Rich with garlic and onion with a punch of chilis, Fire Cider is a traditional herbal remedy used to warm up the body during the cold months and support immunity during cold and flu season. Its striking blend of ginger, garlic, onion, horseradish, chilis, and other herbs gives it a potent warming quality, while apple cider vinegar and honey give it a pleasant sweet-sour flavor.
What is fire cider?
Fire Cider is an herbal remedy developed by renowned herbalist Rosemary Gladstar in the late 1970s. People take it in winter months to support the immune system at the onset of a cold, to soothe the sniffles, and as a warming tonic.
Made with common ingredients that you can find at just about any grocery store, fire cider is both easy to make and affordable. Further, due to its reliance on highly accessible ingredients like ginger, onion, garlic, and vinegar, fire cider is one of the easiest herbal remedies you can make.
Where did it start?
Strictly speaking, fire cider is an oxymel - or an herbal remedy that includes both vinegar and honey. Oxymels have been used for thousands of years, and they originate in ancient Persia and Greece.
Herbal vinegars and oxymels have been popular for years among herbalists, including herbal combinations that include onion, garlic, and hot peppers like cayenne. In the late 1970s, Rosemary Gladstar developed this particular remedy and named it Fire Cider (1). Her original recipe includes equal parts horseradish, ginger, onion, and garlic with a small amount of dried cayenne pepper.
Since that time, Fire Cider's popularity as a folk remedy skyrocketed. And now the once-obscure remedy cherished by herbalists has found mainstream popularity. Accordingly, you'll find many variations of Gladstar's original recipe.
Herbs in Fire Cider
Fire Cider depends upon five dominant herbs including ginger, onion, garlic, horseradish and hot chilis like cayenne. In addition, many home herbalists add turmeric which is strongly anti-inflammatory, rosemary which has anti-microbial properties and is a restorative tonic, or cinnamon for its warmth. I also include star anise which has a sweet, soothing quality.
When you make fire cider, you'll also add apple cider vinegar and honey. Apple cider vinegar acts as an excellent digestive aid and which helps to extract the medicinal compounds of the herbs. And honey helps soothe the body, makes the tonic more palatable and helps buffer the intensity of the herbs.
Hot Pepper are warming herbs that support circulation, and are traditionally taken at the onset of a cold.
Fresh Ginger is a warming herb with antiviral properties. (1)
Onion is a folk remedy for colds and flu, and is particularly rich in quercetin which is strongly anti-inflammatory (2).
Garlic is traditionally used to ease colds and upper respiratory tract infections, and has antiviral and antimicrobial properties. (3)
Horseradish is an excellent remedy for clearing the sinuses.
What is fire cider used for?
Like Four Thieves Vinegar, fire cider is used by herbalists to support the immune system. And many people take it to reinvigorate and restore their bodies with warming herbs. It's also an excellent general warming tonic during the cold months of winter or as a general wellness tonic. However, most people use fire cider to support immunity during cold and flu season, at the onset of sniffles, or to ward off a cold.
How much should you take?
Most people take one or two tablespoons of fire cider at a time, often diluted in water or tea. Many herbalists recommend taking a shot every 3 to 4 hours if you feel a cold coming on.
However, more than a remedy, fire cider is also an excellent food - a delicious, spicy sweet-tart tonic that you can use in place of other vinegars in vinaigrettes and other culinary preparations. Accordingly, it's a great way to consistently consume medicinal herbs regularly.
- As a wellness shot. Take a tablespoon or two straight.
- In herbal teas. Swirl a tablespoon into hot lemon-ginger tea.
- As a vinaigrette. Use fire cider in place of apple cider vinegar in your vinaigrette recipe.
- Sprinkle it over roasted vegetables. Roasted vegetables, especially earthy root vegetables, benefit from the brightness of apple cider vinegar and the zip of fire cider.
- Swirl some in soups or stews. It's excellent drizzled over lentil stew with a little sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil.
Make it Your Own
It's fairly easy to make fire cider with ingredients you can find at just about any grocery store, but there are countless variations as herbalists and home cooks transform the tonic and make it their own.
Many versions include medicinal or culinary herbs you might find available locally, while others include rarer herbs that you might find at your local herb shop or order online.
Turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory herb related to ginger, and it works synergistically with black pepper.
Cayenne powder is traditionally used in fire cider.
Citrus fruit, like lemon, can make a great addition, too. You can chop the whole fruit or just use the peel.
Thyme is both a culinary and medicinal herb and is traditionally treasured as a healing herb. It's also an expectorant and often included in herbal cough remedies. You can use either fresh or dried thyme.
Echinacea supports the immune system and the body's innate healing capacity, and you can add it to your fire cider, too. Wild echinacea is an at-risk plant, so order organic, cultivated echinacea from a reputable source.
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References
- Rosemary's Story. Free Fire Cider. (2019)
- Chang, et al. (2013) Fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) has anti-viral activity against human respiratory syncytial virus in human respiratory tract cell lines. Journal of Ethnopharmocology.
- Li, Y., Yao, J., et al (2016). Quercetin, Inflammation and Immunity. Nutrients.
- Lissiman, E., et al. (2014). Garlic for the common cold. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.
Joe says
Thanks for the recipe! I have a quick question. The jar I have is 101 ounces. Is it OK to leave some air in the jar once the ingredients are covered, or does the jar need to be filled to the top?
Emmyjoyful says
I'm not sure that I can wait a month to six weeks to try this. It smells so good, and I tried a sip. So delicious. I made two batches today. The first one I chopped and chopped and got really tired, and didn't read the recipe closely enough, so added the honey right away. The second batch I decided to try something else. I weighed all the items out except the star anise, cinnamon and honey, tossed it all in the blender with the ACV and ran it that way. Then added the cinnamon and star anise. I'll wait to add the honey until time to filter out the solids. Has anyone tried this method?
Sarah says
Sounds wonderful! I want to make your recipe and add all fresh tumeric, thyme and lemon peel. How much of each would you recommend adding?
Pat says
I’ve been drinking this everyday, mix it with water because it’s too strong straight from the jar. I absolutely love it!
Beth says
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Ann says
Wonderful recipe - thank you! We are taking some daily during these difficult times. I’m making a new batch in two jars, including fresh thyme and rosemary. The vinegar in one jar has turned a grayish green, while the other is more gold like my first batch. Any idea what might have caused that, and do you think it’s safe to use? Thanks, and be well!
Jenny says
I've never heard of vinegar turning grey-green, but I do know that garlic (and sometimes onions) will turn blueish grey due to acid's interaction with antioxidants.
dee jordan says
what would make my garlic turn light blue?
Jenny says
Allicin is an antioxidant pigment in garlic that turns blue when it is exposed to an acidic environment over time - like vinegar or fermentation. It's totally normal.
Maria says
I made my own following your recipe and am loving it. Thank you.
Lana says
I can't find fresh horseradish in my country, is there an alternative for it? Like maybe regular radish!
Jenny says
I'd increase the amount of hot pepper.
Jackie says
Leave garlic cloves whole?
Jenny says
Yes, please follow the recipe.
Heather says
While I was mixing all of the chopped items in I added the honey right in with everything, do I need to straighten it out and start over?
Dar says
I have wanted to make this for a long time—but I’ve never seen horseradish at my local grocery stores. Any ideas?
Jenny says
Try your farmers market!
Karen says
Do you store this at room temp or in the fridge?
Jenny says
Store at room temperature up to 6 months and in the fridge up to 18 months.
Linda Hawkins says
I have some "cookin". I open the jar after I shake it. It smells so good, but it is only a week old. Hope I can hold off for the 6 weeks.
Stephanie says
I love this! Can you use fresh turmeric? If so, you need to add black pepper for it to work?
Jenny says
Yes! Fresh turmeric is an excellent addition. Turmeric works synergistically with black pepper, but you can use it on its own, too!