Fire Cider and Me Time – How to Make This Homemade Remedy

 

You know, us Mamas just have way too much “me” time….said no woman ever in the history of all time.

Because once you become a Mama, “me” time is a mythical thing you only dream of and glimpse in rare solo trips to the grocery store.  Or heck, even just solo trips to the bathroom!  Gone are the days of reading an entire book in one weekend, audiobooks are my only literary connection at this point in my life.  Remember when you and your closest girlfriends would get together and spend an entire evening sipping wine and complaining about your husbands?  Now all you get is a group text debating the best way to burn a recliner (both with and without said husband in it).

Weeks of not talking become years, and only the truest friendships last. 

These friends are more like sisters. 

I had the chance not too long ago to spend an evening with two of the sister friends in my life, and we the best time laughing, chasing babies, and making our own version of Fire Cider.

What is fire cider?

Fire cider is an herbal folk remedy that has incredible properties that support the immune system.  This spicy, vinegary, sweet concoction is packed full of anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral goodness.  With the flu season and crud floating around, we all need to be supporting our bodies during the winter months!  I’m sure you all know that I choose natural and herbal remedies for myself and my little family.  We use the highest quality essential oils for everything from natural healing to chemical-free cleaning, and I love using them in conjunction with other herbal remedies to maintain our health.

This is our spin on Fire Cider, and you can tweak it to meet your needs and taste buds.  It’s my kind of recipe, chop everything up, dump it in a jar, leave it for a month to allow time for the fermentation process, and add it to everything.  You can use this as a base for dressings and marinades, or take it as a shot with equal parts cider and honey.  It’s super simple and versatile, and so good for you.

Star ingredients for this fire cider recipe

Citrus

The citrus used in the fire cider helps with the flavor, but also adds health benefits! It is well known that orange juice is a great source of vitamin C which can help shorten colds, but citrus also has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. 

Onion and garlic

Garlic has some really potent properties for immune health! It may seem crazy to add garlic and onion to a concoction to drink, but they are a great natural remedy for colds. The medicinal properties of fresh garlic have been used in herbal medicine for a long time, and for good reason! Among the many health benefits, garlic is amazing for the common cold! Onion may be less known for its health properties, but it has a wide variety of uses too including for sore throats, cough, and the flu. 

Ginger, Turmeric and Horseradish

Ginger, turmeric, and horseradish really pack a punch! They add a strong flavor, but they are also a powerful thing for their medicinal properties! Fresh ginger is known to help with a wide variety of ailments and is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and can even help with nausea. Fresh turmeric is known for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties and fresh horseradish can help relieve colds and breathing issues and clear sinuses. If possible it is best to use fresh ingredients. If you can find fresh horseradish root at your local grocery store it is worth getting. But if you are in a pinch you can use prepared horseradish in a jar. Just be sure to read the ingredients label and get one that doesn’t have added ingredients. If you need to use powdered ginger or turmeric you can, but it tends to settle at the bottom of the jar. 

Spicy peppers

Well, it’s called fire cider for a reason! The hot peppers bring the heat, but the spiciness is not just there for the name, they bring medicinal and health benefits too! Chili peppers such as jalapeño and cayenne are high in vitamin C and have anti-inflammatory properties. And black peppercorns are high in antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory. 

Herbs

There are many fresh herbs that you can use as an herbal remedy! I chose to use rosemary, thyme, and oregano, but you can use whatever you have in your herb garden or get from the grocery store. You can add different herbs to change the flavor profile and get creative here! These medicinal herbs add flavor as well as healing properties for the common cold, sore throats, cough, and more.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is full of probiotics and can help boost your immune system. You will want to use unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with “the mother” for full health benefits. It has been used for centuries for its effects on the common cold.

Raw Honey

Raw honey means that it has not been filtered or pasteurized. It is straight from the honeycomb! If possible, try to use local honey. Raw honey has so many health benefits, it is pretty amazing! It has antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties that can help you when you are feeling a cold coming on or even for sore throats and coughs. 

How to make Fire Cider

You’ll Need….

-1 grapefruit
-1 orange
-zest and juice of 1 lemon
-2 Jalapeños 
-1 onion, coarsely chopped
-1/2 cup ginger root, chopped or grated
-1/2 cup turmeric root, chopped or grated (I used powder, but it tends to settle at the bottom even after strained.)
-1/2 cup horseradish root, chopped or grated
-8- to 10 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
-1 tbsp whole peppercorns
-1 tsp cayenne pepper
-fresh herb sprigs (rosemary, thyme, oregano)
-raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
-local raw honey

Throw it together….

Now, this is the part that gets reaaallly tricky.  A super technical recipe, this one. You put all of the ingredients into a quart jar, pour apple cider vinegar in to top it off, and put the lid on and give it a shake.  Whew! Good work Mama, you’ve earned yourself a glass of wine!

You’ll notice the glass pictured above is only half-full…it was a lot of chopping and such.  I could’ve said half empty, but I’m just a silver lining kinda gal. 

We weren’t super technical about measuring (did I mention wine?) and ended up with four quart-sized jars.  Since the ACV is so acidic, you’ll want to put a piece of parchment paper under the lid to prevent the metal ring from rusting.  Then you just tuck this baby away in a cool dark place for a month.  You need to shake it daily to keep errrything mixed up in there, then strain it through cheesecloth at the end of the month and discard the strained pulp.  This beautiful, tangy, golden goodness can be stored in a glass jar right in your pantry and keeps well for up to six months!

I’ve used the final product as a base for dressings and sauces and you can even take a shot of fire cider warmed with honey and whiskey to ease sore throats.  I really love how versatile it is, and it has a great flavor!

What are you doing to keep your family healthy during this sickly time of year?