Fire Cider: call it a folk remedy, health tonic, or homeopathic remedy, but one thing is certain, and that is that it’s delicious.
Raw apple cider vinegar is infused with the health promoting ingredients ginger, garlic, onions, citrus fruit, horseradish, turmeric, and hot pepper, then mixed with raw honey to balance the tart spiciness of the vinegar.
Fire Cider
This Fire Cider Health Tonic and Homeopathic Remedy recipe stands as one of the most popular on my blog. The beauty of this, beyond its all-star cast of healthy ingredients, is that it just plain tastes wonderful.
Well, okay, we MAINLY drink it because we like it, but the health benefits are nice.
Important Note: I am NOT under any circumstances claiming this will cure anything. I’m laying out a recipe that is both delicious and nutritious. I am also explaining some of the purported health benefits of the ingredients that go INTO the recipe.
This post is no substitute for professional medical advice, but is a classic folk tonic/remedy. I trust you all to use your own best judgment in the manner.
What is fire cider?
I have a little true story to explain to you how a girl who makes Kielbasa in Air Fryer and Dubai Chocolate Brownies also makes Fire Cider Health Tonic.
It all began with me hopping in my car and driving eight and a half hours to Maine to spend four days with my friends. We spent our days wandering Portland, Maine eating donuts, duck fat french fries, ice cream, bubble tea, cookies, more duck fat fries, fried cheese curds, fried chicken skin banh mi, bacon dusted french fries, and washing it down with beer.
It was great stuff, but oy. We were overstuffed.
We wandered into the a shop where the clerk enthusiastically offered a sample of something called Fire Cider to us. Given that I have been known to drink pickle juice and/or a shot of raw apple cider vinegar each morning (more on the health benefits of that in a moment), it didn’t take much to convince me to try it.
It was a SHAZAAM moment. It was exactly what we all needed to de-sluggify all of us after our rich food benders. One of my girlfriends gasped and exclaimed that it instantly cured her heartburn.
My friends each grabbed a bottle. I grabbed two.
When I got home, my husband looked at me sideways when I told him what it was, but he drank the sip I gave him and his eyes grew huge as he declared, “THIS IS GREAT! We’re going to need to keep this around!”
Fire Cider Controversy
I went online to order a larger quantity and discovered that the manufacturer had a bit of fire cider controversy surrounding them because fire cider was an old folk remedy and health tonic made by many herbalists and the company had trademarked the name. Okay, well, knowing me, you’ll probably have realized at this point that when I read I could make my own, that was a foregone conclusion.
The controversy has since been settled and the courts have decided that the company can no longer own the trademark for Fire Cider. And you may have noticed fire cider is sold just about everywhere now. But you can make a gallon or so for the same price you’d pay for a tiny bottle in stores.
Fire Cider Benefits
How is fire cider good for you? It’s full of vitamins and minerals, is anti-fungal and anti-viral. And it makes a great, non-narcotic cough suppressant and throat soother!
What is this magic? It’s all about the ingredients.
Fresh horseradish is known to be effective against the flu and common cold, tonsilitis, respiratory disorders, urinary tract infections, and pathenogenic fungus.
Ginger is used to treat arthritis, muscle pain, upset stomach (motion and morning sickness and general nausea), gas, upper respiratory tract infections, and cough.
Onions are used to boost cardiovascular health, bone and connective tissue benefits, and as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Garlic is used to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, heart attack, atherosclerosis, asthma, building the immune system, help level blood sugar, and is used topically to treat fungal infections.
Habanero peppers boost your metabolism, and offer headache, sinus, and arthritis relief as well as releasing endorphins.
Benefits of Fire Cider
Oranges are great for heart health. A part of a best-case-scenario-anti-cancer-diet, fighting cholesterol, to help in weight loss, and to break up or prevent kidney stones, oranges are invaluable.
Lemons are known to aid in digestion, alleviate Meniere’s Disease, kidney stones, and ringing of the ears. They’re also a cure for scurvy (chronic lack of Vitamin C) and treat colds and flu. Lemons also improve the function of blood vessels, and reduce inflammation and retention of water.
Turmeric is pretty much a cancer fighting beast. It’s known to delay liver damage and reduce carcinogenic compounds in other foods. It’s been shown to make cancer cells more vulnerable to chemo and radiation and inhibit the growth of malignant melanoma and breast cancer. As a bonus, it can alleviate arthritis symptoms and skin conditions.
Maybe I should let the experts describe what the main compound in turmeric -cucurmin- does. Advanced Experimental Medical Biology in 2007 states: “Curcumin has been shown to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities and thus has a potential against various malignant diseases, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic illnesses.”
Raw apple cider vinegar is known to be a good source of acetic and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), mineral salts, amino acids, and other key components of good nutrition. But it is also a well-loved folk remedy thought to ease digestion, fight obesity and diabetes, kill lice, and reverse some signs of aging.
Does it do all of that? I doubt it. But it surely tastes good and its nutritional value is undisputed.
Raw honey (locally produced) is a fantastic, all-natural fighter of seasonal allergies. It’s best to choose raw, locally produced honey for the benefits listed above. Because bees collect pollen from flowers in your area and then convert it to honey to feed their hives, eating raw, local honey is like a tasty allergy shot.
The second choice is raw honey from anywhere. The third choice would be pasteurized commercial honey.
Fire Cider Recipe
There’s not too much to this, just grate or chop everything up and put it in a jar. But I do want to caution you about a couple of things.
If you cannot or will not use a plastic lid, do lay a piece of parchment paper on the rim of the jar before fixing your lid in place. Raw apple cider vinegar is quite likely to rust or discolour a canning jar lid.
You’d hate to have all your waiting and work ruined by a rusted lid. Replace that parchment sheet every week or so.
I prefer to use Bragg’s Raw Apple Cider Vinegar for my Fire Cider. I always keep it on hand because I love the flavour.
Because it still has the ‘mother’ in it, it packs a higher nutritional punch. Wegmans, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods also have in-house brand versions that are great.
I’d advise you to use organic produce if at all possible. This way you won’t be infusing your lovely health tonic with anything you wouldn’t want to have in it.
When you grate your horseradish, make sure you do it in a well-ventilated area or you will regret it. That stuff packs some serious oomph and will empty your sinuses in 30 seconds flat.
You may reserve the solids, dehydrate and grind them to use a spice blend or discard them. Either is fine!
You’ll notice there is not an actual quantity of honey listed in the recipe. You should add this to taste.
We tend to like ours less sweet, you may prefer yours more so. Start with 1/4 cup and whisk it well, then add 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking and tasting after each addition, until you reach your desired sweetness.
Store your finished Fire Cider Health Tonic & Homeopathic Remedy in a sterilized wine bottle or canning jar. It keeps well in a cool, dark cabinet for up to a year.
What Is Fire Cider Good for?
Oh! I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that the finished Fire Cider is fabulous as a dressing for cooked greens or in salad dressings. Boost your health while enjoying your dinner!
Guys. Gals. Friends, Romans, Countrymen… I have put Fire Cider IN A COCKTAIL. It was magical. Please experiment and report back.
How much Fire Cider to Take Daily?
We drink a tablespoon (or more!) every morning to maintain health. When we feel ill, we take a slightly larger dose of Fire Cider to help boost our immune system. Word has it on the street that it’s an extremely effective hangover cure.
So, I want to know… are you curious enough to try it? What do you think?
Fire Cider: Health Tonic and Homeopathic Remedy
Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 large horseradish root scrubbed very well, about 7 inches long
- 1 large ginger root about 7 inches long
- 1 large onion root and stem end removed and peeled
- 1 large orange do NOT peel. Use the whole fruit.
- 1 lemon do NOT peel. Use the whole fruit.
- 16 cloves of garlic peeled
- 2-4 habanero peppers stems removed
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- raw apple cider vinegar
- raw honey
Instructions
- Grate the horseradish and ginger roots. Roughly chop the onions, orange, lemon, garlic, and habanero peppers. Stuff them into a half-gallon glass jar with a tight fitting lid or divide evenly between two quart sized canning jars. Sprinkle the turmeric in on top (dividing evenly between the two jars if using quart jars). Pour the raw apple cider vinegar in over the contents, allowing it to settle in through the crevices and adding more so that the contents are submerged. Lay a piece of parchment paper over the rim of the jar, then screw the lid tightly in place. Let the mixture sit in a dark, cool place, allowing it to marry and infuse for 4 weeks, shaking once daily.
- After 4 weeks, pour the contents into a muslin or cheesecloth lined colander positioned over a stable pot. Let it drain for 30 minutes, then gather the corners of the cloth, twisting and squeezing until you cannot release any more liquid. When it’s fully strained, add honey to the liquid to taste and pour into a sterilized wine bottle or canning jar. Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year, shaking well before using.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
did you make this recipe?
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Originally published August 8, 2014. Updated August 2016 and January 2019.
Reader's Thoughts...
Terri says
Rebecca, I just submitted a comment that is awaiting moderation, but I just realized that I made a serious error in the recipe, so you can just ignore and delete my earlier comment. Unfortunately, I mis-read the recipe, and let it sit for 4 mths instead of 4 weeks! I guess I will need to start over.
Rebecca says
Hey Terri- Don’t pitch it! It’s probably just super macerated at this point! Strain it and add the honey and you should be good to go. I think it is likely just rust from the lid. Wipe it clean and proceed. Mold will be fuzzy or hairy or like a film. If you don’t have that, I think you should be alright.
Terri says
I made this recipe on Sept 24, 2019, so I opened the jars up today after letting them sit for 4 mths. I did turn them every day or two during that period. I had filled both quart jars up to the brim, literally, then covered them with parchment paper, then lids-and-rings. They stood in my kitchen the entire time, which is usually between 65 and 71 degrees.
When I opened them up today, and after I had started to press the liquid out of the solids, I happened to notice that the parchment paper had some brown discoloration around the rim area. One jar had more than the other. I could also see a tiny bit of brown on the edges of the rims, and even a couple of spots of it on the jars themselves (in the thread area). Now I am worried about that discoloration. Is it mold? Is it rust from the metal lids? Do I need to worry? Of course, botulism entered my mind — is that a possibility?
Can anyone shed light on this? I apologize if this has been addressed in an earlier comment, but there are hundreds and hundred of comments and I simply don’t have time to review them all. Thanks for any advice. I’m kinda scared to consume it.
Rosalind says
Where do you get fresh horseradish?
Rebecca says
I get ours at the grocery store. Wegman’s specifically, but if you don’t see it on the shelves at your grocery store, you can ask the produce manager. Another good source is local Freecycle or Craig’s List listings.
YOGARDENS says
Hi Rebecca! Just found this recipe and out of all of them out there, I liked your tone and delivery and ingredients the best so thank you! I hope you read this but do NOT reply as I only want to provide positive feedback and seeing that you diligently, honestly and in my opinion, very kindly and patiently, replied to every one, you deserve a hug and pat on the back! So there it is. Take care, keeping doing this great stuff sharing your wealth of knowledge!
Last note, I promise I will not be the trillionth person asking whether to keep the lemon and orange peels on! hahah xxx best of luck for a happy and healthy 2020!
Rebecca says
<3 Sorry, I couldn't obey. I had to say thank you!
Sherri says
I made this recipe! Good stuff!
Sara says
How much is a good amount to take daily? One week left till its ready….i tripled the recipe making it in a gallon glass jar.
Rebecca says
Hi Sara- The first time I bought fire cider, they handed me a shot glass with it. There were different lines on there for different occasions. What looked to be about 2 teaspoons was what they had marked as a daily dose. Closer to the top of the shot glass was a “repels wolves” mark. 🙂
Sari says
I don’t have access to fresh horseradish root. The closest I can get is in a bottle 🙁
Will that work?
Rebecca says
Hi Sari! I’m afraid that isn’t a great substitute. You can mail order fresh horseradish root!
Diane says
May I ask why jarred horseradish shouldn’t be used? The brands sold in the refrigerated section are not heat processed, just ground with white vinegar and salt. It doesn’t seem any different than grating/grinding it yourself.
My recipe is a little different, but I’ll try yours next time, without the hot peppers. I’m fine with horseradish heat (Eastern European) but can’t tolerate hot peppers. Thanks for sharing.
Rebecca says
Hi there, Diane- It’s because it is not starting with the raw product and because salt is added. The salt is what we’re trying to avoid here.
Sandi says
Quick question…are you simply scrubbing ginger and horseradish roots then cutting up or peeling them as well?
Rebecca says
Hi Sandi- I scrub ’em and cut them up. I’m opposed to doing more work than I need to on recipes like this. HA! 🙂
Oralia Hinojosa says
Cannot wait to try…my father use to drink a shot of apple vinegar,garlic and honey… I also tried this but the garlic was so strong…but it was a huge boost… I felt great… I was about mid 30’s ..I will be 60 Feb. 1… be 60 Yay!!
But have been looking for something familiar…this looks and sounds good…
Great way to start the New year!!
Thank you..will definitely try…and let you know how I am feeling…
Happy Holidays!
Rebecca says
Happy holidays, Oralia! I hope you end up liking this!
Paige says
How often do you suggest taking this? Just when sick? Preventative?
Is the fridge preferred- or cabinet okay?
Lisa says
Hello Rebecca,
I can’t wait to try this recipe (and others your have published-I am awaiting the arrival of your book)!
I was just wondering if jarred horseradish can be substituted for the root which I cannot find this time of year and, if so, how much should I use?
Thanks So Much, Lisa
Rebecca says
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much! I hope you love baking from the new book!! As for jarred horseradish, I’d be a little hesitant to use it. December should be a good month for horseradish. There’s an old saw about being able to find it in months that end in “ber”. 🙂 If you absolutely positively cannot find it fresh, I might opt for dried horseradish pieces or ordering fresh horseradish roots “for planting” through Amazon. Those should also work.
Lisa says
Excellent ideas! So I checked with a couple other markets near me and I did find it!!! I will be gathering all the ingredients today 🙂
TYSM,
Lisa
Rebecca says
I’m so glad to hear that, Lisa!!
Jessica says
how about we are in a tropical place which we cannot find any horseradish. Any substitute for it?
jess
Rebecca says
Hi Jessica- Wasabi might work! If you can’t get it, you can omit it!
Shaunee says
Thank you for an interesting and valuable recipe 🙂
Susan says
Love the recipe and looking forward to making it. Just finished reading the comments section to see if questions that might come up for me were already answered and kept thinking of new ones! Here goes…
1) Would it lose its intensity and/or nutritional value if jar is packed half full from the beginning and adding more ACV (i.e, getting more “juice” out of first batch rather than reusing the ingredients). Or is point to have as much of that good stuff as possible in the jar?
2) I love the idea of keeping the “remains” for various uses. Should these be refrigerated? And will the tonic last longer than a year if kept refrigerated? (I’ve got a lot of all the ingredients so thinking of making a *big* first batch)
3) Using fresh turmeric, grated like ginger or chopped like onion? (It seems that the idea is to expose as much of the “innards” as possible for the ACV to soak up!)
(Finally…)
4) Your thoughts on putting everything into a blender/Vitamix instead of grating? The gripping involved in grating can be challenging for these hands (Making sure not to over-blend and yes, then straining it all after the 4 weeks to get the tonic).
p.s. Thanks so much for posting this recipe AND continuing to respond to comments/questions from us newbies! The latter is rare and most appreciated!
Rebecca says
Hi Susan! Those are all good questions! Let’s see what we can do to help you out here.
1) I’d use as much of the good stuff as you can get into the jars. I see nothing wrong with maybe filling them 3/4 full, or fully full but slightly less packed. You can always dilute with a little extra ACV if you find it a little too pungent.
2) Feel free to keep the remains. Someone else in the comments mentioned dehydrating them and using them like a seasoning! I loved that idea.
3) I’d shred or grate that turmeric to get the most “guts” exposed to the ACV.
4) I see absolutely nothing wrong with using your blender/Vitamix ~or~ using a food processor to shred/grate/finely chop the goodies. I would advise not to introduce too much heat to the party, though, as you don’t really want to cook it. You want to preserve all the probiotic goodness of the raw ACV.
Does that cover everything? If not, let me know! xoxox
Pamela Bolton says
Has your fire cider ever started to grow something like a scone in it and is that ok?
Maaike Baker says
Thanks for this recipe! I am using a gallon glass jar and I don’t have a lid. I’m using plastic wrap and a rubber band. Is that ok, or does it need to be air tight while fermenting?
Rebecca says
Hi Maaike! It does not need to be airtight, but you probably want to have something else in place for shaking it!!!
Ali Calloway says
My jars were so full it was hard to get much ACV in them. Is it okay to top the jars off every week when I change the parchment paper?
Rebecca says
It is definitely fine to keep topping it off, Ali!
Alison Calloway says
Thank you! I’m almost 3 weeks in and I can’t wait!
Selena S. says
This seems so easy
Rebecca says
It definitely is easy!!
Yvonne says
Hi, this is my first time to your site. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. I hated seeing that you must have been attacked previously. I don’t understand why people feel the need to attack people who are only trying to help others. I’m glad you continue to share. Thank you for this recipe. Fire cider intimidates me and so I usually just buy it in a bottle. Because of some recent money situations, I’m going to attempt to make it myself. I love using fire cider to stave off any nasty bugs that come around this time of year. I’ve been trying to go more homeopathic and less big pharma as I think it is healthier and better for my body and the environment. Keep up your great work!! Haters gonna hate!!
laura says
Thank you for the gracious yet boundary setting response to these people who need to use negativity as a way to live in the world. Wow, talk about unhealthy…all the focus on health and they have to spread negativity on a site doing so much good. Thank you for not stepping into debate and blah blah with these insatiable need to be the knowing and spreading negativity people. Why focus on the words…just focus on the good you are doing with the site and the recipe. Thank you for being so bold yet so gracious and good. I am tired of the ugliness that is rampant in this culture and most humans use…we need to grow our goodness and try to take a look for that part of us, when we get reminders as you have put here for those folks spewing. It is a reminder for me too. What the heck. People. I love d that it was gentle and strong. wonderfully paradoxically rather than know-it-all grasping, which just creates antagonistic responses and non-health! smile thank you for the modeling of how to be mindful and present and show up good in the face of asleep and coming from a small and tight fear self place…which is the way of many humans, myself included …so thank you for both healing potion recipe and the healing response modeling
Alexis says
I make it t every year! This last batch I decided to dry the leftover bits in the oven and then grind them into a spice for cooking. Very flavorful!
My five year asked me every day to have some but I have had to switch him over to elderberry syrup a year ago due to the cider being so acidic on his teeth. Now he gets the t occasionally.
FYI
Homemade Dandelion salve and infused oil is amazing also. I make that every year and make it into chapsticks. It’s better than the store stuff. So healing