I’m so overwhelmed by the positive response to my natural sore throat and cough syrup post, that I’m continuing the cold and flu series with this lovely immune boosting fire cider recipe that I found on the Mountain Rose Herbs blog!
I’d never heard of fire cider before, but apparently it’s an old folk remedy that’s been used during the cold, winter months as an immune-boosting, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, warming tonic. The ingredients can change from year to year, depending on what you have growing in your garden, but the basics stay the same: cider vinegar, onion, garlic, horseradish, ginger, and hot peppers.
The original recipe uses jalapeno peppers, but I didn’t have any on hand, so I used some powdered cayenne pepper instead. Cayenne was one of the star ingredients in my sore throat and cough syrup, so I knew it would be a great addition to this fire cider!
Some other herbs and spices were recommended as variations to the recipe, including thyme, ginseng, orange, and oregano, so I chose to also add some dried thyme to the mix since it has some great healing properties (see full ingredient properties below).
One thing you do need to know is that I haven’t actually tried this cider yet, because it has to be infused and extracted for a whole month before it’s ready to be used. Well, a month is just way too long for me to wait to post this awesome-looking recipe, so I’ve decided to share it with you in hopes that you’ll join me in making this now, so we can come back in a month and test it out together – just in time for the coldest winter days ahead!
UPDATE: Check out the update post to learn about the next steps in the process as well as how we’ve been using it in our home!
Immune-Boosting Cold-Fighting Fire Cider
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh grated ginger root
- 1/2 cup fresh grated horseradish root
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 10 cloves of garlic (crushed)
- Zest and juice from 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons of dried rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- apple cider vinegar (with the "mother")
- raw honey
Instructions
- Add the prepared herbs, spices, and lemon juice and zest to a quart-sized jar.
- Top off the jar with apple cider vinegar, leaving some room at the top for shaking the jar.
- Cover the jar, but place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper under the lid to keep the cider from touching the metal lid.
- Shake very well to get everything mixed together, then store in a cool, dry place (like a pantry or cupboard) for a month. Remember to shake the jar daily!
- After a month, strain out the pulp through a cheesecloth, pouring the cider into a clean jar. Squeeze out as much liquid from the pulp as possible.
- Add 1/4 cup honey to the strained cider and stir well. Taste the cider and, if needed, add more honey to reach desired sweetness.
Notes
How To Use Fire Cider
According to the Mountain Rose Herbs blog, there are a whole bunch of great ways to use this cider during the winter months!
- Take 1 tablespoon a day as a preventive measure, or 3 tablespoons at the first sign of a cold.
- Add it to vegetable juice, or make a non-alcoholic bloody mary by adding some olives and pickles to the juice.
- Splash it on fried rice.
- Drizzle over a salad along with some olive oil.
- Use the strained pulp (yay for no waste!) and add it to shredded veggies to make stir fries and spring rolls.
More About the Ingredients
This cider contains some of the most potent, healing herbs and spices. Here are some of their healing properties:
- Ginger – anti-inflammatory, expectorant (relieves and suppresses coughing), and warms and energizes the body.
- Horseradish – antibiotic, expectorant, bronchodilator (relaxes bronchial muscles), antibacterial, warms the body, anti-inflammatory, and stimulates the immune system.
- Onion – antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and antioxidant.
- Garlic – antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant, and helps support the immune system.
- Lemon – rich in vitamin C, detoxifier, anti-viral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and helps bring down a fever.
- Cayenne – reduces the sensation of pain, thins mucus, increases blood flow, and clears congestion.
- Rosemary – antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic (pain-killer).
- Thyme – antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiseptic, expectorant, and warms the body.
- Turmeric – antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, and promotes healing.
- Raw Honey – anti-viral, anti-bacterial, coats the throat, and contains beneficial enzymes to protect against infection.
UPDATE: Check out the update post to learn about the next steps in the process as well as how we’ve been using it in our home!
I add pomegranate seeds
Ooh, interesting!
Hello Sarah… I stumbled upon this when looking for a reason why my grapes are splitting. I have been looking for a good recipe on Fire Cider for quite a while, and I appreciate the time you took to post this. I plan to share it on FB and try it out as well! From one organic healer to another… Blessings from God to you!
Blessings to you, Niki!
I’ve seen Fire Cider only one other place, which was an Appalachian Herbal Group. These are truly some of the most potent ingredients you could add to a cold & flu remedy!
Ginger root relieves vertigo, which is usually caused by inner ear infections or head trauma (not sure it would stop vertigo from head trauma or not, as it is not an infection, but worth a shot). I grate maybe 1 tsp of ginger root in a coffee mug, fill with water and microwave for at least one min (use boiling water if you dislike microwaves), let it steep for AT LEAST a min or two, the longer the better, then strain and add a slice of lemon and 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar (with the Mother in it). Add honey or sugar for desired taste, although honey would be healthier if you have it. You can add a tsp of cinnamon if you wish also, but it will not dissolve in water. You have to just stir it as good as possible. Now this works for Vertigo, but is AMAZING for an upset stomach!!! Ginger root is simply amazing stuff!
Also, when I feel an earache coming on, I peel and half a clove of garlic. Now this sounds funny, but I put 1/2 clove (cut lengthwise) into affected ear for about 20 min. I do that about 2 x’s/day, but if I do this on the 1st day, it usually only lasts one day. I do not have frequent ear infections, but it works when I feel one starting.
Great ideas, thanks so much for sharing!
Hi! I just discovered this actual “fire cider” but have been making something similar for awhile. Except I have just been juicing the ingredients and then mixing the juice with an equal part of ACV and then adding honey if I want. I was wondering if you know of a negative effect from the juicing instead of letting it sit? I have just done the juicing method but now may try juicing and then adding the pulp back in for a month to sit! Well see what happens 🙂
Hey Wendy, I’ve never heard of juicing it before – interesting! The difference between juicing and steeping of course is the length of time that the ingredients sit in the ACV to get extracted. The longer those herbs stay in the vinegar, the higher the concentration of their medicinal qualities. Basically, you’d have to take a whole lot more than just a tablespoon of your juiced mixture to achieve the same level of concentration as the extract.
Hope that helps!
what if you cannot get fresh horseradish?
i have made this recipe for years, it is wonderful! Thanks for sharing this with others, hopefully they will catch on to a wonderful source of strengthening their immune.
Isn’t it great! I’m brewing another batch right now to get ready for the season.
Hey i’m wondering if it is possible to just keep the pulp in the mix and eat it as part of the spoonful a day? or does it go very bad or something? Also, what if you have some powders of things, like cinnamen or algae or anything? do they make them go bad?
how long can you keep the whole thing?
I haven’t tried keeping the pulp in the mix, but that stuff is pretty potent so you’d be much braver than I to take a spoonful of it! 😉 We’ve kept ours in a cool, dark cupboard for months (maybe 6?) and it was fine. Not sure of the official shelf life though – I think I’ve read that it’s up to a couple of years, but I’d make a new batch with each flu season..
I have made and tried a recipe very similar to this one. It works!
Can I just ask why does it have to be left for 4 weeks?
Does it ferment?
Can you not just liquidize it and take it that way?
It stays for four weeks so the herbs and spices are infused into the vinegar.
Hi,
Just wondering how it went, it was a while ago that you made it and I would love to know how ti tastes and how you used it. Thanks for sharing, love your pictures.
Hi Lorraine,
Oops! Can’t believe I never included a link to the update in this post! Thanks for pointing that out. Here’s the link to the update: http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2013/01/15/immune-boosting-fire-cider-for-cold-flu-season-update/
I love the thought of trying this recipe. But what would you do for a cold that just started and you have not had the chance to make this immune booster and being as powerful as it is, would it be a great addition to my daily agenda even when it is not cold & flu season.
Hi Paul, for a cold that has already started, I would definitely use my homemade cough and cold syrup here: http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/11/23/natural-sore-throat-cough-remedy/
Hope that helps and wishing you all the best!
I love spicy vinagery ciders like this, so great to have around during the winter. I like the addtition of rosemary that you made. Thanks for sharing on Natural Living Monday!
Quite intriguing. It has been said that this year the flu will be fierce. This remedy will be great to have on hand! Thanks and have a lovely day! (I’m tweeting this now)
This looks amazing! I also like the various ways you can use the cider other than just drinking it. Please update when the cider is ready!
I use it in soups, on rice, as a salad dressing, in chili and casseroles. This stuff is GREAT, and it WORKS! I got several shot glasses at the local thrift store, and take a shot of this in the morning, and at night, as well as a shot of my homemade elderberry syrup. This year I made about 1.5 gallons of it, but I put a bit too much habanero peppers, made it a bit too hot….still good though. I’ll add more ACV to it to mellow it out a bit! I also keep and freeze the ‘leavings’ after straining, and also add those in to soups and casseroles…a little goes a long way! I freeze it in small amounts in an ice cube tray.
After we get back from the holidays, we’re going to have to look into making some of your cold remedies. Thanks for sharing!