I know so many people might discover fire cider and instinctively want to make their own and thus search for a recipe. But I don’t have a fire cider recipe. And while you might find some, the very best fire cider is made from the heart in a way that is more like art than science.
Why?
Because different gardens, different climates, different needs all create different fire ciders.
Maybe one season I may have access to ground turmeric instead of the root. Or maybe I don’t have access to horseradish, but maybe I did have a garden full of beautiful rosemary.
Gather your supplies & Intuitively pick what goes in your fire cider recipe.
The very best recipe for something so versatile as fire cider is to use what I have and not stress the rest.
My only rule is that it has to be hot. That’s a given, right? And then your base should be a raw apple cider vinegar.
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- A half gallon jar for brewing
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- A weight or something to hold your ingredients down below the vinegar line
- The hot, spicy, and abundant herbs from your garden
- Most fire ciders include a base of onion, hot peppers, garlic, and lemon and then add other spices and ingredients as necessary.
Here are just a few things you might consider adding if you already have them, have ready access, or just would love to experiment a little bit.
- Turmeric
- Cayenne
- Ginger
- Horseradish
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Lime
- Cilantro
- Lemongrass
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Star Anise
- Mint
- … And so much more!
The last two batches I have made, I made with lots of rosemary and one I used 3 kinds of citrus. Sometimes I add things just to make the jar more colorful and beautiful as it brews!
Brewing fire cider
This is the easiest part…
I put a piece of wax paper or parchment paper between my lid and the jar just to make sure that as it sits, it’s not eroding away any metal or touching plastic.
I put it in a fairly temperature controlled part of my home and on a dark shelf. Every week or so I like to jiggle and wiggle it enough to get the herbs moving inside. I typically do this for at least a month.
Though, I am pretty sure my last brew sat on the shelf for at least 3-4 months before I took it out.
Related: How to make easy Spiced Pear Kombucha with leftover fruit
How to finish your fire cider after it’s finished infusing
First gather your supplies again. This would include:
- clean jar for storing, I like these
- blender or immersion blender
- fine, mesh strainer – I use this one for literally everything.
- If you made a small batch, consider this funnel and strainer. I have found them to be very handy
- ladle, funnel, other helpful tools
- Something to place the chunks in for composting
I like to pour and scoop everything into my blender and pulse it just enough to break it up a bit more but not make a spicy, burning, sludgy smoothie.
Once done, I strain through my favorite strainer. It only fits over a large bowl; therefore I have another step requiring me to then pour into my longterm storage jar.
I keep this in the fridge for sometimes even over a year. It is ultimately just infused vinegar though, so many people choose to keep it as a shelf-stable staple as well.
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