Fire cider, whose name is “fire cider” or “fire tonic”, is a cold drink with a spicy flavor that activates the circulation, strengthens the immune system, is digestive and anti-inflammatory. It is made with natural ingredients and is an especially effective remedy against colds and flu.
The presence of ginger, garlic and onion among its ingredients make this drink an excellent antibacterial and natural circulatory system.
Add to the recipe apple cider vinegar and honey that stimulate digestion and radish, whose spice helps to clean the sinuses and prevent infections that can be painful, such as sinusitis.
Thanks to the combination of ingredients, “fire cider” is a complementary natural remedy for the treatment of colds and flu and can be easily prepared at home.
Where does “fire cider” come from?
In the 1970s, herbalist Rosemary Gladstar created this specific formula with ingredients that were already used to treat colds and flu.
Gladstar’s recipe can be modified according to your tastes or ingredients available at home.
Basic recipe
As far as possible, the ingredients that make it up should be of organic origin, if you don’t buy them, that’s fine.
You will need a glass jar or bottle with a good lid.
Ingredients (for a 1.5 L bottle or bottle):
- 150 g of horseradish or spicy
- 75 g of ginger
- 1 large onion
- 10 cloves of garlic
- 2 jalapenos
- Approximately 1L of apple cider vinegar
- Honey
- Himalayan pink sea salt: about ¼ tablespoon
- 1 organic lemon or orange (optional)
- Spices such as saffron, thyme, rosemary, cayenne or black pepper (optional)
- Orange slices (optional)
You will also need the following utensils:
- A sterile glass bottle with a snap-on cap (with metal soda tweezers). Do not use a metal cap as acetic acid can attack the material.
Elaboration:
- Wash ingredients and peel ginger, horseradish, onion and garlic cloves.
- Grate the horseradish and ginger and chop the onion and garlic cloves.
- Finely chop the jalapeños. After cutting these ingredients, it is best to wash your hands, because if you touch your eyes or mouth with your hands while cutting the jalapeños, you can get irritated. If you’re not very keen on spices, you can skip jalapenos or use some cayenne pepper.
- Prepare a clean glass jar with an airtight lid and place all the ingredients in it, except the vinegar and honey
- After putting all the ingredients in the jar, fill the jar with apple cider vinegar until it is a few inches above the ingredients. If possible, use an unpasteurized cloudy ecological vinegar with an acidity of approximately 5%.
- If you see the ingredients floating on the surface, place a piece of parchment paper on top and something heavy on top (for example, a small glass or clean stone).
- Before closing vigorously stir all the ingredients to mix them well.
The “fire cider” has to stand for four weeks at room temperature in a dark, cool and dry place. Shake the bottle every day.
After four weeks, you can pass the cider through a strainer or sieve and add enough honey to improve its flavor. Then pour the liquid into a bottle. You can reuse solid ingredients in a soup or vegetable stir-fry.
Keep the fire cider refrigerated. Can be kept for a month.
How to dose the “cider frie”
Drink a cup (about two tablespoons) every day during the cold season to avoid colds and flu.
If the first symptoms of a cold have already appeared, this dose should be divided into two or three smaller portions throughout the day.
As fire cider is acidic, it can be aggressive on tooth enamel. To protect yourself, you can dilute cider in warm water or apple juice.
You can also use it as a dressing for salad and other dishes like steamed vegetables or rice. It can also be used to marinate tofu or add it to a soup, as a last step in the preparation, without boiling it.