homemade fire cider
Do yourself a favor and make this soon, so that you’re armed for this fall and winter. You’ll want to let it sit and soak for about a month, so if you start now, you’ll be ready once cold season gets here. Fire cider is a folk remedy for colds and allergies. Fire cider has powerful immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, decongestant, and spicy circulatory benefits, so it’s chalk-full of all sorts of goodness. We made a big batch last winter. We take a tablespoon in a large glass of water during the cold and flu season as a preventive measure, and then, if we get sick, we take it 2-3 times a day. Lately, we’ve been including it in a few cocktails, but don’t tell!
I used Rosemary Gladstone’s formula to make mine, so be sure to check out her helpful video.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh grated organic ginger root
- 1/2 cup fresh grated organic horseradish (fresh is best, but I used prepared horseradish because I couldn't find fresh anywhere)
- 1 medium organic onion, diced
- 10 cloves of organic garlic, crushed or chopped
- 2 organic jalapeno peppers, chopped
- Zest and juice from 1 organic lemon
- Several sprigs of fresh organic rosemary
- Several sprigs of organic oregano
- 1 tbsp organic turmeric powder
- Organic apple cider vinegar
- Raw local honey to taste
Instructions
- Prepare all of the ingredients up until the vinegar. Put them all in a large quart jar. Use a piece of parchment paper under the lid to keep the vinegar mixture from touching the medal (if you're using a metal lid).
- Shake well. Store in a dark, cool spot for one month and shake every once in awhile. I set an alert on my calendar on my phone, so that I don't forget about it.
- After one month, strain out the pulp, pouring the vinegar into a clean jar. Squeeze out as much of the liquid from the pulp as you can. I typically let it sit in the strainer for an hour or so to let gravity get as much liquid out as possible.
- Add 1/4 cup of raw honey to the liquid mixture and shake thoroughly. Taste, and add additional honey until it is to your desired sweetness.
- Fire cider should last around eighteen months, but ours never makes it that long. We don't refrigerate ours because we live dangerously, but feel free to do so.
Notes
Part of the fun of fire cider is coming up with your own recipe, so be sure to experiment based on what you have on hand.
Adapted from Mountain Rose and Rosemary Gladstone.
