Fire cider is a spicy, herbal vinegar typically infused with alliums (onions + garlic), rhizomes (ginger + turmeric), herbs and honey that packs a serious health boosting punch! Steeped for weeks, fire ciders get their power by extracting a variety of herbal constituents into a vinegary menstruum, typically apple cider vinegar, and leave you with an impressive immune and circulatory stimulant.

This powerful vinegar blend helps clear excess mucus from the sinuses and has been know to lessen cold symptoms when taken at the first sign of infection! Warming and drying, this pungent concoction increases circulation, boosts the metabolism, thins mucus, and helps move fluid throughout the body; things we could all use as the days grow darker and we prepare for a *hopefully* cool and crispy winter.

Packed with antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and expectorating herbs, this immune stimulant helps ease the seasonal discomfort often associated with colds + flus and helps support the body’s response to respiratory conditions, something that’s especially helpful in these uncertain covid times.

Tangy, spicy, and herbaceous, fire cider is incredibly easy to make and just as flexible as it is good for you. If you’re not a big spice fan, put in fewer chilies. If you want a vinegar that’s more sweet, add more honey. If you have a bunch of herbs you’ve been dying to try out, throw them in! Use the recipe below as a guideline and don’t be afraid to get creative. This is your intro into the amazing world of herbal vinegars and I hope you enjoy it!

Funky fresh fire cider recipe

Ingredients:

2oz/5g ginger (zingiber officinale), grated
2oz/5g turmeric (curcuma longa), grated
2oz/5g horseradish (armoracia rusticana), peeled + grated
1 red onion (allium cepa), peeled + chopped
1-2 garlic bulbs (allium sativum), peeled + chopped
1 orange or lemon (citrus spp.), peel on, chopped
1 tbls fresh ground pepper (piper nigrum) we love diaspora co.’s
2-5 jalapeños or any hot pepper (capsicum spp.), w/ seeds, chopped (start off small, you can always make it hotter later)
32oz/960ml+ apple cider vinegar, organic, raw, unfiltered
Honey to taste (normally 2+ ounces)

This recipe, like most fire ciders, is really flexible! If you don’t have an ingredient you can leave it out or sub in another. I use the recipe above as a starting point and then add in other herbs and spices as I see fit. Remember, it’s okay to explore and play around w/ your food! The more interested and involved you are the more likely you are to enjoy it!

Other fun herbal additions:

Sage* (salvia officinalis)
Thyme (thymus vulgaris)
Echinacea (echinacea purpurea)
Cinnamon (cinnamomum verum)
Clove* (syzygium aromaticum)
Astragulus* (astragalus propinquus)
Hibiscus/roselle* (hibiscus sabdariffa)
Rosemary (salvia rosmarinus)
Rosehips (rosa spp.)
*herbs I included in this years cider recipe

Tools:

One 64 ounce jar or two 32 ounce jars
Wax paper

Directions:

Chop, grate, and grind your herbs, spices, and veg.
Place all the ingredients, except the honey, into a sterilized 64oz glass jar and cover with apple cider vinegar. I normally end up using 36-40oz of vinegar in total in order to fully cover the herbs by a few inches.
Cover the mouth of the jar with a square of wax paper so the vinegar doesn’t corrode the lid and eat away at the seal. Trust, you don’t want that in your cider.
Date and label your vinegar mixture and store in a warm, dry, easily accessible place. I keep mine on top of the dryer for a minimum of three weeks. Shake daily.
Once a few weeks have passed, try that cider! It should be warming, but not too spicy!
At this point, if you like where your fire cider is at you can strain it, stir in some gently heated honey, mix, and transfer into a sterilized bottle or jar.
If you think it needs more time, give it just that. You can also place all the ingredients into a blender to speed up the extraction process and let it sit for a few more weeks. Either way, your cider is yours, pull it when you think it’s ready!
After you’ve strained, honeyed, mixed, and transferred your cider, you’re ready to go! I keep mine in the fridge to be on the safe side, but it should be shelf stable and keep for 6 months to 1 year.

Dosage:

Use 1 teaspoon+ as needed, up to 5x a day. When I’m feeling under the weather I like to take a shot of this first thing in the morning to get my respiratory and circulatory systems moving! (on really bad days, I follow it with a crushed garlic clove if I’m feeling especially crummy and overloaded w/ mucus, hah)

Additional usage:

Salad dressing- vinegar increases the bodies ability to absorb the minerals found in leafy greens.
Cough syrup- mix with an herbal infused, or raw honey to soothe sore throats and expectorate stubborn mucus.
Bloody mary’s + michelada’s- for a healthy, spicy kick. Duh.
Tea- combine with hot water, lemon, honey, and an immune boosting tincture.
Dab onto a warm, damp washcloth to ease chest congestion.

A word of caution:

Because of the acidic and spicy nature of fire cider, people who are sensitive to gastrointestinal upset, heartburn, and peptic ulcers should use with caution as well as those with excessive heat conditions.

Fire Cider: a spicy, stimulating herbal vinegar to warm you up