Easy Homemade Fire Cider Recipe
Fire cider is THE ultimate cold and flu buster! Packed full of powerful antiviral herbs, fire cider is a traditional folk remedy that packs a potent punch. Don’t wait, get this brewing so you’ll be ready for cold and flu season or when a sore throat hits.
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What is fire cider?
In basic terms, fire cider is an infused vinegar, made with a variety of herbs that have antiviral and antibacterial properties. It’s used as a natural remedy especially in the winter months when sickness is more common.
With a base of raw apple cider vinegar, homemade fire cider is a tonic traditionally used to boost the immune system and accelerate healing in times of sickness. Common ingredients included are: hot peppers like cayenne pepper or jalapeno, ginger root, horseradish root, turmeric root, garlic, onion, citrus fruits like orange and lemon, and medicinal herbs.
As a side note, when taking turmeric, always grind up a little black pepper and take with it as it’s been proven to greatly increase the bioavailability of the chemical constituents in the turmeric.
Did you know…black pepper increases the bioavailability of curcumin, the polyphenol in turmeric by 2,000%? Yep, you read that right, 2,000%! You can read more about it here.
Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
(makes two 1/2 gallon mason jars)
* dried rose hips would make a great addition as they’re very high in vitamin c!
You’ll also need a clean jar or 2, a knife and cutting board, and a marker to label your jars with the date. A food processor is nice to have but not completely necessary.
Since we’re making fire cider to use as medicine, I recommend getting organic ingredients if at all possible. You can see my favorite place to source organic fire cider ingredients toward the bottom of the post.
Homemade Fire Cider Recipe:
- chop horseradish, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and peppers and divide between two 1/2 gallon jars
- add fresh herbs if using
- slice onion, lemons, and oranges and add to your jar
- pour apple cider vinegar over contents to cover completely
- use a fermenting weight to keep all ingredients submerged below the vinegar
- cover with a plastic lid or a metal lid lined with a piece of parchment paper
- let sit in a cool dark place for a minimum of 4-6 weeks or until ready to use
- when ready to use, strain using a fine mesh strainer or a piece of cloth, squeezing and pressing to get out as much liquid as possible.
- Store your final product in a cool place or in your refrigerator.
Find the measurements and full recipe below!
Jump to Recipe
Homemade Fire Cider Recipe
Equipment
- a clean jar or 2
- knife and cutting board
- marker to label your jars
- food processor, optional but nice to have
Ingredients
- 1 gallon raw apple cider vinegar
- 2 large pieces fresh turmeric root
- 2 large pieces fresh horseradish root
- 2 large pieces fresh ginger root
- 2 onions
- 4 bulbs fresh garlic
- 2 lemons
- 2 oranges
- 4 hot peppers, jalepeno or cayenne work good
- fresh herbs of your choice
- * dried rose hips would make a great addition as they’re very high in vitamin c!
Instructions
- chop horseradish, turmeric, ginger, and garlic and divide between two 1/2 gallon jars
- add fresh herbs if using
- slice onion, lemons, and oranges and add to your jar
- pour apple cider vinegar over contents to cover completely
- use a fermenting weight to keep all ingredients submerged below the vinegar
- cover with a plastic lid or a metal lid lined with a piece of parchment paper
- let sit in a cool dark place for a minimum of 4-6 weeks or until ready to use
- when ready to use, strain using a fine mesh strainer or a piece of cloth, squeezing and pressing to get out as much liquid as possible.
- Store your final product in a cool place or in your refrigerator.
Notes
Where to find organic fire cider ingredients?
If you can’t find good organic horseradish, turmeric, and ginger in your local grocery store, Azure Standard is my favorite place to order hard to find organic ingredients from! Check them out using the links below!
organic horseradish
organic ginger
organic turmeric
organic apple cider vinegar
organic black pepper
1/2 gallon mason jars
*I’d recommend checking Walmart. They’re much cheaper.
Infused Vinegar Vs. Tincture
Making herbal vinegars instead of tinctures is a great way to extract all of the goodness out of herbs, especially if you’re trying to stay away from alcohol. Not only that, but if you’re using unpasteurized apple cider vinegar to make your infused vinegar, it has amazing health benefits all by itself!
And if you want the benefits of a tincture but way easier on the taste buds, a glycerite is the next best thing. Vegetable glycerine is sweet in taste and is usually a much better way to get kids to take herbs.
This is the glycerine that I’ve used and I’ve had no complaints:
food grade vegetable glycerine
Tips for taking this spicy tonic
Fire cider is really strong and can be hard to get down, especially for children. I’ve been semi-successful getting my kids to drink it by diluting a small amount in a glass of water and adding in a bit of local honey…or a lot! And of course, it’s preferable to use raw honey so you get all of the benefits of the honey as well.
I just put mine in a shot glass and shoot it down. My husband prefers to put his shot of fire cider in a small amount of milk.
However you take your fire cider tonic, be sure to add in a little freshly ground black pepper to really help the turmeric work better!
You can even use your finished fire cider to make a tangy salad dressing! This one looks like a good one to try.
As with all herbal remedies, it’s best to start slow and pay attention to how your body reacts. This is not medical advice and you may want to consult with a doctor or knowledgable herbalist before taking any natural remedies, especially pregnant women as many herbs are not safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Fire Cider FAQ
Q: How long does fire cider last?
A: Because of the acidic nature of vinegar, fire cider has a very long shelf life. Some sources say 12-18 months.
Q: How often should you drink fire cider?
A: For a preventative against sickness, you could take it once a day or if you know you’ve been exposed to something. For an acute situation, we take a shot 2-3 times a day.
Q: Is fire cider anti-inflammatory?
A: Because of the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric and ginger, your fire cider tonic will also contain those anti-inflammatory properties.
Q: Does fire cider become alcoholic?
A: In general, no since fire cider isn’t fermented. What we’re making here is an infused vinegar, not a ferment.
Q: Can kids have fire cider?
A: Yes, all of the ingredients are safe for children, if you can get them to drink it! Be sure to dilute the fire cider and give much smaller doses than you would for an adult.
Did you make your own fire cider?
Mention us @thislovelylittlefarmhouse so we can see your creations! You can also leave a comment below! And as always, thanks for reading!
