categories: the house-visiting wassail and the orchard-visiting wassail.

Spice up your life

Dry, fragrant spices like cumin and coriander seeds need to be fried in oil and added at the beginning of the recipe as they take time to impart their essence. Hot chilli-based flavourings should be added to taste at the end, as the fire can multiply the over the long cooking time.

Tender vegetables

Vegetables such as peas, asparagus and peppers can become a flavorless, mushy mess in a slow cooker. Stick to heartier root vegetables like potatoes, onions, leeks and yams, or wait to add the tender vegetables until the last 30 minutes or so of cooking time.

The word 'Wassail' comes from the Anglo Saxon toast 'waes hael' – meaning 'be well' or 'be in good health'. This ceremony promotes the health of the trees and encourages a bountiful harvest, traditionally taking place around the old Twelfth Night (January 17).

Why is wassail called wassail? ›

The text of the carol employs noun and verb forms of “wassail,” a word derived from the Old Norse ves heil and the Old English was hál and meaning “be in good health” or “be fortunate.” The phrase found first use as a simple greeting, but the Danish-speaking inhabitants of England seem to have turned was hail, and the ...

By wassailing their crops in the winter, it was said to ensure a healthy crop in the spring. As Christianity began to spread, this ritual evolved further into singing and drinking to the health of next season's crops on Twelfth Night; the last night of the traditional Christmas season.

Wassail (/ˈwɒsəl/, /-eɪl/ WOSS-əl, -⁠ayl, most likely from Old Norse "ves heill") is a beverage made from hot mulled cider, ale, or wine and spices, drunk traditionally as an integral part of wassailing, an ancient English Yuletide drinking ritual and salutation either involved in door-to-door charity-giving or used to ...

Wassailing Apple Trees

In parts of England (such as Somerset and Sussex) where apples are grown, especially for cider, Wassailing still takes place on Twelfth Night (or sometimes New Year's Eve or even Christmas Eve).

You can serve it chilled, over ice with bourbon; or warmed, in a big mug, with a cinnamon stick garnish. It's also a merry mulling mixer with red wine, simmered on the stovetop and served steaming...

Wassailing is an age-old West Country tradition to awaken the apple trees and scare evil spirits away to bring on a plentiful harvest. It's still widely popular in the cider-producing counties of the West Country, including Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset and Herefordshire.

But it wasn't just the spelling that altered to, it was the meaning, for waes hail as a salutation was now being applied as a drinking formula – something you say before having a swig of an alcoholic beverage. Modern equivalents would be cheers!

Although the term "cider" is used for the fermented alcoholic drink in much of the world, it often refers to fresh "apple cider" in North America; hard cider is used there instead when referring to the alcoholic drink.