Fire Cider: A Magical Home Brew
- Laura
- Nov 15, 2024
- 4 min read
What's spicy, a little sweet, and looks like something from potion's class? It's fire cider! This interesting blend of hot herbs, vinegar, and honey can be a great addition to your fall and winter apothecary.
Fire cider is part of a larger class of remedies called oxymels, which comes from the Greek terms for vinegar (oxy) and honey (meli). Oxymels have been around for thousands of year and are noted in early Arabic and Greek medicine texts. While there has probably been many different recipes for spicy and pungent oxymels, fire cider as we know it is fairly young and came about from Rosemary Gladstar in the 1980s while teaching at the California School of Herbal Studies. Since then, there have been many more variations on the theme and fire cider is certainly one of the more popular herbal creations.
Fire cider really came into the public eye with the trademark battle in 2019. In this case, a herbal products company attempted to trademark the name fire cider and was taken to court by several prominent herbalists. Thankfully, the case was ruled that fire cider can not be trademarked in October 2019. This is a huge win for everyone that makes their own herbal creations and protects four thieves vinegar, elderberry syrup and other traditional recipes for everyone to make.
So what makes fire cider so effective anyways? Most of the ingredients in our blend are hot and spicy, which helps stimulate the body when we are sick. As anyone who has eaten hot curry will tell you, hot foods increase circulation which can help the immune system reach and potentially eliminate pathogens. Many of the ingredients, like garlic, are also thought to be anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial. Elderberries are also shown to have anti-viral activity. Jalapenos and horseradish root also contain large amounts of vitamin C which can be supportive to the immune system and overall health. Apple cider vinegar extracts all the goodness from your ingredients as well as promoting digestive health and providing minerals.
Let's make a batch of fire cider together!
First, we are going to gather up our ingredients. Apple cider vinegar (ACV), raw and with the mother (the floating bits that turn it into vinegar) is the core for the recipe. Raw ACV has more minerals and vitamins than pasteurized ACV does. For other components of my spicy brew, I used jalapeno peppers, horseradish root, garlic, ginger, onion, elder berries, and a few springs of sage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. The beauty of fire cider is that it can totally be customized to what you have on hand. Don't have horseradish or elder berries? No problem! You can leave them out or substitute more ginger or jalapeno for the spice. Other delicious add-ins I have seen are calendula or nasturtium flowers, turmeric, and burdock root, although you can customize it however you'd enjoy.
Next, we are going to finally chop or grate our ingredients. The finer your ingredients are chopped, the more surface area is exposed for the ACV to extract all of the compounds outs. I used a cheese grater for the ginger and horseradish and finely diced the onion, jalapenos, herbs, and garlic. As the elder berries are already pretty small and hard, it is not necessary to chop them up further. Add all the ingredients to a quart or slightly larger jar.
Next, we are going to add the ACV and honey. There are two schools of thought regarding when to add the honey. The first of these is when you initially add the ACV, before the cider infuses. This is what I do, as honey has extraction properties and I feel that it helps pull more compounds out of your ingredients. The other option is to add it after your ingredients have infused for 6-8 weeks. The benefit of this method is that you don't inadvertently loose a little bit of honey in your material when you strain it. I feel that it ends up being a little sweeter also. Try it out both ways and see what you feel works for you. You could even make an herbal vinegar and leave out the honey entirely and it would still be beneficial.
Depending on how small you chopped your ingredients, it may be difficulty to fit everything in the jar. Add the honey (if using) first and use as much of the ACV as possibly will fit. Its okay if a few tablespoons don't make it in. You want all of your ingredients to be fully submerged to preserve them and prevent molding of your remedy. Apply the lid tightly. Since we are using vinegar, you want to be sure to use either a plastic lid or place a piece of wax paper against the standard metal jar lid to prevent corrosion. Also, be sure to label your creation. Shake your jar gently a few times over the next few days to fully mix the ingredients. It's also nice to infuse your intention for your brew while you're mixing it.
After 6-8 weeks, carefully strain your creation. Be careful with the jalapenos, they can still have a lot of spicy oils in them. I like to use a cheese cloth folded into fourths to really get all the small pieces.
And there you have it! You have made your first batch of fire cider. As it contains mostly food ingredients, it is safe for most people. It does contain honey, which isn't suitable for children under the age of 1. Also, ACV is hard on your tooth enamel so be sure to either take it in a little water or rinse your mouth well after taking. It may also aggravate heartburn when taken straight. Besides just drinking it, fire cider also makes a lovely marinade for meats or addition to salad dressings. You can use it anywhere you would use vinegar, the possibilities are endless! What are your favorite additions to your fire cider or ways you like to use it?
Standard dosing for adults: 1 tablespoon every day for immune boosting and prevention
1 tablespoon every 3-4 hours when ill for an extra immune boost
References:
Gladstar, Rosemary. Fire Cider!: 101 Zesty Recipes for Health-Boosting Remedies Made with Apple Cider Vinegar. Storey Publishing, 2019.
Ngozi, Ayo. “How To Make Homemade Fire Cider (With Video!).” Herbal Academy , 16 Dec. 2016, https://theherbalacademy.com/blog/homemade-fire-cider/?srsltid=AfmBOoolDa4fx2BmIS2EY1gn5uVECwBojhQ-8ywmA8GMGeGj-7HHHii5.
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