This fire cider recipe is my go-to when cold and flu season hits. This spicy, tangy, immune-boosting tonic is made with simple ingredients and is one of my favorite natural remedies, right up there with fermented garlic and honey.
Fire cider recipes have been used for generations to support immunity, boost circulation, and warm you from the inside out. Fire cider is made with apple cider vinegar, raw honey, and a mix of roots, citrus, and spices. The blend your great grandparents probably swore by!
A shot of this fiery potion will warm you up, clear your sinuses, and remind those pesky germs they picked the wrong house! Then try my switchel recipe!
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What is Fire Cider?
Fire cider is a traditional herbal tonic made by infusing raw apple cider vinegar with powerful ingredients like garlic, ginger, horseradish, onion, and chili peppers. After steeping for weeks, it's strained and sweetened with raw honey. The result is a tangy, spicy-sweet liquid that's used to support immunity, boost digestion, and warm you up from the inside out, especially during cold and flu season.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Roots: Horseradish, ginger, and turmeric.
- Citrus: Orange, lime, and lemon.
- Vegetables: Onion, garlic, jalapenos, and serrano pepper.
- Fresh herbs: I added fresh sprigs of thyme and mint. Sage, rosemary, and Italian parsley are also great additions.
- Seasoning & spices: Black peppercorn, dried cayenne peppers, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves. Some people also add whole anise.
- Optional add-ins: Rose hips and juniper berries.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make This Fire Cider Recipe
- Add chopped onion, crushed garlic, peeled and sliced horseradish, chopped turmeric root, and shredded ginger to a sterilized ½ -gallon jar. Top with sliced peppers.
- Add cinnamon stick, cloves, thyme and mint sprigs, crushed juniper berries, rose hips, and sliced citrus. Top with peppercorns, then pour apple cider vinegar over the ingredients until they're submerged.
Pro Tip: When you smash/chop garlic, a compound called allicin is created. This is what gives garlic many of its health-boosting properties. Letting the garlic rest for 10 to 15 minutes before adding it to the jar allows this reaction to develop.
- Shake well, label, then store in a cool, dark spot for 4 weeks, shaking daily, or when you remember.
- Strain vinegar through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Stir in raw honey to taste, start with 1 cup, and adjust from there.
How to Use Fire Cider
Take 1 to 2 tablespoons of this fire cider recipe as a tonic during cold and flu season. Mix with hot water and more honey for a soothing tea. Mix with olive oil and splash over roasted veggies or salad for a tangy-spicy kick. Use as a pick-me-up when you're feeling run down.
Storage
Store fire cider in flip-top bottles in the pantry for up to a year. Another option is to refrigerate the fire cider.
Variations
Fire cider recipes are as unique as the people who prepare them. There are so many other ingredient options to choose from! Try adding any of the following:
- Red onion or scallions instead of yellow onion
- Ripe elderberries
- Sage, rosemary, or Italian parsley
- Powdered turmeric, crushed red pepper flakes, and whole anise
FAQs
Up to a year, when stored in a cool, dark place.
Yes, but honey balances the acidity and heat, while adding its own antimicrobial properties.
Absolutely! Especially when used in moderation. The combination of raw apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and horseradish packs antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Because it's fiery! Between the horseradish, garlic, and chiles, it brings serious heat, but that's exactly what makes it so effective!
Helpful Equipment
To make this fire cider recipe, you need a ½ gallon-sized jar. I love these because they're the perfect size, you get more than one, and they have a glass lid, so you don't have to worry about the vinegar corroding the lids when you shake the jar. If you do use a jar with a metal lid, protect the lid with a piece of parchment paper.
You'll also need a sharp knife and a cutting board. A grater comes in handy for grating the ginger. A fermenting weight is optional, but helpful to keep the ingredients submerged. Once the fire cider is ready, you'll need a fine mesh sieve to strain it, a whisk to incorporate the honey, and some flip-top bottles to store it.
Pro Tips
- Combining peppercorns and turmeric gives that fire cider an anti-inflammatory boost.
- Slice ingredients thinly to infuse faster.
- For a milder taste, use less horseradish and more citrus.
- Don't forget to label the jar with the date to keep track of how long it's been steeping.
- If it's too fiery, dilute with more vinegar or honey.
- Fire cider gets better with age. The flavors mellow and blend beautifully over time.
More Homemade Remedies
If you enjoy this fire cider recipe, try these related recipes!
Recipe
How to Make Fire Cider
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 large head of garlic (peeled/crushed)
- 10 oz fresh horseradish (peeled & sliced)
- 3 oz fresh turmeric (chopped)
- 3 oz fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 tablespoon rosehips (optional)
- 2 tablespoon cayenne peppers (dried chopped, optional)
- 2 jalapenos (sliced)
- 1 serrano pepper (sliced)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon juniper berries (optional)
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 3 sprigs mint
- 1 medium lime (sliced)
- 1 medium lemon (sliced)
- 2 medium mandarine oranges (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon peppercorn (crushed)
- 5 cups apple cider vinegar (including mother)
- ⅓ cup raw honey (more or less per taste)
Instructions
- Add chopped onion, crushed garlic, peeled and sliced horseradish, chopped turmeric root, and shredded ginger to a sterilized ½ -gallon jar. Top with sliced peppers.
- Add cinnamon stick, cloves, thyme and mint sprigs, crushed juniper berries, rose hips, and sliced citrus. Top with peppercorns, then pour apple cider vinegar over the ingredients until they're submerged.
- Shake well, label, then store in a cool, dark spot for 4 weeks, shaking daily, or when you remember.
- Strain vinegar through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Stir in raw honey to taste, start with 1 cup, and adjust from there.
- Pour into fliptop bottles and store in the pantry, or refrigerate.
Notes
- When you smash/chop garlic, a compound called allicin is created. This is what gives garlic many of its health-boosting properties. Letting the garlic rest for 10 to 15 minutes before adding it to the jar allows this reaction to develop.
- Combining peppercorns and turmeric gives that fire cider an anti-inflammatory boost.
- Slice ingredients thinly to infuse faster.
- For a milder taste, use less horseradish and more citrus.
- Don't forget to label the jar with the date to keep track of how long it's been steeping.
- If it's too fiery, dilute with more vinegar or honey.
- Fire cider gets better with age. The flavors mellow and blend beautifully over time.
Hilda Sterner says
Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!
Sarah R says
I love a good fire cider! This is a great recipe, Hilda. Thanks for sharing your take on this age-old, chest-burning elixir for the colder seasons!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Sarah! I'm trying to cover all the bases with fermented garlic, oxymel, fire cider, switchel, and coming soon Amish Amoxicillin!