fire cider make it your way

When I learned how to make fire cider for the first time in 2023, I was completely blown away—and honestly, a little annoyed with myself. I had built it up in my head as this complicated, intimidating thing, when really all it took was getting into a medicine-making mindset, chopping up some herbs and veggies, and covering them with apple cider vinegar for 4–6 weeks.

Truly, the hardest part is just waiting for the medicine to be ready! And then there’s the straining… ohhhh, I hatestraining. I always feel like I’m losing some of the medicine in the process. But that’s okay, because I have ways to work with the leftover plant material (the marc) too.

The general ingredients for this recipe are:

• 1/2 cup grated horseradish

• 1/2 cup chopped red onions

• 3 Cayenne peppers cut or 1-2 Tbsp dried

• 2 Jalapeño peppers chopped

• 2 lemons with rinds chopped

• 6 cloves (1/4 cup) of garlic chopped

• 1/4 cup grated or chopped fresh ginger

• 1/4 cup grated or chopped fresh turmeric

• Raw apple cider vinegar

If you see one of these ingredients and it’s something you absolutely hate—or that someone in your family can’t stand—it’s totally okay to leave an ingredient or two out.

This is where the fun really comes in: making it your fire cider by creating a blend that works for you. Feel free to add any herbs or flavors that speak to you. For the ingredients listed above, I use fresh whenever possible, but when it comes to herbs, I’ll happily use dried if that’s what I have on hand.

Optional ingredients:

• Thyme

• Rosehips

• Elderberry

• Echinacea

• Nettles

• Clove

Procedure:

STEP 1

• Find a jar that can fit all the ingredients

• Chop up all the ingredients

STEP 2

• Add all the chopped ingredients into jar (this recipe is for a 32 oz mason jar)

• Fill the jar with apple cider vinegar

• Seal jar with parchment or wax paper to prevent metal to vinegar contact (the vinegar will slowly disintegrate the metal & if you don’t do this step you might be left with an icky ring around the top of your jar)

• Label the jar including all ingredients + date (don’t skip this step, it might seem stupid but it helps remind you when it was made, when to strain it and what’s in it)

STEP 3

• Bury your jar in the earth to soak in the healing earth energy while the medicine infuses. Mark it with something you’ll remember so you don’t go on a scavenger hunt when it’s time to strain!

• Dig up the jar, clean the outside, strain the mixture + taste! Now’s the time to decide if you’d like to add some sweeetness to cut the edge of spiciness. Typically I will add 1-2 cup honey to 4 cups fire cider, adjust for your specific taste buds!

*You do not have to bury the fire cider you can leave it in any cool / dark place to infuse. I like to put mine in the ground to recieve healing earth energy from the soil, since most ingredients are roots or from the soil its a beautiful way to return some of their energy to the earth

* Store Fire Cider in a cool dark place away from sunlight or in the fridge. It can last 6 mo at room temperature + 1 year in the fridge

Recipe Card for my Fire Cider blend

If you run into any confusion or have questions while making your fire cider, feel free to reach out to me at pluripotencyherbs@gmail.com, I’m always happy to help.

Have a beautiful day, and remember to Nurture with Nature. 🌿

Now for the leftover marc, which is simply everything that’s left behind after you strain your medicine. I like to put mine in the freezer and then grab a chunk or two to toss into bone broth whenever I’m making a batch.

I’ve also had medicine-making friends share that they run their marc through a food processor right after straining and store it in the fridge to use like a savory chutney. While I haven’t tried this myself (yet), I’ve been tempted to take it one step further by spreading that fire cider chutney in a thin layer on a dehydrator sheet, letting it fully dry, grinding it into a powder, and using it as a seasoning on my favorite savory dishes.

There’s still so much goodness and flavor left in these ingredients, so I highly recommend finding a way to work with them instead of tossing them out. And if nothing else, your compost will definitely appreciate them!