What is Fire Cider?
Fire cider is a health tonic and old folk remedy that is amazing!! Why so great, let me count the ways, let’s start: powerful at boosting your immune system, aids in gut health, reduces inflammation, boosts metabolism, just to list a few. Making this at home is also much more affordable then purchasing from most shops and allows you to play a bit with your own ingredients.
The winter is the perfect time of year to really ramp up our cells to help when we get a little run down and keep us moving and grooving in these winter months. Peep the recipe below to make your own, or shoot me a note, happy to make custom orders for y’all.
Homemade Fire Cider recipe (adapted from Foodie with Family):
1 large horseradish root
1 large ginger root
1 onion
1 orange
1 lemon
16 cloves of garlic peeled
2-4 habanero peppers
1 tablespoon grated turmeric
raw apple cider vinegar
raw honey
thyme, rosemary, any other herb you’d like to add
peppercorns
Grate the horseradish, ginger, and turmeric roots. Roughly chop the onions, orange, lemon, garlic, and hot peppers. Stuff them into a half-gallon glass jar with a tight fitting lid or divide evenly between two quart sized canning jars. Add in any other spices or herbs you’d like along with your peppercorns. Raw honey is a nice addition to balance the heat, but we like to add that after it’s sat for a few weeks. Pour the raw apple cider vinegar (we like Braggs best) in over the contents, allowing it to settle in through the crevices and adding more so that the contents are submerged. Cover top of jar with wax paper, parchment paper, to shield ingredients from the metal lid (similar to when you make kombucha or kraut) then screw the lid on tightly. Alternatively you could use one of the PBA plastic lids too! Let the mixture sit in a dark, cool place, allowing it to marry and infuse for 4 - 6 weeks, shaking once daily.
After 4 - 6 weeks, pour the contents into a muslin or cheesecloth lined colander positioned over a stable pot. Let it drain for 30 minutes, then gather the corners of the cloth, twisting and squeezing until you cannot release any more liquid. When it's fully strained, add honey to the liquid to taste and pour into a sterilized wine bottle or canning jar. Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year, shaking well before using.
The beauty of this is you can really add or change anything above. Crushed red pepper works as a great substitute for hot peppers. Powdered turmeric is also a-ok if you can’t find fresh. Some recipes call for the addition of rosehips too. So feel free to mix and add whatever floats your boat.
This recipe makes a half gallon. So you can divide as needed between jars or cut the recipe in half if needed.
The hardest part is patience, but it will be well worth the wait!