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Homemade Fire Cider Immune Booster

Homemade Fire Cider

A potent, spicy, and sweet herbal wellness tonic made by infusing powerful ingredients like ginger, horseradish, and garlic in apple cider vinegar.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 32 servings
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: American
Calories: 11
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium onion about 200g, coarsely chopped
  • 1 head of garlic about 10-12 cloves, coarsely chopped
  • 100 g fresh ginger root grated or finely chopped
  • 100 g fresh horseradish root grated or finely chopped
  • 50 g fresh turmeric root grated or finely chopped (or 2 tbsp dried turmeric powder)
  • 2 medium oranges washed and sliced into rounds
  • 2 lemons washed and sliced into rounds
  • 2-3 small hot chillies (like bird's eye), sliced
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • A few sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme optional
  • Approx. 1 litre raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
  • 125-250 ml raw honey to taste

Method
 

  1. Prepare Your Jar: You'll need a large, clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid – a 1.5 to 2-litre preserving jar is ideal. Ensure it's thoroughly washed and dried.
  2. Chop and Grate: Prepare all your solid ingredients. Coarsely chop the onion and garlic. Grate the ginger, horseradish, and turmeric roots. I find that using the grating attachment on a food processor makes this step much quicker and saves your knuckles. Slice the oranges, lemons, and chillies.
  3. Layer the Ingredients: Start layering all the chopped and grated ingredients into your jar – the onion, garlic, ginger, horseradish, turmeric, citrus slices, chillies, and any optional herbs. Pack them down lightly as you go.
  4. Add Spices: Sprinkle the black peppercorns and cayenne pepper over the layered ingredients.
  5. Pour the Vinegar: Slowly pour the apple cider vinegar over the ingredients in the jar. Pour until everything is completely submerged. You may need to use a spoon to press everything down to release any air bubbles. The ingredients must be covered by at least an inch of vinegar.
  6. Seal the Jar: If you are using a metal lid, place a piece of parchment paper between the jar and the lid to prevent the vinegar from corroding the metal. Screw the lid on tightly.
  7. Infuse and Shake: Store the jar in a cool, dark place (like a kitchen cupboard) for 4 weeks. Give the jar a good shake every day, or as often as you remember. This helps the infusion process along.
  8. Strain the Cider: After 4 weeks, line a sieve or colander with a piece of cheesecloth or muslin and place it over a large bowl or jug. Pour the contents of the jar through it. Gather the corners of the cloth and squeeze firmly to get every last drop of liquid out. You can compost the leftover solids.
  9. Add Honey: Gently warm the honey if it's very thick (do not boil it, as this can destroy its beneficial properties). Pour the strained fire cider liquid into a clean bowl and whisk in the raw honey until it's fully dissolved. Start with 125ml and add more to your personal taste.
  10. Bottle and Store: Pour the finished homemade fire cider into clean glass bottles or jars with non-metallic lids. It will keep in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

Notes

The 4-week infusion time is passive. Store the finished cider in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Take 1-2 tablespoons daily as a wellness boost.