Fire Cider. A popular herbal folk remedy used to warm the body, boost the immune system, stoke the digestive fire, and improve circulation. The perfect winter remedy to sit on your counter during the cold, dark months ahead.
I first heard of fire cider while reading an e-book put out by the Mountain Rose Herbs community. At first glance, I could tell it was something I definitely wanted to try making for myself. Learning different herbal recipes has opened up a portal that makes me feel so connected to this visceral, feminine, and integral part of my humanity. It is essential that we as a community continue to learn and pass on the wisdom of plant medicine.
Fire cider first originated from the celebrated American herbalist Rosemary Gladstar in her book Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. It is a vinegar infusion who's core ingredients include apple cider vinegar, onion, garlic, hot peppers, ginger, horse radish, raw honey, and lemon. However I, and many others, would encourage you to take liberties with the recipe, adding a variety of herbs both for their medicinal properties, and your personal taste. The recipe takes one month to mature, so if you are inspired by this post, I recommend you get started on yours ASAP! If you are currently under the weather and want to start that immune boosting right away however, there are premade recipes you can by from herbal companies online. (But that's not as fun, is it?)
Why is fire cider such an immune boosting, cold fighting power house? Most of the ingredients are full of ant-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains flavors that naturally warm the body, boosting circulation and digestion, while also clearing the respiratory tract and battling congestion. Here is a list of ingredients I used in my fire cider:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Onion
Garlic
Jalapeno
Ginger
Horse Radish
Turmeric
Rosemary
Cayenne
Lemon
Raw Honey
Let's take a look at some of these rock star ingredients in more detail:
Apple Cider Vinegar:
regulates blood sugar, boosts immunity, and contains disease fighting polyphenols
Onion:
boosts immunity, heart health, and is a good source of vitamin c
Garlic:
promotes detoxification, heart health, improvs immunity, and blood pressure
Jalapeño Pepper:
anit-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, boosts metabolism, immunity, and a good source of vitamin c
Ginger:
increases circulation, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, lowers congestion, relieves nausea and bloating
Horse Radish:
increases metabolism, circulation, relieves sinuses & congestion, prevents colds, a good source of vitamins A & C
Turmeric:
anti-inflammatory, boosts immune system, liver health, increases bile production, digestion, and decreases joint pain
Rosemary:
improves circulation, relieves headaches, reduces fatigue, calms the nervous system, and is energizing and stimulating
Cayenne:
anti-bacterial, fights colds & flus, relieves pain, congestion, and brain fog
Lemon:
aids in digestion and detoxification, alkalizes the body, good source of vitamin C
Raw Honey:
boosts immunity, fights allergies, heals wounds, reduces coughs and sore throats
Wow! That is A LOT of benefits for something that does not come in a pill bottle.
How do we use fire cider? Fire cider can be taken each day to maintain a healthy immune system and warm the body during the colder months. If you feel a cold coming on, take it multiple times a day. It can be added to hot water to make a tea, mixed into salad dressings, drizzled onto foods, or just eaten by the spoonful.
Now that we know the why behind it, let's explore how to make it. I used a recipe from the mountain rose herbs blog as my base, but as I said earlier, each recipe is different and it is up to you which herbs you would like to include or omit, and how much you chose to add in.
FIRE CIDER RECIPE:
2-3 cups apple cider vinegar
1 small white onion, chopped
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1/2 cup grated ginger root
1/2 grated horse radish root
1 tbs turmeric powder
2 tbs rosemary
1/4 tsp cayenne
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup raw honey
1. Add all ingredients except honey and vinegar to a quart size mason jar. Use the back of a spoon to pack the ingredients in tightly.
2. Fill the jar to the top with apple cider vinegar until it is full. Place a piece of parchment paper over the jar before sealing it to prevent rust, or use a plastic lid if you have one.
3. Shake the jar everyday for one month. Then, strain the cider into a smaller jar using a cheese cloth. Squeeze out the excess cider from the produce, then discard the pulp.
4. Add 1/4 cup honey to the cider and stir. Add more for a sweeter flavor.
5. Keep in a sealed container on the counter or in the fridge. Take everyday as desired.
There you have it. You are now prepared to take on cold and flu season! I hope you find this recipe helpful; I know your immune system will definitely thank you for it.
To your health,
The Homemade Sage