I am late making fire cider this year but wanted to get some done so that it can sit while I am away. Hopefully a week or two before Christmas it will be ready to strain and decant into amber bottles.
Before I post this I am going to say now I am not a licensed doctor or medical professional. I use herbs and nature alongside modern medicine to try and do what I can to aid my body in a natural way. Do not take what I say as medical advice and please do your own research before embarking on a herbal journey. You may react differently to tinctures and salves etc so it is always best to figure things out at your own pace and with plenty of practice.
Fire cider is great for helping to boost your immune system, kicking the start of bugs and staving off those awful winter colds. Everything in the fire cider is natural and everything has healing properties which I will try to explain as we go.
What you will need before you start is a glass jar to store it in. Amber jars are perfect for keeping the finished concentration in but you need a glass jar big enough to fit all of the ingredients. I managed to pick this one up for £3.50 at Tesco.
I want to start the list of ingredients by saying that I have omitted horseradish from my fire cider. Its just a taste I can’t get away with, kinda like cilantro/coriander! Nope not for me. However if you don’t mind the taste, horseradish will give your fire cider the hefty kick you imagine!
Prep all of the ingredients before you start layering in the jar.
I start with citrus. Choose fruit that pack vitamin C, so orange, lemon and lime. These contain antioxidants and provide immunity to colds and flus. Alongside this they are well known for aiding cell repair and lowering cholesterol levels.
These need to be thickly sliced, peel and seeds included.
We chose pink onion. I couldn’t find any white onions in the store and since we were adding hibiscus to the mix I thought the colour of the pink onion would be perfect. Onions contain antioxidants and are an anti inflammatory. The antibacterial properties can help with respiratory problems too so ideal for a cold kicking mood booster! Cut up into decent chunks!
Cranberries are something I love, not only the bitter sweet flavour of them in cookies and cakes etc but their healing properties help with UTIs and are a total power house packed with antioxidants! This is something that almost everything we are adding has in common, its the antioxidants that will combat the virus symptoms etc.
Ginger! Peeled and sliced. Ginger has been used in tinctures, medicine and rituals since the beginning of time! Well known for its healing properties with regards to pregnant women and sickness. It is a herbal digestive aid with many anti inflammatory properties, thus being a solution to many stomach problems.
Another strong herb to use is garlic! Well known for reducing cholesterol and combatting colds etc. There have been old wives tales of pure garlic cloves being cling filmed to the bottom of feet to draw out toxins, provide anti fungal properties etc. I just peeled and added the cloves whole.
Rosemary is my go to herb for tinctures and potions etc. It is thought to be the herb to use in place of any others. Known to fight stress and support the immune system it is worth adding.
Turmeric is perfect for joint pain and an amazing anti inflammatory! There is nothing worse than the effects colds and flues have on the body, Turmeric will help to ease those pains. The benefits of Turmeric are heightened when combined with black pepper too – so adding those into the mix will give it all a power punch!
Add in anything else you personally want to have in your fire cider. I added cinnamon sticks, chili peppers and hibiscus. Both cinnamon and hibiscus are great antioxidants, while chili peppers are a strong pain reliever and nasal decongestant.
Once all the items are packed into the jar, cover with Apple cider vinegar. Make sure it contains The Mother. The Mother is the cloudy substance that forms at the bottom of the bottle. It consists of a matrix of prebiotics, proteins, enzymes, minerals, polyphenols, vitamins and other compounds produced by friendly bacteria. Simply shake the bottle before pouring it over your ingredients.
Stir all of the ingredients and add a little wax paper to the lid before closing. This will stop the vinegar and acids from reacting with the paper or plastics inside the seal of the lid.
Store in a cool dark place for approx 6/8 weeks then decant and strain through cheesecloth. Place into amber jars and it will keep for months!
You only need a small amount, shot size, every day to hopefully keep away any nasties! Add a little honey to taste as the brew can be quite strong thanks to the peppers!
