Fire Cider Medicine

Fire cider is a traditional folk medicine that was popularized by herbal elder, Rosemary Gladstar. It combines raw apple cider vinegar with a bunch of different roots and herbs to create an amazing herbal fall/winter tonic. This is something that I make every fall. It is typically the first thing I reach for when I feel the first signs of a cold coming on.

The best part of herbal medicine (other than how well it works) is the opportunity to be creative in medicine making, but also being able to take responsibility for your own health. It is empowering to know that what you have at home in the kitchen can be so beneficial for helping yourself and your loved ones get through a cold or flu.

I like to experiment and try different formulas. The one I will share here is the one that I've found to be the most potent over the years. Feel free to play around with ratios and even what you use in it. Allow yourself to have fun!

INGREDIENTS

** for everything listed below, organic is always best.

1 large onion, chopped

8 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup horseradish, grated

1/2 cup (or slightly more) fresh ginger root, grated

1/4 cup fresh turmeric root, grated

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

1 whole lemon, cut into 4 pieces

1 small bunch of fresh thyme

DIRECTIONS

1) as you prepare the ingredients, layer them into a 1L size mason jar

2) once everything is inside the jar, cover fully with raw, organic apple cider vinegar

3) cover the jar with a lid and place on the counter

4) every day, mix it all up and then let sit in a cool, dark place. Do this for 4 weeks.

5) after 4 weeks, strain out all of the ingredients so that all that's left is liquid

6) pour the liquid into a clean jar

7) add raw, unheated honey to taste (I usually use 1/4 to 1/2 a cup).

8) cover and store in the fridge for up to 6 months

At the very first sign of a cold, take a shot of this (in a shot glass combine 1 tbs fire cider, the rest water). Sometimes I do it just as a tonic, even if I am feeling good.

For little ones you can use 1/2 tsp fie cider in a little water and add some extra raw honey for them to make it palatable. It is strong so just make sure to take a sip yourself first before giving it to your kiddo.