The Magic of Fire Cider

Today is day 2 of being snowed in today in Atlanta, so I thought it was a great time to write about one of my favorite new healing discoveries.   I’m talking about the magical, spicy, vinegary FIRE CIDER, and it’s super easy to make at home using easy-to-find ingredients from your local store… many ingredients you might already have at home!!

Fire Cider is described as a folk remedy, created as a healing tonic to help you stay healthy all winter long.  Natural, homemade, and powerful - My favorite kind of medicine!! 

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This brew combines a combination of healing plants and herbs and not based on a rigid recipe.  Add what you like, but typical ingredients include apple cider vinegar loaded up with with garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, and hot peppers.

Why drink this stuff??

 Fire cider is a natural healing tonic-  get psyched for for its ability to boost the immune system and shorten a cold.  If you are feeling sick, you can drink a few tablespoons each day, and if you aren’t sick at all, then you can take a tablespoon each morning to prevent a cold!!  The ingredients cause this natural medicine to be anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and a decongestant! Sounds pretty good in this crazy fly season, doesn’t it??

Basically, you need this in your pantry, especially if you are prone to colds.   Not to mention, it tastes DELICIOUS. 

How to drink it??

• As a healing shot! – 1 oz shot glass and down the hatch! (my preferred method, I love the taste!!)
• As a tea – add to hot water and, for added benefit, hold your face over the steam
• In juice – I don’t recommend this unless you are giving it to children. Otherwise, you can handle it without juice.
• As salad dressing (it is seriously delicious)
• (I haven’t tried it yet, but I can only imagine this would taste DELICOUS in a Bloody Mary)

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Here’s the recipe I’ve been using, but you can add or omit as you see fit!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh     grated/chopped organic ginger root
• 1/2 cup fresh     grated organic horseradish root (you can buy this pre-grated)
• 1 medium     organic onion, chopped
• 10 cloves of     organic garlic, crushed or chopped
• 2 organic     jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1/2 lemon thinly     sliced
• 2 Tbsp. of dried rosemary leaves
• 2 tbsp     chopped thyme
• ½ cup chopped     parsley
• 1 Tbsp. organic turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp. organic cayenne powder
• 1/2 orange,     thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon     black peppercorns
• organic apple     cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup of     raw local honey, or to taste

Directions

1. Prepare your ingredients     EXCEPT FOR HONEY and place them in a quart-sized glass jar.  (honey     comes at the end, if you want it!)
2. Pour the     apple cider vinegar over the ingredients in the in the jar until jar is     full, ingredients covered.
3. Use a piece     of natural parchment paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching     the metal, or a plastic lid if you have one.   Give it a good shake!
4. Store in a     dark, cool place for a month, shaking the jar daily.
5. After one     month, use cheesecloth to strain out the pulp, pouring the vinegar into a     clean jar.  (I use empty kombucha     bottles!)  Squeeze out as much liquid     as you can.
6. Stir the honey into the strained out liquid

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