Fire Cider Recipe
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This fire cider recipe is my take on the fiery, garlicky vinegar tonic becomes popular every cold season, usually with a promise that a spoonful a day keeps you from getting sick. I make it the traditional way, with fresh roots and hot peppers steeped in apple cider vinegar.
To be clear about what it is not: it is not a cold cure or a treatment for anything. If you take blood thinners, are pregnant, have reflux or ulcers, or are making it for kids, check with your clinician first.
- Ratio: about 2 cups of chopped garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, turmeric and hot pepper packed into a quart jar and covered by 1 inch of raw organic apple cider vinegar. Honey goes in after straining.
- Time: 30 minutes of chopping, then 3 to 4 weeks of steeping.
- How often: 1 tablespoon a day, diluted if it stings.
- Verdict: a bold, tangy pantry tonic, not a medicine.
Full quantities are in the recipe card. These are the ones worth a word.
- Fresh horseradish root. Look near the ginger in larger supermarkets or Whole Foods, most reliably in the fall. No luck? Use 2 tablespoons of plain prepared horseradish, or skip it and add more ginger.
- Ginger and turmeric. Fresh roots are cheaper at Asian grocers and Patel Brothers. Scrub young ginger instead of peeling, and wear gloves for turmeric.
- Apple cider vinegar. Raw, unfiltered, with the mother, at 5 percent acidity.
- Honey. Raw honey is traditional, which makes fire cider vegetarian but not vegan. Maple syrup is an easy vegan swap.
- Equipment. A wide-mouth quart mason jar, a square of parchment paper for under the lid, and a fine-mesh strainer for straining day.
Tips for Your First Batch of Fire Cider
- Open a window. Grated horseradish stings your eyes far more than onion. I grate it last, or blitz it in a food processor with the lid on.
- Keep everything under the vinegar. Anything poking above the surface can mold, so top up as the roots settle.
- Protect the lid. Vinegar corrodes metal, so lay parchment between the jar and lid, or use a plastic lid.
- Taste at 3 weeks. Want it stronger? Give it another week before straining.
How and When to Take Fire Cider
Most people take 1 tablespoon a day through the colder months. Straight from the spoon it is fierce, so I prefer it stirred into a small glass of water or a mug of warm (not boiling) water. Take it with or after food, start with a teaspoon for the first few days, and rinse your mouth with water afterward, since vinegar can wear on tooth enamel. If you want the warming ginger without the vinegar kick, my simple ginger water is the gentler everyday option.
Fire cider is also a good kitchen ingredient. Whisk a spoonful with olive oil for a punchy salad dressing, or splash it into lentil soup just before serving.
Fire Cider Variations
- Citrus fire cider: add a sliced orange along with the lemon for a brighter, slightly sweeter tonic.
- Extra turmeric: double the fresh turmeric and keep the black peppercorns. If you love that earthy pairing, my jamu, the Indonesian turmeric ginger drink, is a softer way to enjoy it.
- Herbal: add a few sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary, or a cinnamon stick, for a more rounded flavor.
- Milder: seed the peppers and halve the horseradish if you are new to it.
- Quick version: blend the roots with the vinegar and strain the same day. It is sharper and less mellow than a steeped batch, but it is ready in 15 minutes.
What Fire Cider Can and Cannot Do
As a nutritionist, here is the honest version. Fire cider is an old traditional remedy, and its reputation comes from tradition, not clinical trials. I could not find any study of fire cider itself, so claims that it boosts immunity or prevents colds are collaborated from its ingredients, and that evidence is thin.
Take garlic, the star of most batches. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that very little research has looked at garlic for colds, and the few small studies had weaknesses. For ginger, the best human evidence is for nausea, not colds, as the NCCIH ginger fact sheet explains. Much of that research used concentrated supplements, a very different dose from a tablespoon of flavored vinegar.
What fire cider reliably gives you is big flavor from real food, a warming ritual on a cold morning, and a reason to eat more garlic, ginger and onions. That is worth something, just not a cure. When I already have a scratchy throat, I reach for a warm mug of golden milk or a copycat Starbucks Medicine Ball tea, and see a doctor if symptoms are severe or linger.
Rekha’s Note
One tablespoon a day is plenty; more mostly means more heartburn. Garlic and ginger in larger amounts may add to the effect of blood thinners, and raw garlic, horseradish and hot peppers can irritate a sensitive stomach, so check with your clinician if you take anticoagulants, have reflux or ulcers, or are pregnant or breastfeeding. Never give honey to a baby under 1, and skip the fiery version for young children.
Rekha
Meal Prep and Storage
While steeping: keep the jar in a cool, dark cupboard, fully submerged, and throw the batch out if you see fuzzy mold. After straining: store the fire cider in a clean glass bottle or jar in the refrigerator for up to 6 months, and shake before using. Do not throw out the strained roots; chop them finely and stir a spoonful into a stir-fry, dal or grain bowl within a week.
Common Questions
How long should fire cider steep?
Most recipes steep fire cider for 3 to 4 weeks, shaking the jar regularly. Two weeks gives a lighter tonic, and some people go to 6 weeks for a stronger one.
Do you have to refrigerate fire cider?
While it steeps, a cool, dark cupboard is fine as long as everything stays under the vinegar. Once strained and sweetened, refrigeration keeps the flavor fresh longer.
Can kids take fire cider?
Honey should never be given to children under 1 year old, and the heat and acidity are harsh for young children. Ask your pediatrician before giving it to an older child, and dilute it well.
Is fire cider the same as apple cider vinegar?
No. Apple cider vinegar is the base, and fire cider is that vinegar steeped with garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, hot peppers and other roots, then sweetened.
Curious about other vinegar-based trends? I also took an honest look at the viral arterial flush recipe and a simple apple cider vinegar drink, and for a cozy caffeine-free mug my turmeric tea is an easy weeknight favorite.
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More Drinks and Beverages
Fire Cider Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Wide-mouth quart (32 oz) glass jar with lid
- 1 Parchment paper for under a metal lid
- 1 Fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- 1 Box grater or food processor
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh horseradish root peeled and grated (or 2 tablespoons plain prepared horseradish)
- 1/2 cup fresh ginger root scrubbed and grated or finely chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped (about 1 cup)
- 10 cloves garlic about 1 head, crushed or chopped
- 2 jalapeños or other hot chiles sliced; seed them for a milder batch
- 2 tablespoons fresh turmeric root grated, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 lemon sliced, seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme optional
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the mother, enough to cover by 1 inch
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup raw honey to taste, added after straining; maple syrup for vegan
Instructions
- Wash a wide mouth quart glass jar in hot, soapy water and let it dry.
- Prepare the roots and vegetables: grate the horseradish, ginger and turmeric, chop the onion and garlic, and slice the chiles and lemon. Grate the horseradish last, near an open window, since the fumes are strong.
- Pack everything into the jar with the peppercorns and herbs. It should fill the jar about three quarters of the way.
- Pour in the apple cider vinegar until the solids are covered by about 1 inch. Press everything down with a spoon to release air bubbles.
- Lay a square of parchment paper over the mouth of the jar, then screw on the lid. This stops the vinegar from corroding a metal lid.
- Store in a cool, dark cupboard for 3 to 4 weeks. Shake the jar daily for the first week, then every few days, and top up with vinegar if anything rises above the surface.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a bowl, pressing the solids firmly to get out as much liquid as possible.
- Stir in honey to taste, starting with 1/4 cup. Pour into a clean glass bottle or jar and refrigerate. Take 1 tablespoon a day, straight or diluted in water.
Rekha’s Notes
- Safety: not for babies under 1 year because of the honey. Check with your clinician first if you take blood thinners, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have reflux or ulcers.
- Mold: keep every piece under the vinegar while steeping. Discard the batch if you see fuzzy mold.
- Storage: refrigerate the strained fire cider for up to 6 months.
- Nutrition is an estimate per 1 tablespoon, made with 1/3 cup honey.
