Fire Cider Recipe

Fire cider is a traditional folk preparation: a vinegar infusion of pungent roots, alliums and peppers, mellowed with raw honey. It has been a staple of home herbal practice for generations, taken by the spoonful through the colder months or used as a base for dressings and marinades.

This is the recipe we make in the clinic kitchen. Give yourself a month before you need it, because the infusion is the slow part.

Ingredients

1 large red onion, chopped

10 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

1 organic lemon with peel, diced

½ cup fresh ginger rhizome, grated

½ cup fresh turmeric rhizome, grated

¼ cup fresh horseradish root, grated

¼ cup fresh thyme aerial parts, chopped

¼ tsp organic cayenne pepper powder

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Organic apple cider vinegar

¼ cup raw local honey, or to taste

Directions

Prepare your roots, fruits and herbs and place them in a quart-sized glass jar. If you have never grated fresh horseradish, be prepared for a powerful sinus-opening experience.

Pour apple cider vinegar into the jar until all of the ingredients are covered and the vinegar reaches the top.

Place a piece of natural parchment paper under the lid to keep the vinegar off the metal, or use a plastic lid if you have one. Shake well.

Store in a dark, cool place for one month, shaking the jar daily.

After a month, strain the pulp through cheesecloth into a clean jar, squeezing as much liquid from the pulp as you can.

Add the honey and stir until it is fully incorporated. Taste, and add more honey until it reaches the sweetness you want.

Recipe by Erin Zerr, RN.