I always find it amusing that people are happy to go and buy a tonic or a syrup with a fancy label and clever marketing, or because their doctor says so, but they aren't willing to make it themselves, even if they're told how. Close to me is a company that makes fire cider, cleverly packaging and marketed and very hipster, and it's ridiculously expensive for vinegar and herbs. People are familiar with this probiotic, nutrient rich and immune boosting product, but in my experience, they don't feel confident in making it themselves, or simply don't believe me that it's that easy and every bit as good as the stuff you buy at wholefoods or a trendy cafe.
So every year I write about fire cider, and beg people to make it.
This year I made probably the nicest fire cider I have ever made.
Wait - I should probably back up a little for those who don't know what fire cider is. It's a folk remedy said to have been created by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar in the 1970's, and is really an oxymel (a kind of herbal extraction made with vinegar, raw honey and plants). Sometimes it's called 'fire tonic' - the 'fire' is from the chillis and horseradish that is designed to warm up the body and support immunity especially during winter months when cold and flu sweeps through.
Traditional recipes call for horseradish, garlic, onion and chillis, as well as ginger, turmeric, black pepper and, depending on what recipe you are following, other herbs.
Fire cider on the go - here you can see the top with knobs of ginger, whole red chillis, oregano and thyme
My recipe changes from year to year, mainly because I don't measure. In fact, the method goes something like this:
Take random amounts of the ingredients, stuff a jar half full with them, and top up with raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother) and raw honey. Leave for six weeks to infuse.
Easy, huh?
I like to think of my fire tonic as warming, sure, but also nourishing, so adding lots of herbs that help the body be supported to heal itself with the onset of a cold or even nourish the body to protect it from getting a darn cold in the first place is A-okay to throw in the jar.
I basically walk around the garden and pick handfuls of every medicinal herb I can find to add to the base ingredients of turmeric, ginger and chilli (I don't always have horseradish, so often omit it - this year, I'm growing it to solve that problem). Rosemary as it's restorative and anti-microbial, oregano for treating fevers and respiratory symptoms, beautiful thyme for it's decongestant, antiviral, antimicrobial, expectorant, antibiotic,and rejuvenative properties, sage because it's brilliant for sore throats. Turmeric is a wonderful anti-inflammatory and ginger is excellent for pain relief and, like sage, good for sore throats. Chilli gives it such a kick and helps clear out the sinus passages (and makes it really fun to give people a shot and watch their face!). This year it's jalapenos that make the mix.
Collecting ingredients - powdered turmeric is okay, but fresh grated turmeric are even better.
This year I added a few big handfuls of elecampane to the mix, which I've never done before. I'd seen someone do it online, and it sounded perfect, especially for someone prone to lung issues like me, being asthmatic. It's an expectorant, decongestant, antibacterial, stimulant, restorative, carminative - wow! If you'd like to read a fascinating article on elecampane, try this one - she talks about using it for her son who had a cough brought on by swine flu:
He had this lingering cough that was getting worse and worse to the point where he seemed to be coughing constantly. I was beginning to become concerned about pneumonia and had been trying other cough remedies such as Wild Cherry bark, Mullein, and Coltsfoot; all to no avail. I was actually considering a trip to the ER but, remembering my past experience with Elecamapne, I decided to try one more thing. I have always used an average dosage of about 20-40 drops of tincture which equals about 1/2 of a teaspoon for an adult, although I have seen dosages notated at up to 1 teaspoon. I would recommend anyone using this for the first time to start with no more than 10 drops. I gave him 1/4 of a teaspoon for the first dose. Within an hour the coughing subsided to about half as often. In other words, he was breathing in between coughing spells. After the second dose he was only coughing occasionally and by the next day the cough was nearly gone.
This year, elecampane root is a highlight of my fire cider.
Elecampane contains inulin, which is why I think this fire cider tastes even better than previous years - there's a different kind of sweetness to it than usual.
I drink fire cider all winter - a spoonful or so in water daily seems to prevent me getting a cold, or perhaps just knocks it flat if it's coming. I also add it to salads year round - and sometimes I even swill it neat.
I challenge you to give it a go this year. Ask your neighbours if they have any of the medicinal herbs you seek, or grow them on a windowsill specifically for fire cider, or find them at a local market. Make sure you get a good quality apple cider vinegar with the mother, and raw honey as well, which is also beneficial for colds and flu (it has antimicrobial properties). If you're in the northern hemisphere, you'll have plenty of time for it to brew before next winter, and if you're in the southern, it's not too late to make a batch ready for the depths of winter.
It really is an easy medicine to make, and one I'm sure you'll make every year.
