As promised, today we’re talking about our third home remedy for the Cold & Flu season, Fire Cider!   It’s so popular in my home, I make it by the gallon each fall!

In case you missed the other home remedies for cold & flu, you can find the recipes here and here.

 Fall is a wonderful time to prepare your Fire Cider.  The ingredients are all readily available.  Fresh horseradish is ready to be dug up, onions are coming in fresh from the garden and there is plenty of local garlic to go around if you visit a Garlic Festival or Farmer’s market.  As with the Echinacea Tincture & Throat Spray, Fire Cider is prepared ahead of time because it needs to sit over a period of 4-6 weeks.

 I first heard of Fire Cider several years ago when my sister gave me a homemade bottle for Christmas (great gift idea if your recipient loves natural, home remedies, don’t you think?)  After the bottle she gave me ran out, I started buying it from a health food store and my whole family came to absolutely love it and rely on it for kicking a cold or flu.   I recommended it to all my friends and even to strangers I was standing in line with at the health food store!  But, let me tell you, with a family of five consuming it regularly, the cost was really adding up.

It was also around this time that I first heard of Rosemary Gladstar,  the herbalist who refined the Fire Cider recipe 30 years ago and generously shares it with the world.   During one of her webinars, she mentioned that the brand I used (Fire Cider by Shire City Herbals) had trademarked the name “Fire Cider” in 2012.  Herbalists and those who made and sold their own Fire Cider were outraged and with good reason.  Many herbalists say the Fire Cider recipe is about as proprietary as chicken soup and that if anything, it belongs to Rosemary Gladstar.   I was determined that as much as I loved Fire Cider, I didn’t want to support Shire City Herbals.  I started making my own Fire Cider, using Rosemary Gladstar’s “free” recipe.

What is Fire Cider?

Fire Cider is hot, pungent, sour and sweet.  There are countless variations of this recipe but most include onions, garlic, horseradish,  ginger, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper and honey.   Wow!  Right? Who would drink that if it didn’t work?

You may not believe me now, but the more you take it, the more you come to love it!  It really works.

Fire Cider is

• immune boosting

• breaks up congestion and phlem

• aids in digestion

• enhances the circulatory system

• is warming when you are chilled

My recipe is based on Rosemary Gladstar’s original recipe.  I like to add a few additional ingredients to my Fire Cider: freshly sliced lemon and turmeric.   Once you start making your own Fire Cider, you’ll find that each batch can be different depending on what you have on hand and how you want to experiment.  Please don’t feel tied to exact measurements.

You can also add herbs to your Fire Cider.  I particularly like herbs such as rosemary and thyme which are known for being antibacterial.

You can see Rosemary Gladstar’s video & recipe here.

How to Use Fire Cider

Fire Cider can be used as a daily tonic to boost your immune system and prevent illness or as remedy during illness.    Take at the first sign of a cold, flu, or sore throat and you can usually avoid getting sick.

During illness, Fire Cider is best taken in small, frequent amounts:   one tablespoon every hour or several times a day.

Other Ways to Use Fire Cider:

• Take a tablespoon shot and drink it back!

• Substitute for vinegar in homemade salad dressing

• Add to hot water and make tea.  Add more honey if needed

• Add Fire Cider to a glass of water or juice

• Mix with honey to soothe a sore throat

• Soak a clean cloth in Fire Cider and place on a congested chest

How to Make Homemade Fire Cider

You will need:

• 1 quart wide mouth jar and lid

• 1 cup horseradish root, chopped

• 1 cup chopped garlic (approximately 5-6 large garlic bulbs)

• 1/2 cup chopped ginger root

• 1 medium onion, choppped

• 1 organic lemon, sliced

• 1 tsp (or more) turmeric powder or sliced fresh turmeric (1 inch knob)

• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder

• Approximately 2 cups raw apple cider vinegar  ( I recommend this brand)

• Several sprigs of fresh herbs such as rosemary & thyme (optional)

• Raw local honey to taste

Instructions:

Chop the horseradish, garlic, onion, and ginger and place in a quart jar.

 Add herbs (if using), lemon, cayenne pepper and turmeric to the jar.  Fill to the rim with apple cider vinegar and seal with a tight fitting lid.

Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 4-6 weeks.  Strain and add honey to taste. Store in a cool place.  Your Fire Cider will keep for several months in a cool place or up to a year in the refrigerator.

Note from Jen

Apple cider vinegar will cause your metal caps to rust.  Use either a plastic lid or place a piece of plastic wrap between the jar and the metal lid.

The Fire Cider recipe is extremely forgiving.  Do not worry if you don’t have exact amounts.

If making larger quantities of Fire Cider, you might find the following recipe handy:

• 1 part horseradish root

• 1 part onion

• 1 part garlic

• 1/2 part ginger root

• 1 lemon per quart

• several springs fresh herbs such as rosemary & thyme

• 1/4 tsp cayenne (per quart)

• 1 tsp turmeric (per quart)

• raw apple cider vinegar to cover

• raw local honey to taste

Enjoy!

–Jen

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How to Make Homemade Fire Cider

Course

Home Remedies

Prep Time

15 minutes

Passive Time

4-6 weeks

Servings

cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup horseradish root chopped
• 1 cup garlic chopped (approximately 5-6 bulbs)
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1/2 cup ginger chopped
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric powder or 1 inch knob turmeric root, chopped or grated
• 2 cups raw apple cider vinegar approximately
• raw, local honey to taste

If making larger quantities of Fire Cider, you might find the following recipe handy:

• 1 part horseradish root
• 1 part garlic
• 1 part onion
• 1/2 part ginger root
• 1 lemon, sliced per quart
• several sprigs rosemary and/or thyme optional
• 1/4 tsp cayenne per quart
• 1 tsp turmeric per quart
• raw, local honey to taste

Course Home Remedies Prep Time 15 minutes Passive Time 4-6 weeks Servings cups Ingredients 1 cup horseradish root chopped 1 cup garlic chopped (approximately 5-6 bulbs) 1 medium onion chopped 1/2 cup ginger chopped 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp turmeric powder or 1 inch knob turmeric root, chopped or grated 2 cups raw apple cider vinegar approximately raw, local honey to taste If making larger quantities of Fire Cider, you might find the following recipe handy: 1 part horseradish root 1 part garlic 1 part onion 1/2 part ginger root 1 lemon, sliced per quart several sprigs rosemary and/or thyme optional 1/4 tsp cayenne per quart 1 tsp turmeric per quart raw, local honey to taste

Instructions

1. Chop the horseradish, garlic, onion, and ginger and place in a quart jar.
2. Add herbs (if using), lemon, cayenne pepper and turmeric to the jar.  Fill to the rim with apple cider vinegar and seal with a tight fitting lid.
3. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 4-6 weeks. Strain and add honey to taste. Store in a cool place. Your Fire Cider will keep for several months in a cool place or up to a year in the refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

This recipe is extremely forgiving.  Do not worry if you don't have exact amounts.

Apple cider vinegar will cause your metal caps to rust. Use either a plastic lid or place a piece of plastic wrap between the jar and the metal lid.

 

Jen @ www.myhealthyhomemadelife.com

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