Glitnwein is a delicious drink, perfect for drinking in a good company who has gathered to have fun on a long winter evening. It has a rich, pronounced taste and is prepared from wine, slices of fruits and spices. Most modern housewives use all kinds of appliances to facilitate kitchen work, so many of them know how to cook mulled wine in a slow cooker.
History of the drink
The prototype of this invigorating drink appeared in ancient times. Even the ancient Romans drank wine with the addition of spices, however, medieval European monks began to warm it. In a cookbook written by Mark Gavius in the 1st century A.D. e., found a detailed description of the drink, brewed with the addition of bay leaf, dates, resin, saffron, pepper and honey. Only very wealthy people could afford this drink, since spices in those days were worth its weight in gold. It is also known that medieval monks cooked mulled wine based on burgundy or claret, flavored with galangal grass.
To date, there are a huge number of recipes for making this wonderful hot drink. Mulled wine is especially tasty in a slow cooker, the preparation of which will not take so much time. Our contemporaries add nutmeg, honey, coffee, cardamom, rum and even cognac to it. However, classic mulled wine is prepared on the basis of dry red or semi-dry wine, seasoned with allspice, vanilla, anise, cinnamon, cloves and sugar.
What is this drink good for?
Before you start preparing mulled wine in a slow cooker, the recipe of which is familiar to most people, you should understand how useful this drink is. Thanks to its unique composition, it helps to effectively deal with colds. In this case, a drink prepared with the addition of lemon or orange zest will be especially useful. Vitamin C contained in it is considered the strongest natural antioxidant that enhances immunity and activates the protective mechanisms of the human body. In addition, warm wine is one of the best remedies for hypothermia. Such a drink contains a large amount of amino acids, calcium, phosphorus and other vital trace elements, the effect of which is enhanced by spices added to it. A moderate amount of heated wine with spices saves you from insomnia, headaches, depression, acquired and chronic fatigue.
Mulled wine in a slow cooker: recipe
Many of us consume this invigorating fragrant drink from late autumn to early spring. To prepare incredibly tasty and healthy mulled wine in a slow cooker, you need to take two liters of semisweet or dry red wine, 3-5 tablespoons of honey, a prepared mixture of spices (pomegranate skin, allspice, cloves, ginger and cinnamon), half a lemon, one orange and one apple. The desired set of condiments is sold in any store.
Cooking technology
Even those who don’t know how to cook mulled wine in a slow cooker can easily cope with this simple task. So that later you do not have to filter the already prepared drink, the spices are pre-sewn into gauze or bandage. Wine is poured into the bowl of the device, seasonings, honey, orange cut into large rings and lemon slices are sent there. To cook mulled wine in a slow cooker, you must turn it on in the quenching mode. Cooking time depends on the type of appliance and the timer set in it, but in any case it should not exceed 60 minutes. A slight difference in cooking time will not affect the taste of the drink.
Unlike the standard method of cooking in a water bath or over an open fire, during cooking in a slow cooker there is no need for constant monitoring of the water level in a saucepan and for regular stirring of the drink. Clearly fixed temperature of the device does not allow wine to boil and cool. A quarter of an hour before the completion of the process, you can add sliced apple to the wine. To maintain the temperature of the finished drink and avoid evaporation of alcohol, it is advisable to leave the crock-pot in the heating mode. In this case, at any time it will be possible to please yourself and your family with a glass of fragrant hot mulled wine.