Fire Cider

From Rosemary Gladstar

Fire cider is a time-honored and popular winter tonic/folk remedy for colds and coughs. Basically, it is vinegar infused with superfoods and antioxidant-rich ingredients. It’s a fiery concoction that may help with sinus congestion, increase circulation, and is an all around immune-boosting friend. Feel free to vary the flavoring ingredients and make it your own. For example, add a cinnamon stick, a few cloves, a chopped fresh beet for color, some cranberries, hibiscus flowers, a fresh orange, etc. You can use any kind of fresh hot pepper you want, depending on your heat tolerance.

How to use fire cider: Take 1-2 tablespoons at the first sign of a cold and repeat the dose every 3-4 hours. You can take it straight, but if that’s too harsh, mix it with tea, water, broth, etc. and sip.
~ You can also enjoy it as salad dressing, on rice, or with steamed vegetables.

1/2 cup fresh grated ginger
1/2 cup fresh grated horseradish
1 medium onion, chopped
10 cloves garlic, crushed
2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
1 lemon, zest cut off in strips, juiced
2 tablespoons rosemary, dried, or several sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh turmeric, chopped, or 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
Unpasteurized (raw) apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey, or to taste

1. Place ginger, horseradish, onion, garlic, peppers, lemon zest strips, lemon juice, rosemary and turmeric in a quart canning jar. Fill jar with apple cider vinegar. If using a metal lid, use a piece of parchment paper or wax paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching the metal (or use a plastic lid.) Shake well. Store in a dark, cool place for one month; don’t forget to shake daily.
2. Use cheesecloth to strain out the pulp; pour the infused vinegar into a clean jar. Be sure to squeeze as much of the liquid goodness as you can from the pulp while straining. Add 1/4 cup of honey to infused vinegar and stir until incorporated. Taste and if desired, add more honey until you reach the level of sweetness you like. Fire cider should taste hot, spicy, and sweet. Label and date the jar before storing. Try to use it within 1 year and then make a fresh batch next year. It will keep longer than 1 year but may lose some of its potency.