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looking into the top of a glass of wassail topped with orange, cranberry, and more.
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5 from 2 votes

My Favorite Wassail of all time!

Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10
Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 6 cups water
  • 6 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate HALF of a (12-fluid-ounce) container
  • 6 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate HALF of a (12-fluid-ounce) container
  • 4 cups apple cider
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves about 10 whole cloves, or halve this to 5 cloves if you don't like it spicy
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole allspice berries about 10 berries
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg grated with a microplane (or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom or up to 1/2 teaspoon
  • 4 whole cinnamon sticks
  • 1 (1-inch piece) candied ginger*
  • 1 large apple cut into slices (don't remove skin)
  • 1 large orange cut into rounds (don't remove skin)
  • fresh cranberries to garnish
  • star anise to garnish

Instructions

  • Add 6 cups of water to a 6-quart pot. Add 6 tablespoons white sugar and 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar. Set the pot over high heat. Let the sugar dissolve in the heat. Once it's mostly dissolved, you can start adding the other ingredients, even if it hasn't boiled.
  • Open both cans of frozen orange juice and lemonade concentrate. Add about half of each can to the pot. (Save the other halves of the concentrate together in a ziplock and store in the freezer, for the next time you make this! See notes about doubling the recipe))
  • Add in all remaining ingredients: 4 cups apple cider, 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves, 1/4 teaspoon allspice berries, 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 4 whole cinnamon sticks, 1 (1-inch) piece of candied ginger.
  • Cut the apple into slices, leaving the peels on. Wash the orange thoroughly, and cut it into rounds, peel on. Add the apple and orange to the pot and stir thoroughly.
  • Put the lid on. The burner should still be set to high heat. Let the mixture come to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to medium-low, to maintain a gentle bubble. Vent the lid so steam can escape.
  • Heat over medium-low for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, or up to 2-3 hours, if you like. The longer you heat it, the "spicier" the wassail will taste.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove the apples, oranges, and all spices. You can pour the wassail through a mesh strainer or colander, if you are really committed to having no whole spices in your drink (or if you are worried about it getting too spicy.)
  • Serve the Wassail in mugs, garnished with fresh cranberries, fresh oranges or apples, fresh rosemary, etc. I like to serve a cooked apple or orange slice in each mug, they are SO incredibly tasty! See note for more ideas.

Slow Cooker Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients to a slow cooker and stir well. Heat on HIGH for 1-2 hours, or LOW for 3-4 hours. Stir the pot every hour or so. The longer you heat it, the more concentrated the flavors and the more spicy it will be.
  • You can leave this in the crockpot for many hours, but be aware that the apples and oranges will start to disintegrate if left in too long (ask me how I know, I made this overnight one time.) It still tastes great but you miss out on the tasty apples.
  • Storage: Store leftover wassail in a pitcher, or in quart mason jars. Remove the spices before storing, unless you want if to keep getting more an more spicy. Reheat in a mug in the microwave, or pour it back into a pot and heat on the stove (or in a crock pot).

Notes

Doubling info: This recipe is really easy to double! Then you don't have to split the cans of lemon and orange concentrate. A doubled batch will NOT fit in a 6 quart pot or slow cooker.
I have a hack though: I often double this recipe and put it in my 6 quart crock pot with ONE change: Use 8 cups of water instead of 12. This will fill it TO THE BRIM. Then, when you are serving, add a bit of water straight into the mugs for the first few servings, then once there is room in the pot, add the remaining 2-4 cups of water to taste, and stir. 
Doubled ingredients:
  • 12 cups water (OR 8 cups if you want this to fit in a 6-quart pot; add 2-4 cups water at the end, see above note)
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 8 cups apple cider
  • 12 fluid ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 12 fluid ounces frozen lemonade concentrate
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries
  • 1/4  or 1/2 teaspoon fresh nutmeg 
  • 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 6-8 whole cinnamon sticks
  • 2 (1-inch) pieces of candied ginger
  • 2 apples, sliced
  • 2 oranges, cut in rounds
*Candied ginger: Candied ginger comes in all sizes and strengths! Buy what you can find, and adjust accordingly. When testing, Laura used several small pieces as that's what she had available. The candied ginger I bought was large and potent, so I only added a few pieces. Just do the best you can based on the size of the candied ginger and how much you love the ginger flavor. You can always add more, but you can't take away!!!
Spices: Add in spices based on your preference. I like a spicy wassail, and the recipe reflects that. If you like it minimally spiced (or plan to feed a bunch of kids) then use half of all the spice called for.
You can also control the "spiciness" by how long you warm them in the liquids, so test regularly and scoop out the allspice, cloves, and cinnamon sticks when it tastes good to you. The flavor will also intensify after cooling and reheating.
Apples: When you pull out the apples after simmering, they will be fully cooked and perfectly spiced! They are great for snacking on. Laura stuck hers in the blender and made a delicious spiced applesauce. WUT! genius
VARIATIONS:
Cranberry version: Omit the lemon and orange concentrates. Add 16 ounces of unsweetened cranberry juice for a single batch. (add 32 ounces for a double batch). This is a very Christmas-y version that I love!
Pineapple version: Omit the lemon and orange concentrates. Add HALF of a (46-ounce) can pure pineapple juice. (use the whole can if you are doubling the recipe). This of course feels a little more tropical and is much more sweet!