10/10/2025
Fire Cider!
š„
Have you made it before? Tried it before?
š„
Iāve always wanted to make it (and honestly donāt know why I havenāt) ā¦ until now! Itāll be ready in a few weeks, Iāll report back.
š„
Fire cider was created by Rosemary Gladstar, an herbalist/teacher/author, in the 1970ās. Gladstar wanted vinegar tinctures to take off, and created this concoction using readily available ingredients, that has a hot, sour, pungent & sweet taste. Hat tip to Rosemary for going with the name fire cider instead of vinegar tincture! The original formula calls for macerating fresh horseradish, ginger, garlic, onions, and cayenne pepper in apple-cider vinegar for three to four weeks, then finishing with honey. You will find countless variations/recipes online. I used (peeled & chopped) ginger root, turmeric root, garlic, and red onion. To that I added sliced jalapeno peppers, lemon, and orange. At the end I added a couple of cinnamon sticks, and a couple of sprigs of rosemary and thyme from the garden. I put all of the ingredients in clean mason jars, and then covered the ingredients in apple cider vinegar. You keep your jar(s) in a cool, dry place, and shake them every day or two. At the end, you strain your creation to remove the solids, and then you can add honey to cut the acidity. I wanted to include fresh horseradish, but couldnāt find it at two stores. If I make another batch, I will purposefully seek that out, in addition to trying different hot peppers (and whatever else strikes my fancy/feels like a good idea at the time!). The potential health benefits to Fire Cider (often taken a spoonful or shot per day, or mixed into salad dressing) are myriad and are related to the properties of the ingredients used: digestive aid, antimicrobial, immune tonic, circulatory/cardiovascular support, and anti-inflammatory.
