Make this delicious and easy home remedy that helps ward off the cold and flu. With the flavor combinations of garlic, ginger, onion, and chilis, plus the sweetness of apple cider vinegar and honey, it's a warming herbal remedy with a pleasantly sweet and spicy flavor.
Fire cider is a long-held old fashioned remedy that is used to boost the immune system and to help aid the upper respiratory system.
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional or certified herbalist, this is not for
diagnosis or treatment, and you should always consult the medical professional of
your choice before using herbs medicinally.
Why I Love Fire Cider
My favorite thing about fire cider (and many other herbal remedies) is that you can make it at home yourself, using ingredients you grew in your garden, or that you bought at the grocery store.
I always say medicine should start with the food we eat. This recipe is the perfect example of that! This fire cider is truly a powerhouse of a natural remedy.
This post includes an older Pioneering Today Podcast I did with Rosemary Gladstar (episode #177) where we discussed the many health benefits of fire cider. I have since updated it with a YouTube tutorial walking through exactly how to make this powerful remedy.
Rosemary Gladstar is a pioneer in the herbalist community and has paved the way for many to follow in her footsteps of modern herbalism. She's internationally renowned for her technical knowledge and stewardship in the global herbalist community, has been learning, teaching and writing about herbs for over 40 years and is the author of eleven books. You can learn more about Rosemary on her website The Science & Art of Herbalism.
Her book, Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide to Herbal Remedies was the first book that I ever got back in the day when I started researching and learning more about herbs and using them in our home.
Origins of Fire Cider
Rosemary shared in this podcast that when she lived on the Russian River in northern California, it was really cold and damp. People got lots of colds, bronchial problems, and circulation issues. So they decided to make this formula with something that was warm and decongesting to help with some of these issues, and the result was what we now call fire cider.
It's both a tonic and medicine. It's very effective for warming the body, mobilizing the immune system, and even just giving you a shot of energy.
It's made with hot, fiery ingredients, but it’s also pretty tasty because of the honey and apple cider vinegar, which is what many people loved about it. That and the fact that it is really simple to make and the ingredients were really common and easy to source.
So fire cider quickly became very popular and sort of developed a life of its own.
Fire Cider Benefits
Fire cider is an old-timey natural remedy to help boost the immune system but it really helps aid the sinuses when you come down with the sniffles and are congested. There are many variations of this recipe, most notably made popular by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, and the beauty of it is you can make it your own based on what you have on hand.
Who Is Traditional Fire Cider For?
Rosemary shares in the podcast episode that sometimes fire cider is really helpful for people who have heartburn, but it also can agitate heartburn because of the spicy ingredients. It really depends on what the cause of your heartburn is.
Also, for someone with a hot constitution who just has a lot of heat in their body, like a really red tone, or maybe someone who’s prone to anger that sometimes core cooling remedies are better than the fire cider.
We always have to find those things that work best for us. But I do find it particularly good for people who live in a cold, damp region or have reoccurring bronchial issues.
This recipe also seems to be really helpful for people who get severe muscle cramps in their legs. And it’s also good for energy.
The garlic, ginger, and horseradish are all warming, stimulating decongesting herbs and all of those herbs really energize the body. But again, you need to try different things and see what works best for you because everybody is a bit different.
Ingredients
There is no one fire cider recipe, as I mentioned above, you can mix and match ingredients based on what you have available to you and your own taste preferences. The base of it is usually onion, horseradish root, garlic, ginger root, hot pepper, and apple cider vinegar, with other herbs and roots tossed in based on preference and availability.
You can also add ingredients like turmeric, echinacea, cinnamon, rosemary, and other herbs if you like. So like I said, it really is customizable.
Try mixing fire cider with homemade elderberry syrup so you get have half and half and get the benefits of both herbal remedies at once.
You can even add it to homemade bone broth to get a double whammy of health benefits, so to speak. There are so many different variations on this recipe. It's very adaptive to individuals and families.
I will be listing the medicinal properties of each ingredient below…
Onion
- High in Vitamin C
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-cholesterol
- Anti-cancer
- Antioxidant properties [1]
Garlic
When participants of this study took 180mg of allicin daily they reported 64% fewer colds and symptom durations were reduced by 70%.
Horseradish
- Aids in improving the immune system and alleviating respiratory conditions.
- The German Commission E has approved horseradish for respiratory infections.
- Precautions- should not be used in pregnancy/nursing or those with thyroid issues. [3]
Ginger Root
- Anti-inflammatory and warming properties that stimulate the circulatory system.
- Ginger root also has anti-viral properties for the flu (influenza) and cold viruses. [4]
- Use with caution if on blood thinning medications or you have a blood clotting disorder.
Hot Peppers
We’re after the capsaicin found in jalapenos and cayenne pepper to name a few.
- Capsaicin improves the circulatory system but it also has anti-viral and anti-microbial properties, as well as vitamin C. [6]
- Use caution with using capsaicin containing peppers consult a medical professional before us if pregnant, nursing, and if you have blood clotting disorders or are on blood thinning medications, if you’re on blood pressure medications, stomach acid medication, and/or theophylline.
Fire Cider Recipe
- Making fire cider is one of the easiest herbal remedies there is. Take a clean quart-sized Mason jar and place all of your chopped ingredients inside.
- Pour apple cider vinegar over the contents until completely submerged (you can get added benefits by using your own homemade apple cider vinegar, too!).
- Use a weight if needed to keep the contents under the vinegar, then place an airtight lid on and shake.
- Place in a cool dark location if possible, or keep it somewhere in your kitchen where you'll remember to shake it daily.
- Allow it to steep for 2 to 4 weeks then strain out the solids.
- Stir in ¼ cup raw honey, if using.
How to Take Fire Cider
Take fire cider as needed. Some people will use a shot (1.5 ounces or slightly less than ¼ cup) once a day during cold or flu season while others take it several times a day when they feel symptoms coming on.
If taking fire cider as a shot is too flavorful for your pallet, you can also dilute the shot into an 8-ounce glass of water.
Tips & Tricks
- Feel free to swap out ingredients, omit ingredients, and change up amounts to make this your own.
- Remember to do your due diligence on researching each herb or item for any precautions or interactions when using it medicinally.
- Dilute the fire cider in water if it's too potent to take straight.
How to Get Started Using Herbs for Medicine
During my podcast interview with Rosemary, I asked her if she had any advice for those just getting started with using herbal remedies. Here was her response:
Start by learning a few simple herbs and try not to overwhelm yourself. I wrote a book called Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide to Herbal Remedies which is a simple introduction, but it gives a very deep grounding.
I also have a home study course that has been offered since the early 1980s. This is a great stepping stone for people. It's a basic but very deep introduction. If you can find a local class, that’s also great.
And the other way to get started is just to get 10 simple herbs (like in Melissa's book, Hand Made) and start there. They can be the herbs in your kitchen cabinet or the herbs you're growing in your herb garden. Do a little research on the medicinal properties of those herbs and then build your knowledge from there.
Plant some yarrow, some basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme, and do some research as you grow them. Get to know them through your senses and through intellectual study.
Other Herbal Posts You May Like
- Best Method for Drying Herbs (For Stronger Medicinal Properties)
- Best Medicinal Herbs to Grow From Seed
- Herbal Home Remedies for Cold and Flu
- Herbal Medicinal Tea (How to Make Your Own)
- Echinacea Tincture Recipe
- 5 Tips to Harvest Herbal Flowers for Medicinal Purposes
- 7 Natural Cough and Cold Herbal Remedies
- How to Use Herbs and Natural Remedies At Home
- Alternative Medicine & What to do if Your Medicine Isn’t Available
- The Link Between Honeybees & Plant Medicine
Did you make this recipe? If so, I'd love for you to leave a star rating on the recipe card below, then snap a photo and tag me on social media (@melissaknorris) so I can see!
Traditional Fire Cider Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1/2 root horseradish diced
- 1/2 root ginger root diced
- 1/4 cup garlic diced or crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 Tablespoon rosemary or thyme, fresh (optional)
- 2 jalapenos diced (optional)
- 2 cups raw apple cider vinegar or enough to cover ingredients/fill the jar
- 1/4 cup raw honey or to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Take a clean, quart-sized Mason jar and place all of your chopped ingredients inside.
- Pour apple cider vinegar over the contents until completely submerged (you can get added benefits by using your own homemade apple cider vinegar, too!).
- Use a weight, if needed, to keep the contents under the vinegar, then place an airtight lid on the jar and shake.
- Place in a cool dark location to steep for two to four weeks. Shake daily.
- Strain out solids, then stir in 1/4 cup honey to the liquid.
- Take as suggested in the notes section below.
Video
Notes
- Take fire cider as needed. A typical serving is 1.5 ounces (one shot) up to three times daily.
- If your fire cider is too spicy, you can increase the amount of honey added at the end.
- You can also dilute the fire cider into 8 ounces of water.
- Nutrition facts are impossible to calculate due to the fact most of the ingredients get strained out. The above calculations include the apple cider vinegar and honey only.
- Feel free to swap out ingredients, omit ingredients, and change up amounts to make this your own.
- Remember to do your due diligence on researching each herb or item for any precautions or interactions when using it medicinally.
Nutrition
Studies/Sources
- [1] onions https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4935244/
- [2] garlic https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3024156/
- Pioneering Today Academy
- [3] horseradish with thyroid https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono257/horseradish
- [4] ginger root anti-inflammatory
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5483044/
- [5] ginger anti-viral https://www.realnatural.org/ginger-antiviral/
- [6] capsaicin https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4643145/
I’m starting to learn about herbal remedies and fire cider is first on my to do list. I’m curious, other than Rosemary’s book, what are some good herbal books?
Hi Catherine,
This is another favorite of mine by Rosalee De La Foret https://amzn.to/302v225
The Herb Book by John Lust.
factory of tanning for leather
I have a jar of homemade fire cider in my cupboard also. I started coming down with something about 3 weeks ago, the beginnings of which was a very raw throat. I threw everything I had at it — elderberry/zinc lozenges, elderberry syrup (homemade), fire cider, a whole lemon concoction with ginger and baobab, and goldenseal root tincture. Next morning, I woke up feeling just fine.
How important is the horseradish? I take meds for hypothyroidism, so apparently I would have to omit the horseradish.
Katherine Kurch, I also take meds for thyroid and I do use the fire cider, but not daily and only about a tablespoon. I have not had any issues using it and I have been using fire cider for about 5 years now.
Melissa, In her YT video where she makes this, said she skips the horseradish because she too has thyroid issues.
I’m excited to make this! What is the shelf life on this once I make it? Will it keep longer if I refrigerate?
Keeps indefinitely. No need to refrigerate. I’ve been making it for a few years now and never refrigerated it
When you say indefinite, I’m thinking storage for 5 years. Would it really store that long? Thanks in advance for the reply 😊
I’ve had a jar go over two years 🙂
I made it with your recipe plus freshly grated turmeric root. Do you need to refrigerate it after straining and how long will it last?
How long does it last? Do you need to refrigerate after adding the honey?
Hi, Kendra. If anything, Honey is a preservative.
Thank you
Good recipe
I’m going to try this! I’m also wondering if it will last longer in refrigerator or inside a kitchen cabinet?!
Hi Melissa… My husband has atrial fibrillation, diabetes, and high blood pressure. takes medication for all of this. What concoction can be helpful for him?
I am unable to locate fresh horseradish. Would it be ok to use the prepared?
You can use prepared horseradish, not the cream version though.
Thank you for this recipe Melissa, I am making it right now and am so excited to try it out… and a little nervous… hehe
I also love your Youtube channel and have been following you for over a year now and have been learning so much!!
What part of the Echinacea plant would you add to this?
I wouldn’t, echinacea is best used at the first sign of feeling sick for anti-viral properties, once you’re sick and the virus has entered into the cells, it’s ineffective as an anti-viral. We use fire cider to aid in congestion and the upper respiratory when symptoms are present. This article is how I use and prepare echinacea https://melissaknorris.com/echinacea-tincture/
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for this recipe. I am going to try as buying it made is so expensive! What can be used as a weight in case I need it? Also, what can be used in place of horseradish since I’m on thyroid meds?
Thank you
I accidentally added honey in the first step. Do I need to start over, orwill it be ok?
I’ve seen notes elsewhere that it will be okay but also curious to answer here.
I just strained my first batch of fire cider and it is green. Is that OK?
What herbs did you use? I’ve never had mine turn green but it could depend on what you put in
My fire cider has sat for 3 weeks and I didn’t shake it up once. Is this a problem or is it fine to strain now?
It should be fine. Congrats!
I am a little confused about the fermentation time. Is it better to leave it for 4 weeks?
Up to 4 weeks is fine as long as the solids stay underneath the liquid level.
I am a week into this cider. My problem is my weights won’t hold everything down so each day I shake or stir I have to remove the weights and then put them back in and pick out whatever floats to the top. Is this normal? Is it bad that I’m getting the weights out every day and having to remove the pieces that float to the top? I just don’t want to get another week into this and then find out I did it wrong. It also looks cloudy right after I shake it. It will settle and be clear
I just strained my fire cider and tasted a bit of it. YUM! I didn’t add honey. I actually like the tart, spicy flavor. I also don’t eat much sugar or honey. Great recipe!
Hi Melissa.Planning to make Fire Cider with a couple other ladies over the holidays. How much is 1/2 root horseradish? 1/2 root ginger root? I assume I can put an amount I decide in each of these, but wondering what you used to use the first time, then tweak it the next time to our liking. Thanks!
I’m curious about that as well as the roots sold in stores can vary in size.
I hate horseradish. Would it be effective without? Or any substitute?
I shared in the video I don’t use horseradish because of my thyroid and it’s still very effective
Hello Melissa! Thanks so much for the great info. I have a question. I don’t have any mason jar weights (I’ve ordered some though : ) ). Can I let it sit for the 4 weeks in the frig and will it do the same thing? Thank you!
I grew up with a Norwegian grandmother that was always making a version of this that she learned in the “old Country “. I grew to love it so much that I made this version . Its absolutely fabulous and I’m sure it will be in my kitchen from now on! TRY IT!
Hi Melissa! I am here from your YouTube channel. I am learning a lot from it, thank you so much. But I was wondering if fire cider can be taken immediately after being made? My husband and son are sick right now and I am trying to avoid store bought medications as much as possible. Thank you
The vinegar won’t have had time to draw the properties out immediately. It wouldn’t harm anything, but it won’t be as effective yet