Fire Cider 🔥

Fire Cider is a popular immune-boosting tonic brought to the mainstream by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar in the late 1970's. Rosemary describes this as “everybody's recipe”.  In a time when herbs can seem expensive and not accessible to everyone, we love that this recipe is made up of ingredients you can easily find at a local grocery store or in your own kitchen.

Not only does fire cider enhance your own body’s natural defenses but it is also antibacterial and antiviral, making this infusion the perfect edition to your routine for colder months. We suggest doubling your batch and gifting one to a friend!

The original recipe has been adapted over the years, but the basics always remain: horseradish, garlic, ginger, onions and cayenne pepper steeped in apple-cider vinegar (ACV) for roughly four weeks; then finished with raw honey. Fire cider should taste hot, spicy and sweet. We suggest experimenting with a combination that speaks to you! 

Benefits ~ 

• ACV: digestive aid, promotes alkalinity, kills bacteria, helps heart health & lowers blood pressure. 
• Horseradish: relieves congestion, excellent source of vitamin C, aids in better sleep. 
• Ginger: anti-inflammatory, helps fight respiratory infections and soothe nausea. 
• Garlic: antimicrobial, antibacterial properties and helps lower cholesterol.
• Onion:  antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and helps lower blood sugar levels. 
• Citrus: vitamin C, helps maintain pH balance, rich in potassium & magnesium.
• Cayenne: heart herb, great for moving blood through the body. 
• Turmeric: anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. 
• Honey: antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and overall good bacterial support for your digestive system. 
• Peppers: source of vitamin C and B6, contains the primary compound capsaicin which stimulates blood flow and congestion relief.
• Cinnamon: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, can help with inhibiting the growth of certain bacteria such as listeria and salmonella. 
• Rosemary: helps digestion, anti-inflammatory, mood booster & helps in fighting bacterial infections. 
• Thyme: antimicrobial, mood booster, helps in preventing food poisoning and natural remedy for respiratory infections like bronchitis. 

Ingredients ~

• 1-2 inch knob chopped ginger root
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped horseradish root
• 1 inch knob chopped fresh turmeric or 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 5-8 cloves of garlic crushed
• 1-2 lemons *use whole lemons
• 1 orange *use whole orange
• 1  jalapeño pepper cut in half  * or any other pepper you prefer
• 1 habanero pepper cut in half *optional, add more for extra spice
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1-2 tablespoons dried
• bundle of fresh thyme or 1-2 tablespoons dried
• cinnamon sticks *optional
• organic apple cider vinegar (ACV)
• raw honey 

Place everything except vinegar and raw honey in a large jar. Cover completely with apple cider vinegar. Leave enough room at the top in order to gently shake. Using a wood spoon, press everything down. Place lid on jar and tightly seal. If you are using a metal lid, place a piece of parchment or wax paper between the lid and jar. Use a towel to cover jar and a rubber band in order to avoid any leaks. Then gently shake the jar multiple times. Store in a dark, cool place for one month and shake daily.

After roughly one month, use fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain the liquid.  The citrus will hold a lot of liquid so make sure to squeeze everything (even with your hands) in order to get out all the goodness out of the pulp. Transfer the liquid to a clean jar. Add at least ¼ cup of honey and stir until incorporated. Sample your tonic and add more honey until it tastes right for you! Store it in the fridge. 

How To Take It ~

For prevention of cold and flu take 1 tablespoon a day. Increase your intake at the first sign of a cold. It’s also a great addition to salad dressing or drizzled on rice, veggies and poultry. ☺