fire cider! 🔥
Just as the plants change and prepare for our winter season, we also need to change the way we eat, move and nourish ourselves. Luckily our plantcestors have our backs!
For thousands of years, a collection of natural remedies have been developed by an array of cultures and handed down through generations. They address a variety of ailments and each region throughout the world claims its own folk medicine based on their native flora - herbs, flowers, roots. Over time as cultures merged, aspects of these remedies merged as well! Which means folk medicine is the medicine of the PEOPLE because anyone can make it and it can be adjusted to whatever is culturally important to you. (I often add pineapple or passion fruit to my fire cider!) For a beautiful fire cider visual check out the artwork of Madison Safer.
Preparing medicine from food is an important form of remembrance, independence, and resistance! So listen to your bodies and your ancestors and start the work of self-care!
Recipe:
1 medium organic onion -diced (about 1/2 cup)
8-10 cloves of organic garlic - minced
1-2 organic jalapeno peppers - sliced
Zest and juice from 1 organic lemon
Zest and juice from 1 organic orange
1/2 cup fresh grated organic ginger root
1/2 cup fresh grated organic horseradish root
1/2 cup grated organic turmeric
2 sprigs fresh organic rosemary
2-4 sprigs of organic thyme
2 whole organic cinnamon sticks
2 tbs. whole organic peppercorns
2 cups organic apple cider vinegar (or enough cover)
1/2 cup of raw, local honey, or to taste
Directions
Prepare your roots, fruits, and herbs and place them in a quart-sized glass jar. If you've never grated fresh horseradish, be prepared for a powerful sinus-opening experience!
Pour the apple cider vinegar in the jar until all of the ingredients are covered and the vinegar reaches the jar's top.
Use a piece of natural parchment paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching the metal, or a plastic lid if you have one. Shake well.
Store in a dark, cool place for a month and remember to shake daily.
After one month, use cheesecloth to strain out the pulp, pouring the vinegar into a clean jar. Be sure to squeeze as much of the liquidy goodness as you can from the pulp while straining.
Next comes the honey. Add and stir until incorporated.
Taste your cider and add more honey until you reach the desired sweetness.
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar: Full of probiotics, raw apple cider vinegar is a beneficial bacteria powerhouse, a fantastic preservative
Ginger: Stimulating, warming and antibacterial, eases stomach issues.
Horseradish: Sinus opening, powerful immune stimulant and, due to its high vitamin C content, a remarkable antioxidant.
Garlic: Known as a “blood cleanser”, garlic boasts antimicrobial and antiseptic properties.
Onion: Loaded with sulfur, quercetin and a variety of vitamins and minerals, onion is a stellar immune booster encouraging peak performance of the body’s natural defenses.
Orange: Vitamin C. Lots of it. (drops mic; leaves stage)
Jalapeno Pepper: These peppers bring more of that sinus searing heat, along with a ton of vitamins and capsaicin to stimulate the immune system, relieve pain and speed cell recovery.
Turmeric: Bright yellow and a chief inflammation reliever, turmeric also is an excellent detoxifier.
Rosemary: An extraordinary antioxidant, rosemary can offer cell protection and expectorant action.
Thyme: Antibacterial, antiseptic, diaphoretic (encourages perspiration; reduces severity of fevers) expectorant, and stimulating.
Black Pepper: Sinus opening, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits plus it boosts the absorption of the curcumin compound found in turmeric.
Honey: Antimicrobial and preservative. And sweet. Very sweet. Which we will need – because this fire cider is going to be SPICY!