According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the average American adult comes down with a cold two or three times every year. And unless you have a bacterial infection along with your cold, there’s nothing your medical doctor can do to ease your symptoms.
Over-the-counter cold remedies often come with unwanted side effects and can cause serious damage if abused. Thankfully, there’s a natural remedy that you can easily make from ingredients commonly found at home.
It’s called fire cider and not only does it taste great, but it also comes with many health benefits. Keep reading to learn what fire cider is, how to make it, and why it should be your new favorite drink.
What is Fire Cider
For those purists out there, Fire Cider is an oxymel which is an herbal remedy that includes both honey and vinegar. It was developed by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar in the early 1980s.
It was in the kitchen at the California School of Herbal Studies where she acted as both the director and a teacher at the facility. Her idea was to bring medicinal herbalism back into the kitchen where food could be celebrated and enjoyed as well as have medicinal purposes.
While there were some apple cider vinegar recipes and even something known as Cyclone cider which contained hot spicy herbs, honey, and apple cider vinegar.
The Traditional Fire Cider Recipe
The original Fire Cider recipe included the following ingredients:
- Garlic
- Onion
- Horseradish root
- Ginger root
- Hot peppers
Turmeric was sometimes added and often so was echinacea. Gladstar and her students found a tablespoon of Fire Cider during the winter months helped keep their immune systems working properly.
How to Make Fire Cider
The best part about making Fire Cider is that you can add or subtract ingredients as you wish. Here is a basic recipe along with instructions:
You’ll need a quart of organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar. It should be 5% acetic acid and still contain the “mother”.
To ensure your recipe stays as healthy as possible, try to only use organically grown fruits, herbs, and roots.
Instructions for Making Fire Cider
- Pour the entire bottle into a clean, quart-sized canning jar with a wide-mouth
- Add 1/3 cup of both grated horseradish and ginger root
- Add six cloves of minced garlic
- Add a small onion, chopped
- Add two dried and seeded hot peppers (or substitute cayenne pepper)
You can also add these optional ingredients:
- One large lemon including the sliced rind
- A small handful of rosemary, sage, oregano, and parsley
- Allspice berries, several whole cloves, a cinnamon stick
Make sure the apple cider vinegar covers the herbs by at least one or two inches. Then seal the cap on tightly.
Let it Soak for a Few Weeks
You can use parchment paper or a small plastic bag to keep any metal lids from corroding due to the vinegar.
Let your recipe soak for a few weeks to a month. However, give the bottle a shake every day to make sure everything mixes together.
When it’s ready, strain away all plant materials from the vinegar. Stir in honey to taste as it will also help to blend all the flavors together.
Ways to Enjoy Fire Cider
There are several ways you can enjoy cider vinegar such as:
- Enjoy a spoonful every day throughout winter
- Add a spoonful to your favorite beverage
- Gargle with it if you have a scratchy throat
- Mix half a teaspoon with honey to use as a cough remedy
- Use as a salad dressing or to pour over vegetables
- Use in a Bloody Mary
- Use as a marinade
The ways you can enjoy Fire Cider are seemingly endless due to its incredible health benefits.
The Health Benefits of Fire Cider
Let’s go over the ingredients to Fire Cider one by one. While most of the ingredients contain phytochemicals with strong antiviral, antiseptic, and digestive properties, they each have their own set of health benefits such as:
Horseradish
Horseradish helps your body fight off the following:
- Pathogenic fungi
- Flu
- Colds
- Tonsilitis
- Urinary tract infections
- Respiratory disorders
Horseradish is also good at clearing sinuses.
Ginger
Ginger helps your body in the following ways:
- Ease colds
- Help with upper respiratory tract infections
- Arthritis
- Upset stomachs
- Coughs
Ginger is also good for gut health and has both antiviral and antimicrobial properties.
Onions
Onions help boost the following:
- Cardiovascular health
- Bone and connective tissue benefits
Onions are also rich in quercetin, a strong anti-inflammatory and are an old folk remedy for colds and the flu.
Garlic
Garlic helps treat the following conditions:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Coronary heart disease
- Asthma
- Aid in balancing blood sugar
- Building the immune system
- Heart attacks
- Atherosclerosis
Garlic has both antiviral and antimicrobial properties. It’s traditionally used to ease colds, upper respiratory tract infections and warding off vampires.
Hot Peppers
Hot peppers like habanero peppers help boost your metabolism and support your metabolism. These spicy peppers can also help provide pain relief from headaches and relieve painful sinus and arthritis issues.
Hot peppers also release endorphins which can help boost your mood.
Habanero peppers boost your metabolism, and offer headache, sinus, and arthritis relief as well as releasing endorphins.
Turmeric
Turmeric is an amazing spice. Here are a few things Turmeric is known to help with:
- Delay liver damage
- Increase cancer cell’s vulnerability to chemo and radiation treatments
- Inhibit the growth of breast cancer and malignant melanoma’s
- Alleviate skin conditions
- Alleviate arthritis symptoms
Turmeric can even help reduce carcinogenic compounds in other foods.
Lemons
Lemons help reduce inflammation and water retention. Lemons also aid in digestion, treat colds and the flu, and improve the function of blood vessels.
Lemons are a good source of Vitamin C so you can ward off scurvy.
Get Creative
If you’re looking to resolve a specific health issue, it’s a good idea to do some research to find out which herb or spice can help the most. Enjoy warm, drinks, check out our 8 Health-Boosting Teas guide.
Find Out What You’re Missing
While making Fire Cider is sure to help you feel better sooner, you may need additional help. It’s important when focusing on your health to make sure you’re working on your physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
That’s not always easy and you may not know what parts you’re missing to help you heal completely. That’s where I come in. Schedule an appointment and we’ll work together to create a healing protocol just for your needs.
