Fire cider is a wellness tonic using a simple blend of herbs, vinegar and honey with a long list of health benefits. Rosemary Gladstar coining the term Fire Cider with her signature recipe back in the 70s, making these ancient old recipes mainstream and accessible. The original term, Oxymels were originally crafted to soften the unpalatable potency of certain herbs blending sweet and sour perfectly in order to reap the benefits of the herbs and satisfy the tastebuds.
What is fire cider?
Fire Cider blends together dried or fresh organic herbs, raw honey and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, a simple way of creating plant medicine and ingesting the powerful benefits on a daily basis. These oxymels allow for much creation and inspiration depending on what you are seeking, utilizing specific herbs will alter the benefits of fire cider depending on your needs. Fire Cider has a potent sweet, sour and spicy flavour making it perfect for cooking, a warm tonic or an evening night cap. Herbalists have long revered fire cider, utilizing it commonly in the colder months for coughs and colds, stagnant digestion and much more.
Benefits of fire cider
When it comes to fire cider there is no right or wrong way to go about choosing your herbs, it all depends on what you are needing at this time. The benefits of fire cider are endless and depend on what type of herbs you blend with. It is commonly crafted to boost the immune system, ease sinus congestion, stimulate stagnant digestion and for curbing those sugar and alcohol cravings. Below I've put together a list of herbs for different benefits, choosing 3 - 4 to use or whatever you have on hand is the perfect blend!
Photo by Cristina Gareau
Herbs to boost the immune system:
- Elderberries (fresh or dried)
- Honeybush
- Our Woash Immunity Tea Blend (contains most of these beneficial ingredients)
- Ginger (fresh)
- Garlic (fresh)
- Thyme (fresh)
- Horseradish (fresh)
- Cloves
- Cardamom
- Citrus (fresh rind)
- Red Clover
Herbs to aid digestion:
- Ginger (fresh)
- Garlic (fresh)
- Fennel
- Licorice
- Lemon Balm
- Dandelion
- Marshmallow
- Tumeric (fresh)
Herbs to lower stress:
- Tulsi
- Lavender
- Chamomile
- Lemon Balm
- Lemon Verbena
- Passion Flower
- Linden
Herbs for a restful sleep:
- Valerian
- Skullcap
- Passion Flower
- Chamomile
- Lemon Balm
Herbs to increase energy and activate the brain:
- Rosemary (fresh)
- Lemon Balm
- Ginkgo
- Oat Straw
- Got Kola
- Burdock Root
Different ways to use fire cider
Due to its versatility the way you use and ingest fire cider is quite endless and relies on personal preference, however here are a few ideas you may enjoy; it is great as a warming morning tonic, simply add hot water. Pour over a fresh salad or cooked veggies and rice to enhance the flavour and benefits of your meal or left overs. Use it in any recipe that calls for vinegar, or my personal favourite a shot poured over ice as an evening nightcap to curb those alcohol and sugar cravings.
To best reap the benefits of fire cider ingest 1 - 2 oz per day, taking it on its own is more potent and fast acting but enjoying it one or all of the ways listed above is highly beneficial.
How do you make fire Cider?
Making fire cider is simple and easy, however the waiting is slightly more difficult as the herbs need time to soak in the vinegar and honey to infuse and breakdown the beneficial properties. I highly suggest thinking ahead a few weeks in preparation to enjoy your fire cider concoction. In this recipe we are using our Immunity Tea Blend as it contains the herbal ingredients to make an immune boosting tonic that will help ward off the common cold, upper respiratory infections, release stagnation and congestion, increase circulation and has a delicious sweet and sour taste.
Ingredients + Equipment
- 1 litre clean glass jar with lid (you can use any size jar, adjust the amounts accordingly)
- Baking paper
- 3 cups of Immunity Tea Blend or your choice of organic dried or fresh herbs
- Unpasteurized raw apple cider vinegar
- Raw honey (local preferred)
Instructions
In a clean, dry jar pour Immunity Tea blend inside, pour the apple cider vinegar over ingredients until the jar is half full. Top off the remaining space with raw honey.
Cut a piece of baking paper large enough to cover the top of the jar, secure lid overtop. Make sure to label ingredients and date prepared.
Place your jar in a sunny window or in a dark kitchen cupboard, shaking daily. Let it stand for 2 - 4 weeks. Once the fire cider is ready, strain herbal ingredients discard in the compost and store in a clean jar with lid, enjoy daily!
IMMUNITY TEA
$14.00
Immune Boosting | Cold and Flu Soothing | Anti-viral | Nutrient Rich | Anti-inflammatory | Anti-bacterial | Best Seller A restorative blend of sweet honeybush, elderberries and spicy herbs designed to relieve common flu symptoms and boost immunity. Think lemon and honey… read more
