Last week we had a blast learning about how to boost your immune system and herbal remedies to use
for cold season. We made Fire Cider which is a spicy hot, deliciously sweet vinegar tonic. It was first concocted in the kitchen at the California School of Herbal Studies by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar in the early 1980s.
Herbal apple cider vinegar preparations have been made and used by people for centuries. There was an early herb vinegar formula such the oxymel made famous by the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, and the equally well known Four Thieves Vinegar that supposedly kept four grave robbers from catching the plague during the middle ages.
Fire Cider is pleasantly delicious and at the same time a wonderful blend of medicinal herbs. The recipe contains a host of powerful immune enhancers that help ward off infections, colds, flus, and bronchial congestion. You can use Fire Cider during the winter, a tablespoon or two a day, to help keep the immune system healthy and to ward off infections.
It's not hard to make and includes common kitchen ingredients. Give it a try!
FIRE CIDER - Makes 1 Quart
1/2 cup ginger, fresh, grated or half that amount dried
1/2 cup horseradish, fresh, grated or half that amount dried
1 onion, chopped
10 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
2 jalapeño (or other hot) peppers, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons rosemary, dried or several sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
Apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey (plus more to taste)
Put ginger, horseradish, onion, garlic, peppers, lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary and turmeric in a quart canning jar. Cover with apple cider vinegar by about two inches. Use a piece of natural parchment paper or wax paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching the metal lid. Shake well. Store in a dark, cool place for one month and shake daily. Be sure to label your concoction.
After one month, use cheesecloth to strain out the pulp, pouring the vinegar into a clean jar. Get the strongest person in your household to squeeze as much of the liquid goodness from the pulp while straining. Add ¼ cup of honey and stir until incorporated. Taste your cider and add another ¼ cup until you reach desired sweetness. Fire cider should taste hot, spicy and sweet. It is great as a wintertime tonic and as a remedy for colds and coughs. You can also substitute Fire Cider for regular vinegar in salad dressings, or sprinkle on rice or steamed vegetables.
If it’s your first time trying it, you might want to dilute the tonic with a little warm water or apple cider. Once you're a convert, try drinking it straight—a daily one-to-two-ounce shot. If you feel a cold or flu coming on, take smaller amounts more frequently—such as half a shot glass two or three times a day—to keep your immune system healthy.
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