Fire cider is an apple cider vinegar infusion that can be taken as a daily tonic to prevent colds and flus. This herbal folk remedy is an immune booster filled with anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, sinus-opening, circulation-stimulating ingredients that will warm up your system and keep the cold from setting in. Taken before meals, this tonic also can also help to improve digestion. It takes one month for fire cider to be ready, so get yours going today to be ready for fall.

Fire Cider is incredibly easy to prepare. Simply chop up your onion, peel and smash the garlic cloves, and peel and grate the ginger. Place these ingredients, along with any “extras” in a clean and dry mason jar, and cover with apple cider vinegar. After a month, strain out and compost the solid ingredients, stir the raw honey into the vinegar and transfer your elixer to the fridge for storage. You can take about 1 tablespoon of fire cider (mixed in a little bit of water or as a shot) every day before a meal or up to 3 tablespoons/day if you feel like you are coming down with a cold or the flu.

A few notes:
— Be sure to use a piece of parchment or waxed paper under the metal lid to prevent the acidic vinegar from causing the lid to corrode. We don’t want any rust in our medicine.
— I recommend working with all organic ingredients for this brew.
— Make sure that your apple cider vinegar is unpasteurized (meaning it still contains all those beneficial microbes). I like Bragg’s Raw Apple Cider Vinegar.

Fire Cider

Makes 1 quart

1 small yellow onion, sliced
2 heads garlic, peeled and smashed
1 3-inch piece horseradish, peeled and grated
2 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
Optional: cayenne pepper (doesn’t need a lot), citrus peels (from one lemon or orange), turmeric (2 inch piece peeled and grated), rosemary sprigs (a few), bay leaves (a few), sage (small handful), elderberries (up to ½ cup), juniper berries (about 10)
Unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
½ cup raw honey

Place onion, garlic, horseradish, ginger, and any other desired ingredients into a clean and dried quart jar. Fill jar with enough apple cider vinegar to cover.
Place a piece of waxed paper over the top of the jar and then screw on the lid. Shake well and label with date and ingredients. Leave on the countertop for four weeks, shaking daily.
After four weeks, strain out onion and other ingredients. Add honey and stir well to combine.
Store in fridge and take 1 tablespoon daily during cold and flu season or 1 tablespoon 3x/day if sick.