The Complete Guide To Making Fire Cider | Starwest Botanicals

Fire cider is a well known DIY herbal tonic that was originally made popular in the early 80’s by famous Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar.

As the name suggests, it has the double benefit of warming you up from the inside out with a spicy kick while also providing a variety of benefits to support overall health and wellbeing.

Making your own fire cider is easy and it’s a delicious way to help support your immune system, especially during the cold winter months.

If you want to create a routine of taking a daily shot of fire cider, look no further. This recipe will show you the basics of how to make fire cider.

As an added bonus, we stock all of the necessary ingredients right here at Starwest Botanicals, feel free to check out our organic herbal ingredients, including:

• Organic Blazing Cider Mix
• Dried ginger
• Dried garlic
• Dried horseradish
• And more!

Read on below to learn more about the benefits of fire cider and how to make it.,

What is Fire Cider?

Fire cider is a traditional herbal tonic that’s said to help support the immune system, help support digestion, and warm your body up on cold days.

While there are many different ways to make fire cider, the traditional recipe combines ginger, garlic, onions, horseradish, honey, and hot peppers with apple cider vinegar to create a spicy, warming herbal tonic.

From a technical perspective, the apple cider vinegar works as a solvent to pull all of the phytochemicals out of the various herbs. In essence, this concentrates all of the beneficial properties of the herbs into a strong, easy-to-take liquid form.

Potential Health Benefits of Fire Cider:

Many people ask the question, what is fire cider good for? This is a great question and one which is pretty straightforward to answer.

Fire cider gets its various health benefits from the herbs (and other ingredients) that are used in the recipe. We’ll provide a quick review of the health benefits of the primary ingredients used in fire cider.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Apple cider vinegar has been used for millennia. It’s reported that it was first used in 400 B.C. by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, who is said to have formulated a mixture of honey and ACV as a natural remedy.

Research also indicates that apple cider vinegar may help to benefit overall health and wellness.

Honey:

Honey provides many different health benefits. First off, it’s rich in a variety of different nutrients, including riboflavin, copper, and various polyphenols. Second, honey is a rich source of antioxidants.

In addition to all of those health benefits, honey also tastes amazing and makes for a great natural sweetener.

Opt for a local, wild honey if possible. Although, you can also buy granulated honey in our online store to use if you’re in a pinch.

Ginger:

One of the main herbs in fire cider, ginger, is a herb that has been used to support health and flavor food for thousands of years. It has a spicy, complex flavor that adds flavor and heat.

Ginger is a multifaceted herb that has been shown to support the body. It also helps to aid in healthy digestion.

Garlic:

Garlic is another herb with a long history of use in both food and medicine. It adds amazing flavor to food due to its strong, pungent flavor.

This herb is also known as a beneficial herb to support heart health as well as having strong antioxidant properties.

Hot peppers (including cayenne or jalapenos)

Hot peppers are used in fire cider to give it an extra “kick”. This added heat isn’t without benefit, spicy foods have a stimulating effect on the body.

Believe it or not, researchers have shown that individuals that regularly eat spicy foods may have better health and longevity.

How To Make Fire Cider:

Making fire cider is an easy process. First, you have to collect all of your supplies, this includes your herbs, apple cider vinegar, and mason jars, as well as a knife and a cutting board. I also like to use a funnel as it makes it easier to get everything into the mason jar.

I also recommend getting some sort of label that you can use to write the date that you made the fire cider.

Once you’ve collected everything, simply cut up all of the different herbs and add them to the jar along with the apple cider vinegar.

Once everything is in the jar, simply shake it up, write the date on it, and let it sit for ~30 days. This steep time allows all of the herbs to become extracted into the vinegar and meld together.

Once the time is up, simply strain out all of the herbs and enjoy!

Fire Cider Recipe:

Below is an easy-to-make fire cider recipe. This makes 1.5 quarts of fire cider, which should last you a while. If you need to make more or less, feel free to scale the recipe up or down.

You can order the herbs individually or use our Blazing Cider blend, which is available here.

Fire Cider Ingredients:

• 3 cups organic apple cider vinegar (plus more as needed to cover the ingredients)
• 1 cup fresh horseradish (grated or roughly chopped) or organic horseradish powder
• 1 cup fresh ginger (grated/chopped) or organic ginger powder
• ¼ cup fresh turmeric (grated/chopped) or organic turmeric powder
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 10 Garlic Cloves, crushed or chopped
• 1 citrus fruit, sliced (lemons or oranges work great)
• 2-3 jalapeño peppers (sliced) or 1/4 – 1/2 tsp organic cayenne powder
• 1/4 cup of raw, local honey (or maple syrup if vegan)

Fire Cider Equipment:

• A 2 quart-sized mason jar with lid (wide mouth jars are best)
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring spoons (if using powdered herbs)
• Canning funnel (available in our online store)
• Wax paper or parchment paper (optional)

Instructions:

1. Peel and grate the horseradish (use caution as this can clear the sinuses). Add it to the jar along with the sliced ginger, turmeric, jalapenos, onion, orange, lemon, and garlic.
2. Pour the apple cider vinegar into the jar, making sure all the ingredients are fully submerged. It’s important to make sure that the ACV covers all of the herbal ingredients.
3. Place the lid on the jar. I recommend using a piece of wax paper or parchment paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching the metal, which can cause corrosion. Alternatively, you can use a plastic lid.
4. Shake the jar vigorously to combine the herbs. Store the jar in a dark, cool place for up to 4 weeks.
5. Place a label on the jar with the name of the recipe and the date that you made it.
6. Shake the jar once daily to combine the ingredients. (I like to store the jar in an easily accessible pantry (or my fridge) where I can see it daily and remember to shake it)
7. After three to four weeks, use a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain out the solid herbs. Squeeze as much liquid out of the ingredients as you can. Discard the spent herbs.
8. Stir in honey until well incorporated. Taste and add more honey to reach your desired level of sweetness. Your fire cider should taste hot, spicy, and sweet.
9. Store sealed in an airtight jar. Keep in the refrigerator or in a dry, cool place for up to 6 months. Take 1-2 tablespoons daily or use the fire tonic when cooking!

Additional Add-On Ingredients:

Fire cider isn’t a standard recipe. You can vary the recipe depending on your preferences (or based on what ingredients you have on hand in your kitchen).

• 2-3 sticks of cinnamon
• 3-4 fresh sprigs of rosemary
• 3-4 fresh sprigs of thyme
• 1 tsp peppercorns

In Closing:

There's nothing quite as delicious and satisfying as taking a shot of homemade fire cider. You'll brew up the perfect batch every time with our classic fire cider recipe!

If you’re looking for natural ways to help support your immune system, then look no further. This DIY natural remedy is a must-have.

Here at Starwest Botanicals, we offer a variety of organic ingredients that you can use to make fire cider. Whether you’re looking for ginger, garlic, or cayenne, we have you covered with certified organic bulk herbs.

Have you tried fire cider before? What's your favorite way to take it?