When my BFF dropped off six perfect little empty bottles, I was inspired to utilize them as carriers for this season’s remedy gift for friends, neighbors and clients. Since I had always wanted to try Fire Cider and had a month to go before the end of the year, I decided to make my first batch. I can now report from my own and recipients’ reviews – this is good stuff.
Whether you take a swig straight from the bottle or put a teaspoon in hot water or cocktails, or add it to salad dressing, you will instantly register the delicious potency of this fine folk remedy. It’s a perfect daily tonic for cold/flu season as it warms your insides up like an immune whisky. It has all the requisite flavors (spicy, pungent, bitter, sour and sweet) for kicking pathogens like cold and dampness out of your body and stimulating blood circulation.
I followed the recipe below from Mountain Rose Blog and also added astragulus root. I did keep my batch in a dark cabinet, but, full disclosure, I did not shake it every day. I only shook it once. This kind of recipe is infinitely adjustable to tastes and variations based on whatever you have in your pantry. The apple cider acts as a perservative so it does not have to be refrigerated. After I strained out my first batch, I added more cider vinegar over my shredded roots and herbs so I could extract even more of their medicinal properties.
With a dose of Fire Cider every day, I feel well armed this winter for keeping colds at bay.
Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh grated organic ginger root
1/2 cup fresh grated organic horseradish root
1 medium organic onion, chopped
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 or 2 tbsp of dried rosemary leaves
1 tbsp organic turmeric powder
1/4 tsp organic cayenne powder
organic apple cider vinegar
raw local honey to taste
Directions
Prepare all of your roots, fruits, and herbs and place them in a quart sized jar. If you’ve never grated fresh horseradish, be prepared for a powerful sinus opening experience! Use a piece of natural parchment paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching the metal, or a plastic lid if you have one. Shake well! Store in a dark, cool place for one month and remember to shake daily.
After one month, use cheesecloth to strain out the pulp, pouring the vinegar into a clean jar. Be sure to squeeze as much of the liquid goodness as you can from the pulp while straining. Next, comes the honey! Add 1/4 cup of honey and stir until incorporated. Taste your cider and add another 1/4 cup until you reach the desired sweetness.
Ingredient Variations
These herbs and spices would make a wonderful addition to your Fire Cider creations:
Thyme
Rosehips
Star Anise
Schisandra Berries
Astragalus
Parsley
Burdock
Oregano
Peppercorns
Beet Root Powder
Habanero Powder
Bird’s Eye Chili Powder
Whole Chili Peppers
Fresh orange, grapefruit, lime juice and peels