Boost your immunity with this tried and true folk remedy! Fire Cider is filled with pungent antioxidant roots, herbs, and aromatics. Keep this tonic handy throughout cold and flu season.
Why You’ll Love Fire Cider
This simple, lively herbal tonic is made with common kitchen ingredients; no cooking is required. A daily tonic I have been making for decades! Take a shot daily (best with meals as it can be strong on the stomach) or make a tea by adding to hot water. Also use in salad dressing, add a spoonful to soups, a dash to enliven sauces or make into a cocktail- Bloody Mary, spicy hot toddy?
Traditional fire cider is a folk herbal tonic made with a base of apple cider vinegar infused with a blend of pungent aromatics and spicy ingredients like garlic, ginger, onion, horseradish, and hot peppers. This robust concoction, formulated in the early 1980’s by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, is celebrated for its health benefits, often used to boost the immune system, aid digestion, and promote overall wellness, especially during colder months.
Fire Cider Ingredients
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Rich in antioxidants, promotes digestion, supports weight loss, and can contribute to heart health. Use organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. No substitutions here.
- Onion and garlic cloves: Anti-inflammatory alliums are full of vitamins and minerals and are great for respiratory health.
- Fresh turmeric, ginger root, and horseradish root: Offer a myriad of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties, improved digestion, and enhanced immune function, making them potent allies in promoting overall wellness. If possible, use organic ingredients and leave the peel of the turmeric and ginger on. See notes on grating horseradish root.
- Organic lemon and orange: For a generous dose of immune-boosting Vitamin C! Adds a nice balance to the pungent tonic.
- Hot peppers: Capsaicin is known to boost metabolism, reduce inflammation, and enhance heart health. Jalapeños fresno chilis, or habanero. Alternatively, you can use 1/8-1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder.
- Fresh thyme and sage: These fresh herbs are known for their antimicrobial properties. You could use fresh rosemary too if you’d like!
- Black peppercorns: Supports nutrient absorption of curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, making it more effective in providing potential health benefits.
- Raw honey: Raw honey is packed with antioxidants, has antibacterial properties, and can soothe digestive issues while providing a natural energy boost. Optional, but the sweetness balances the strong, pungent flavors.
- Optional additions: Green pine needles (high in vitamin c!), rosemary, rose hips, lemon balm, elderberries, star anise, cinnamon sticks, beetroot, nettle leaves.
How to Make Fire Cider
1. Layer ingredients in a jar. Gather a 1/2-gallon mason jar or use a couple of quart jars. In the jar, layer the onion, turmeric, ginger, horseradish, garlic, lemon, orange, thyme, sage, and black peppercorns. Add any other optional ingredients.
2. Add apple cider vinegar. Pour the vinegar over the ingredients, making sure the jar is topped with enough vinegar to cover everything. Leave about 1 inch of head space and make sure the ingredients are submerged. Place a plastic lid on top or use a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap if using a metal lid (vinegar eats metal!). Seal tightly.
3. Store in a cool place. Store in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks but 4 weeks is best, shaking or stirring daily.
4. Strain. Use a fine mesh strainer to discard the veggies and other solids. Or you can juice it with a cheesecloth. Whisk in honey to taste if desired. Pour the liquid into sterilized bottles with tight-sealing, non-reactive lids. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.
How to Take Fire Cider
- Take a shot a day, straight!
- Add to hot water to create a healthy tea.
- Use in a salad dressing or in other sauces.
- Add a spoonful to soups.
- Drizzle over roasted vegetables.
- Add to a cocktail, like a Bloody Mary, or make a spicy Hot Toddy!
Chef’s Tips
- Customize it! Make your own version of Fire Cider by adding any of the optional herbs and spices, like green pine needles, rosemary, rose hips, lemon balm, elderberries, star anise, cinnamon sticks, beetroot, or nettle leaves.
- Be careful when grating horseradish. When grating fresh horseradish, wear gloves to protect your skin from irritation, as horseradish can be pungent and painful. Use a well-ventilated area or a fan to manage the strong fumes. Make sure your cutting board is stable to prevent slipping, and use a sharp grater to minimize injury risks. Wash your hands well after handling horseradish to avoid contact with your eyes or face.
Storing Fire Cider
Store your Fire Cider in sterilized bottles with tight-sealing, non-reactive lids. Store in the fridge for up to 1 year.
Fire cider FAQs
Yes! Drinking fire cider can strengthen your body’s defenses thanks to the immune-boosting compounds and the antioxidants in its ingredients.
If taking a shot of straight fire cider, we recommend doing so with a meal. It can be tough on an empty stomach.
Yes, fire cider is a natural decongestant.
We refrigerate fire cider in order to keep it fresher for longer (up to 1 year!).
Hope you enjoy this Fire Cider recipe and have a healthy and happy winter season!
More Tonics + Teas to Enjoy!
Fire Cider Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 month
- Total Time: 720 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 cups
- Category: Drink, Tonic, Immunity
- Method: Steep
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Boost your immunity with this tried and true folk remedy! Fire cider is a healing tonic, made with antioxidant roots, herbs, and aromatics. Keep this tonic handy throughout cold and flu season.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, cut into slices
- 1/2 cup fresh turmeric, chopped (leave peel on if organic)
- 1/2 cup fresh ginger roots, chopped (leave peel on if organic)
- 1/2 cup fresh horseradish root, grated **see notes!
- 1/2 cup fresh garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into slices or wedges
- 1 orange, cut into slices or wedges
- 1–2 hot peppers (jalapeños, fresno chili, or habanero, or use dried 1/8– 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
- 6–8 fresh thyme and sage sprigs
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 + cups organic apple cider vinegar, unpasturized
- 2 tablespoons to 1/2 cup raw honey (optional)
Optional additions: green pine needles, rosemary, rosehips, lemon balm, elderberries, star anise, cinnamon sticks, beetroot, nettle leaves.
Instructions
- In a 1/2 gallon mason jar (or 2- quart jars) layer onion, turmeric, ginger, horseradish, garlic, lemon, orange, thyme, sage, black peppercorns. Add any other optional additional ingredients.
- Pour apple cider vinegar over the ingredients, top off with enough vinegar to cover, leaving about 1 inch head space and make sure ingredients are submerged. Use a plastic mason jar lid or use a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap if using a metal lid (vinegar eats metal). Seal tight.
- Store in a cool. dark place for at least 2 weeks but 4 weeks is better. Shake or stir daily.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer, discard the solids. Whisk in honey to taste, if using. Pour into sterilized bottles with tight sealing non-reactive lids. Store in the refrigerator up to 1 year.
Notes
When grating fresh horseradish, wear gloves to protect your skin from irritation, as horseradish can be pungent and painful. Use a well-ventilated area or a fan to manage the strong fumes. Make sure your cutting board is stable to prevent slipping, and use a sharp grater to minimize injury risks. Wash your hands well after handling horseradish to avoid contact with your eyes or face.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ounce
- Calories: 51
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 85.7 mg
- Fat: 2.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.3 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 3.6 mg
Uh oh, is it possible to let it ferment for too long? I keep forgetting about it and lost my cheesecloth, so I finally ordered it. It’s been fermenting for almost two months! Haha……
Should be just fine! Vinegar is a great preservative. Honestly I’ve let it go even longer.
I’ve called multiple grocery stores in my area and no one has fresh horseradish. Is there another way to add horseradish?
You can try black mustard seeds. I am just guessing here- about a teaspoon or two ground up and mix with water to form a paste, let sit about 10 minutes and add in with other ingredients. It has a similar heat as horseradish.
I wasn’t thinking when I was making my fire cider and added the honey in with everything else. Have I spoiled the batch by adding the honey now?
I think it will be ok! Honey can ferment the mixture but with the vinegar in there it should balance. Adding it after helps you adjust the flavor to desired sweetness. I would taste it every week and make sure it tastes clean and vibrant. 🙂
Hello! Doesn’t it say to whisk in the honey? In Step 4: Strain through a fine mesh strainer, discard the solids. Whisk in honey to taste, if using. Pour into sterilized bottles with tight sealing non-reactive lids.
Just checking before I make this, thank you!
The honey is added after the mixture has infused for 4 weeks.
Thank you for the clarification! I’ve just made this and look forward to taking a shot in 4 weeks.
Yay! cheers🥂 😊
I wanted to follow up on my question about adding the honey with everything else. It turned out great! I was worried it would sour or go bad, but it did not. So if anyone else makes my mistake, it could still turn out fine. Thank you for your advice Tonia!
Awesome Matt! Really appreciate you circling back to let us know and rate.
Thanks for publishing a useful blog on Fire Cider Recipe which is a very strong tonic. This is an informative and learning topic. You covered every aspect i.e. ingredients, recipes, nutrition, health benefits, etc. I learned a lot from this article. I take apple cider vinegar with the mother and mix it with honey. I have three stents. Should I take ACV regularly or at intervals? I also like organic products.
Apple cider vinegar has been shown to be beneficial taken daily but I would be sure to check with your doctor if you have concerns.
Do you have a link to little bottles you’d recommend for storing this once the 30 days are complete?
Flip top glass bottles work great or amber glass medicine bottles.
Cannot wait to have this 30 days from now! Sitting in our storage room!
Awesome Dani!