Fire Cider -- It's a yearly fall ritual in my home. It has been for a very long time! Do you make this fabulous
Immune Booster? If you don't, I highly recommend that you take the time to assemble the ingredients + get busy! This concoction is what is known in herbal circles as an Oxymel. It's a combination of apple cider vinegar infused with lots of immune boosting + anti-viral herbs, and eventually, raw honey.

This year I played with another variation on the classic Fire Cider! This is what I used this time... It's always different. Can't wait to taste this one.. It's packed with additional goodness. If you don't have access to some of these ingredients, that's fine. Just make sure you have the 5 main 'must haves' (below)

Immune Booster Tonic - Fire Cider

The original recipe as shared with me by the Godmother of N. American herbalism, Rosemary Gladstar, is amazing just like that -- Read more about it here.
It's essentially Apple Cider Vinegar infused with onions, garlic, ginger root, cayenne, and horseradish root.

Each year, when I make this special tonic, I make some additions, to increase the power and also more healing energy, as well as additional flavours to the mix!
This recipe is my latest concoction! I can't wait to try it. It promises to be delicious!

Fire Cider

Fire Cider - Immune Boost Tonic

Easy to make + VERY effective herbal remedy for winter wellness!

Ingredients

2 Onions sliced
Garlic 12 cloves, sliced
Ginger lots of organic ginger, sliced
1 - 2 Cayenne + yellow lemon drop peppers
¾ C Horseradish shredded root
¾ C dried Elderberries
3 small Turmeric roots fresh, sliced
½ C Holy basil dried
½ C Lemon verbena dried
¼ C Oregano dried
⅛ C Thyme
½ C Cranberries dried, sweetened with apple juice
¼ C Goji berries dried
1 Orange organic, cut into slices

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a large clean glass jar.
Top with Apple Cider Vinegar so that all the herbs are covered.
Add a lid. If it's a metal lid, use parchment paper or waxed paper in between the lid and the jar.
Label and date the jar.
Shake as often as possible over a month long period.
When ready to bottle, strain the infused liquid and measure.
Compost the herbs OR reserve + make other recipes with these ingredients
Pour the measured vinegar into another sterilized glass jar.
Add raw honey to the vinegar mixture.
The amount of honey will depend upon your own taste.
Add equal amount of honey or add ½ the honey with ratio to the amount of vinegar.
Experiment with your own preference. I tend to favour starting with about ½
or a 1:2 ratio honey to vinegar (eg. 1 cup honey to 2 cups vinegar)
Pour the entire finished concoction into glass bottles. Label + Date.
Use the fire cider within 1 year.

Recipe Notes

if fighting a cold/flu 'up' the dose to become 1 teaspoon several times daily
Note: We can also use the fire cider as an addition to sauces, stews, etc Or as a vinaigrette

I had the honour a while back, to be invited by Rosemary to become a contributor to this very special book. It's truly a must-have in your home.
It's packed with stories + 100+ recipes + so many variations for making this amazing immune booster -- and recipes also about how to use the herbs after we've strained the herbs
from the vinegar -- waste not.. This ebook is a gift -- anyone would benefit from reading..
Don't have a copy? TREAT YOURSELF !!! Here's the link :

We can make some more immune supportive goodies from the 'dregs' of the fire cider (i.e. when it is strained out, we use the vinegar for the fire cider but what is left, may be used too!!)

Here's a link to a great article with some recipes just for you!

These bottles are from 2023 -- without all the berries I added this year. I promise to add another picture when my fire cider is ready this fall!!!

Here's to our health! Make your own version of Fire Cider !!

Carol xo