In an effort to share more of the herbal recipes I make, AND because I’ve had multiple requests to share this one in particular, I present to you both the background and the recipe for this tasty immunity booster!
Background
Fire Cider is a popular immune-boosting tonic brought to us by the wonderful herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar in the late 1970’s. Rosemary describes this as “everybody’s recipe,” and if interested, you can read more about the recent trademark lawsuit involving fire cider here. Suffice it to say that fire cider is for EVERYONE, and I love that this recipe is made of easily available ingredients found in local grocery stories, and that might even be in your kitchen right now!
Not only does fire cider enhance your body’s immunity, but it is also antibacterial and antiviral, making this tonic the perfect addition to your healthy lifestyle for colder months. (And to be honest, ever since we’ve been facing the many challenges that COVID-19 has brought upon us, I’ve been making regular batches of this amazing stuff throughout the whole year!).
However you might choose to modify the recipe, the must-haves for a hot, sweet, and spicy fire cider include: horseradish, garlic, onions, ginger, spicy peppers, and citrus. These are then steeped in apple cider vinegar (ACV) for roughly four weeks; then sweetened with raw honey. I love experimenting with this basic base, and always suggest having fun playing around with your ingredients until you get the flavor you prefer.
Cheers to your health!
Basic Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup horseradish root, grated
- 1/2 cup ginger, minced or grated
- 10-12 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- 1 large red or sweet onion, diced
- 2-3 jalapeños, chopped
- 1-2 whole organic lemons, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp organic turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp organic cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp dried rosemary
- Approximately 8-16 fl. oz. organic apple cider vinegar (enough to completely cover ingredients in mason jar)
- Approximately 1-2 cups organic and raw honey (sweeten to taste)
- Mason jar (I adjust my recipe according to the size mason jar I have available and how much fire cider I want to make!)
- Parchment paper
- *additions to consider: other citrus fruit such as mandarins, other herbs such as sage or thyme or echinacea, subbing ginger powder for ginger root, subbing horseradish root powder for horseradish root, subbing turmeric root for turmeric powder, cinnamon sticks, whole peppercorns…the sky is the limit!
Instructions
- Chop everything and place in mason jar
- Cover with apple cider vinegar to the top of jar
- Cover with a piece of parchment paper and tightly screw the lid on top
- Label with the date and store in a cool, dark place. Shake daily.
- After approximately 4 weeks, strain your fire cider (compost your veggies or consider a chutney!).
- Warm approximately a cup of organic raw honey, and pour into your strained fire cider (you can add more honey if desired – honey is medicinal in its own right, so don’t be afraid to add more!)
- Store in the fridge and drink about 1-2 Tbsp daily for your health!
References
tinc botanica 