Making fire cider - my way
- Aunt Plantsy
- Aug 13
- 3 min read
Many varieties of fire cider exist. I love hearing what my friends add to theirs and it inspires me to be creative and put some additional goodness into mine.
I usually start a fresh batch when my bottle is getting low, so that my family always has some on hand. Today was the day for me to make more.
Fire cider is a blend of herbs mixed with apple cider vinegar. It is used for its health-enhancing properties specifically to combat colds, flus, coughs, and to help build the body's immune system. It is warming and energizing, and can be added to salad dressings, used to flavor vegetables, sprinkled on grains, or it can be taken straight.
Rosemary Gladstar, an herbalist of more than 50 years, was the founder of this potent medicine back in the 1980s. Recently, the name and formula were trademarked by a company and they were forcing others to cease and desist selling their fire cider and using that name. The courts ruled, however, that this was not to be and we are all able to make, sell, or share this recipe.
My recipe was originally the same as Mountain Rose Herbs’ recipe, but I have since adapted it and added more ingredients. All the recipes that I’ve seen include these main ingredients:
Ginger
Horseradish
Garlic
Honey
Apple cider vinegar
Several other recipes also have these ingredients in common:
Onion
Cayenne peppers
Lemon
Rosemary
Turmeric
And, I’ve seen some recipes with these:
Orange
Ginseng root
Black peppercorns
Jalapeno peppers
Thyme
You can pretty much customize your fire cider to your liking.
Here is Mountain Rose Herb’s recipe:
1/2 cup shredded ginger root 1/2 cup shredded horseradish root 1/2 cup shredded turmeric root 1/2 cup chopped white onion 1/4 cup minced or crushed garlic cloves 2 chopped jalapeno peppers Zest and juice from 2 organic lemons Several sprigs of rosemary or thyme (optional) 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns (optional) Raw honey to taste (optional) Raw apple cider vinegar I use all of the ingredients listed above, except for the honey. I also add cayenne pepper, hibiscus for additional Vitamin C, and elderberries for their immune building properties.
Put all of these herbs into a jar so that it is 3/4 full. Pour the apple cider vinegar over the herbs and fill the jar.
Don’t use a metal lid because the acidity of the apple cider vinegar will corrode it. If you do use a metal lid, line it with wax paper first. Shake this jar daily for 4 to 6 weeks (date your jar so you don’t forget when you started).
When the time is up, strain out all the veggies with a cheesecloth or something similar. Add honey to taste at this time – or not – it is up to your taste buds. I don’t put honey in mine.
Dosages for prevention are 1-2 tablespoons per day. If you are feeling sick, you can take that same dosage every 3 to 4 hours. Make sure you shake your bottle before pouring your dose.
What do you do with the strained veggies? You can compost them or use them in a future meat marinade. I have frozen mine for future use and plan to marinate some chicken with it.
Enjoy and stay healthy!
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