How to Make Fire Cider to Boost Health (2024)

Fire cider! Try this age-old remedy to strengthen the immune system and ward off fall and winter illness. Made with healthful herbs stewed in apple cider vinegar, this drink is remarkably easy to make. See the health benefits and a fire ciderrecipe.

What Is FireCider?

Fire cider. The very name sounds like something you should try. Or runfrom.

This potent tonic is the modern reincarnation of a home remedy used for generations to help ward off winter colds, flu cases, and other infirmities. Many folks mix it into salad dressings or festivegrog.

Indigenous healers have been brewing herbal vinegars for millennia. In fact, humans began making vinegar as long as 10,000 years ago, using it in food and drinks, for food preservation, and for many medicinal and antiseptic purposes. Anywhere in the world that you find apples, you’ll find cider vinegarremedies.

The traditional recipes call for some combination of grated freshhorseradish, ginger, garlic, onions, turmeric root, and hot pepperssoaking inapple cider vinegar for 3 to 4weeks, then finished with honey to balance theacidity.

I like to add additionalflavor-rich herbs and fruits. Other recipes, including mine, include dried or fresh leafy herbs, a few whole spices, and dried fruits or sliced citrusfruits.

Benefits of FireCider

While fire cider is more of a folk remedy, several studies have shown that the tonic helpsthe body balance blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation. There have also been studies demonstrating cider vinegar’s ability to fight infections. And yet other studies have shown the tonic aids weight loss with 1 to 2 tablespoons daily leading to reduced bellyfat.

We can tell you this for certain:This strong vinegar tincture extracts healthful phytocompounds from a variety of medicinal plant materials. Most of these ingredients contain phytochemicals known for their strong digestive, antiviral, antiseptic, and/or decongestantproperties.

Admittedly, a drink made withfresh horseradish, garlic, ginger, and chile pepper sounds a little off-putting. I think it tastes great. Start with a daily shot to getblood flowing on a cold day. If you can’t handle the bite, sweeten it with extrahoney.

It’s worth it—apotent punch that is immune-boosting, antibacterial, and antiviral. Your immune system will thankyou!

Try it out! The ingredients are inexpensive and easilyaccessible.

Fire CiderRecipe

Ingredients

• Start with a quart (4 cups) of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (at least 5%acidity)
• About 1/3 cup grated horseradish and gingerroots
• 1/4cuppeeled and diced turmeric (or 2 tablespoons dried, powderedturmeric)
• Half a dozen cloves of mincedgarlic
• 1/2cuppeeled and dicedonion
• 1 or 2habanero chiles, split in half (or, use cayennepepper)
• One large lemon, sliced rind and all(optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary (or 1 teaspoondried)
• 2 tablespoons chopped thyme (or 1 teaspoondried)
• 1/2cupchopped parsley(optional)
• A cinnamon stick, a few allspice berries, and a few whole cloves(optional)
• 1teaspoonblackpeppercorns
• 1/4cupraw honey, or more totaste

The degree of “fire” in the blend depends on how many hot peppers youadd!

As a precaution, I use only organically grown roots, herbs, and fruits to keep agricultural chemicals, waxes, or dyes from migrating into thevinegar.

Instructions

1. Place the vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices in a clean one-quart jar. Fill the jar with apple cidervinegar
2. The apple cider vinegar shouldcover the herbs by an inch or two. Seal your captightly. Ifyou cap your jarwith a lid containing metal parts,screw the lid on over a piece of cooking parchment or a small plastic bag to keep the lid from corroding. Shakewell.
3. Let sit for a few weeks to soak. Shake daily (or when youremember).
4. Thenstrain off the plant materials from the vinegar. Sweeten with honey to taste.Honey adds sweetness and blends all the flavors in fire cidernicely.
5. Refrigerate and use within ayear.

Yes, to the uninitiated, the mixture sounds as if the final product will taste awful, but you’ll be surprised at how the ingredients mellow as their flavors blend in the vinegar! Find the right mix of sweet, spicy, and sour foryou.

How to Use Fire CiderTonic

• Some herbalists recommend taking a tablespoonful of cider tonic daily as a preventative during cold and flu season,swallowing it right off thespoon.
• Or, add it to a cup of juice or hot tea, perhaps with a bit of honey. You could also mix with lemonade or orange juice.Diluting apple cider vinegar is best because undiluted vinegar can erode dentalenamel.
• Or, youcan drink it or take teaspoonfuls throughout the day when you feel a common cold coming on.Others use it as a gargle at the first sign of a scratchythroat.
• Mixed half and half with honey, it makes a good cough remedy. (Don’t feed honey to children less than a yearold.)
• Use it as you would plain vinegar in salad dressings, marinades for meat or tofu, and vinegar-basedsauces.
• Drizzle on steamed vegetables or sautéedgreens
• Add to soups andchilis
• Try a couple of dashes in a co*cktail, such as a BloodyMary

Final note: As with any herbal remedy, please consult your healthcare professional. Vinegar, and perhaps some of the herbal constituents, may interact with prescription medications or negatively affect some health conditions.Apple cider vinegar is not recommended for ulcer or acid refluxsufferers.

See if your body feels better, clearer, and healthier with this apple cider vinegar tonic! Have you ever made Fire Cider? Tell us about your experience with this magicelixir.