Fire Cider

Its a nice quiet Friday morning in New Hampshire, the cloud cover from hurricane Sandy is finally breaking after its 4th day and we have some scattered sunshine peaking out this afternoon. Im sitting enjoying a cup of tea with my dog's head tucked under my arm as she is helping me post this blog today. She could possibly be the best dog ever, whenever Im sick (like today being the third day of the seasonal cold) she refuses to leave my side and i feel all her love and trust flow between us when we're curled up this way. Dog is definately this woman's best friend.

On to more important business. Since I do have a nasty bit of a cold I would like to share a recipe for fire cider!

Fire Cider is an age old folk remedy that is antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and basic all around immune boosting. The ingredients are proven to improve circulation and generally promote good health. 1 teaspoon of this tincture when you feel the sniffles come on should help boost your immune system and fight off more serious symptoms. Some people take 1 teaspoon a day during the duration of cold and flu season to ensure that they're health is in good working order. (Note: not an alternative to seeking medical assistance. Always consult your physician before taking any alternative/herbal treatments for any conditions. Dosage may vary based on preference, taste, and size of person. Recipes call for 1/2 teaspoon to 1 oz per dose but again dosage varies person to person. I am not a physician, I just prefer to care for my own health and the health of my family in the most natural ways possible) well not that the disclaimer has been established, let us begin!

You will need:
1/2 cup fresh grated ginger root
1/2 cup fresh grated horseradish root
1 medium onion, chopped
10 cloves of garlic, crushed or chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
Several sprigs of fresh rosemary or 2 tbsp of dried rosemary leaves
1 tbsp Turmeric Poweder
 apple cider vinegar
raw local honey to taste

One Big Jar

Start by grating the horseradish and the ginger root. (by the way if youre doing this like I did while having a cold, youre in for a sinus opening surprise!) place in bottom of jar. Next I chopped the onion and the jalapeno (be sure to save all the seeds) and also placed in the jar.

  Take the lemon and grate it into the top of the jar. Use as much of the rind as you can before you get down to the flesh. Once you have done that chop the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the jar as well. I used a neat gadget that is a measuring cup/grater/juicer/other stuff. (Thanks gram!) so with just one tool I did all of my grating of the initial roots as well as the lemon and the juicing with only dirtying one dish.

After the lemon I chopped up the garlic just roughly and added them to the jar, and crushed up the springs of rosemary and stuffed them in too. Top it all off with turmeric and apple cider vinegar and you've made yourself some Fire Cider!

To finish up be sure to add cider vinegar all the way to the top, and place a layer of wax or parchment paper between the glass mouth of the jar and the metal rim of the lid because the vinegar WILL CAUSE EROSION. no wiggle room on that one. you want to place this concoction in a shady place (so basically not in direct sunlight, put it on a low shelf or in a cupboard) and be sure to shake once a day for a month. After 4-6 weeks it will be ready to be strained and put in a new clean jar for keeping. It has a shelf life after straining of at least 2 years. 

To take: when the sniffles start coming on during the dreaded cold and flu season take 1 teaspoon once to twice a day. Sweeten with raw local honey to taste (its okay if you need alot of honey, its only gonna help the cause) and take like a shooter.

Now as much fun as this was to make today, unfortunately its not going to help me in the cold I am battling. Thats ok. The next time I get sick or someone in my house does, we will have Fire Cider at the ready to knock the cold on its arse. Bright Blessings to you all and may good health go with you!

Ivy