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Home » Herbalism » Herbal Remedies » How to Make Fire Cider for Immune Support

How to Make Fire Cider for Immune Support

May contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please see my privacy policy and affiliate disclosure.

Originally published on December 12, 2016. Last updated on January 29, 2022

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Two images of a batch of healing medicinal fire cider in a glass jar.

Fire cider is an immune boosting healthy tonic that is super easy to make! It’s great for boosting immunity, improving circulation, and combating a cold. Learn how to make fire cider with this simple recipe.

A batch of healing medicinal fire cider in a glass jar.

Fire Cider History

The term “fire cider” was first coined by Rosemary Gladstar, herbalist and author of the books Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide and Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, both of which are excellent.

There has been a bit of a trademark controversy in recent years over the name “fire cider,” but I’m not going to get too much into that. Thankfully, the right people won!

Fire Cider Recipe

I’m really excited about this because fire cider is something that I’ve wanted to make for a long time, but for some reason haven’t… until now!

This recipe is from the Herbal Academy’s Intermediate Herbal Course, and it is adapted from Rosemary Gladstar.

Make the Fire Cider

First layer all the ingredients into a quart sized jar, and squeeze in the lemon or orange juice. Then cover everything with raw apple cider vinegar.

fire cider ingredients on a cutting board

I am lucky enough to have access to fresh turmeric root, so that is what I used, but dried works perfectly well.

I used jalapeños, which aren’t quite as hot as some peppers, but you can use any extra spicy pepper you like if you’re feeling up to it.

I also did not grate the ginger and horseradish, I sliced them. It really doesn’t matter all that much how you do it in my opinion.

making fire cider in a quart jar

Cover with a plastic lid, or use a piece of parchment or wax paper to keep the vinegar from touching the metal lid.

Shake well and keep in a dark and cool place for one month. Try to remember to shake your fire cider daily.

fire cider in a jar after infusing

After one month has passed, use cheesecloth to strain out the herbs, and pour the vinegar into a clean jar. While straining, squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can.

Add ¼ cup of honey and stir well until thoroughly incorporated. Taste your cider and add up to another ¼ cup of honey if you feel it’s needed.

fire cider top view

How to Use Fire Cider

According to the Herbal Academy, “Fire Cider can be taken a little bit every day to boost immunity and circulation and keep viruses and bacteria at bay.

Rosemary Gladstar recommends taking 1 tablespoon daily to warm you up and 3 tablespoons daily at the first sign of a cold.”

Take a spoonful, or even half a shot glass full if you’re brave, whenever you start to feel under the weather. It can also be used as a general immune booster and taken daily during the cold and flu season.

Fire cider is spicy from the hot peppers, horseradish, and ginger, but in a surprisingly good way! I thought it was going to taste awful, but I actually love it.

This will definitely be something I use all winter long to keep sickness at bay!

fire cider in a jar with a shot glass

Other Herbs and Spices for Fire Cider

Feel free to add in other herbs and spices to your fire cider as well, such as thyme, cayenne, rose hips, ginseng, lime, grapefruit, schizandra berries, astragalus, parsley, burdock, oregano, and/or peppercorns.

Mountain Rose Herbs is my favorite place to get organic dried herbs and spices.

I was inspired to finally make fire cider this season because it’s one of the recipes in the online Intermediate Herbal Course that I’m taking at the Herbal Academy.

There are many more awesome herbal recipes and so much to learn there, I highly recommend their courses!


More Herbal Remedies for Cold & Flu

Kick your cold to the curb with these other herbal remedies!

  • Elderberry Syrup
  • Pine Needle Cough Syrup
  • Fermented Honey Garlic
  • Manuka Honey Vinegar Elixir
  • Immune Boosting Herbal Tea
  • Elderberry & Echinacea Tincture

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4.86 from 7 votes

Fire Cider Recipe

Fire cider is an immune boosting healthy tonic, and it's super easy to make! It's great for boosting immunity, improving circulation, and combating a cold. 
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Infusing Time 30 days
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 64 servings
Calories 20kcal
Author Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Equipment

  • Quart Mason Jar
  • Plastic Jar Lid
  • Cheesecloth

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 1/2 cup fresh ginger grated or sliced
  • 1/2 cup fresh horseradish root grated or sliced
  • 1 medium organic onion chopped
  • 10 cloves organic garlic crushed or chopped
  • 2 organic jalapeno peppers sliced
  • 2 sprigs fresh organic rosemary or 2 tbsp dried
  • 1 tbsp organic turmeric powder or 1/4 c fresh, grated or sliced
  • 1 organic lemon or orange zested and juiced
  • 4 cups raw apple cider vinegar more or less to fill the jar
  • 1/4 cup raw honey more or less to taste

Instructions

  • Place the ginger root, horseradish root, onion, garlic, jalapenos, rosemary, and turmeric into a quart-sized mason jar. Add the citrus zest and juice.
  • Fill the jar with the apple cider vinegar. 
  • Cover the jar with a plastic lid, or use a piece of parchment or wax paper to keep the vinegar from touching the metal lid. Shake well, then place in a dark and cool place for one month. Try to remember to shake your fire cider daily.
  • After one month, strain the fire cider through cheesecloth into a clean jar. While straining, squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can.
  • Add 1/4 cup of honey and stir well until thoroughly incorporated. Taste your cider and add up to another 1/4 cup of honey if you feel it’s needed. Drink a tablespoon fire cider (or more!) each day.

Notes

You can store Fire Cider at room temperature for a year.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Tablespoon | Calories: 20kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 61mg | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.5mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Yvonne says

    September 17, 2022 at 12:42 pm

    5 stars
    This is wonderful as I have been making it for years now —I used to always have a sniffle or be down with the flu however since taking a daily shot of Fire Cider I have been sick and sinus free for at least 5 years! I take it year round and make it in big old fashioned myo jars so always have a jar brewing! I don’t throw out the “spent” ingredients just eat them or use in stews and stir frys. Thank you for this recipe Colleen
    yvonne

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      September 19, 2022 at 8:34 am

      Wow, Yvonne, that is so great to hear! Fire cider really is the best medicine!

      Reply
  2. Tina Moore says

    April 20, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    5 stars
    I have made this for decades but a little different process. I use equal parts of fresh, organic, horseradish, white onion, ginger, garlic, garlic, and the hottest pepper I can find. I chop it all up and then blend it into a pulp. Once that is done, I fill a jar 1/2 full then fill the rest with ACV. I keep in my pantry for about a month, shaking the jar about 3-4 times a week. The pulp separates from the vinegar. I take out the vinegar by spoonfuls and have that daily. The pulp can be used to cook with, bloody marys, salad dressing, etc. Once I use all the vinegar up I simply add more to the existing pulp and start the shaking and soaking again. Over all the years ( a lot) I have been making this medicine, my pulp lasts at least a year if I do a batch in a quart jar. The best!

    Reply
  3. Erin Meck says

    February 17, 2022 at 9:35 pm

    I have a question, if you are not used to things that are spicy will you be able to handle this with the jalapeños? Or can we leave them out? Catchup is my max I’m spiciness. And how much do take a day

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      February 22, 2022 at 10:27 am

      Hi Erin. You can either leave the jalapenos out of the recipe or dilute your finished product with more vinegar. I’ll usually drink about a shot (1.5 oz.) per day. Enjoy!

      Reply
  4. Maraly says

    October 10, 2021 at 4:17 pm

    Is there a good reason to just soak the ingredients and not blend it all in a blender? That’d be a lot easier :)

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      October 11, 2021 at 9:28 am

      Hi Maraly. The vegetables need to infuse into the vinegar for a month before straining. Blending everything together would make it a lot more difficult to strain unless you’re planning on skipping that step. Either way, it’ll still need a month to infuse.

      Reply
  5. Pam says

    December 16, 2020 at 3:30 pm

    I started a batch of this today, but was only able to get about 1 cup of ACV in with everything else in the jar… will I be able to top it off at some point? Should I put it into a larger jar?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      December 21, 2020 at 8:42 am

      I would try using a larger jar.

      Reply
  6. Makeda says

    July 22, 2020 at 3:33 pm

    5 stars
    Just tested my first batch of fire cider today and it came out so tasty! I followed this recipe and added 1 small beet which gave it a beautiful deep pink color and that sweet, earthy flavor that I love. I saved the veggies to use as soup base and salad dressing with a little lemon zest, olive oil and a tiny bit of orange blossom water and it was super tasty!

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      July 28, 2020 at 9:48 am

      Hi, Makeda! Yay, I’m so glad you liked it! Using the leftover veggies as a salad dressing and soup base are both great ideas.

      Reply
  7. Kelly says

    February 21, 2019 at 7:06 am

    I have a apple farm make my own apple cider vinegar , with the mother, happy to sell it to your customers in bulk or bottled thank you Kelly farmersdaughtercs @gmail.com

    Reply
  8. escher says

    March 27, 2018 at 3:05 pm

    Hi, we love it her but we were asking: Are the ingredients fermenting in the vinagar ore just giving their taste to the vinagar?

    Reply
  9. Jennifer B says

    February 10, 2018 at 11:13 am

    I have been making this for 2 years and it really works. But the ACV is a problem for my old weak teeth and sensitive mucous membranes, so I use vodka instead. Dangerously delicious! No more than 15 ml per dose or you feel the alcohol. I grate everything and use it after 2 weeks, figuring that the alcohol draws out the juices quicker then vinegar. The left over material I use in cooking, whether vinegar or vodka infused. Next time I will infuse for a full month to see if it is significantly stronger in flavour.

    Reply
  10. Perri says

    February 7, 2018 at 7:21 pm

    I added some honey into the cider in the beginning on accident before I read that you add it in later. Will this affect the cider? Why do you add it in after 1 week? Thank you for the wonderful recipe! I look forward to seeing how it turns out!

    Reply
    • Agie says

      October 22, 2022 at 3:23 am

      I did exactly the same and wondering if it will affect the cider.
      How did yours turned out?

      Reply
  11. Alanna says

    December 31, 2017 at 2:03 pm

    Hating to throw away the goodies after straining so I chopped up one batch and left it in the mixture and actually “eat” it with the cider. I also reuse and refresh by adding new ingredients to old and keep it going.
    You can also make a drink with the cider like I do ACV by adding water and honey to taste. Easier on the stomach and refreshing!
    I have noticed more energy and if I drink some later in the night it wakes me up. Love that I am not tired anymore and allergies are basically gone!

    Reply
  12. Kim says

    October 16, 2017 at 12:19 pm

    Does it go in the fridge or stay at room temperature once you make it?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      January 29, 2018 at 4:01 pm

      I usually keep it at room temperature and it will last for a long time that way!

      Reply
  13. Jo says

    September 14, 2017 at 1:37 pm

    This stuff really works..!!! warning, It WILL make you cough.! or it did me.!! My son loves to use it for his salad dressing. (he likes spicy things, And vinegar.!)

    Reply
  14. Lynn says

    September 5, 2017 at 5:10 am

    I’ve been trying my hand at a few sipping vinegars and some cider as well. This seems like an interesting recipe to try. Thanks.

    Reply
  15. Linnie says

    September 2, 2017 at 3:18 pm

    Hello everyone.. That looks great! I am definitely going to make it, although will have to start growing horseradish… in a tub, yes, lest it take over my garden :)

    Is this combination of ingredients good for hypertension, bad for hypertension, or indifferent for hypertension, please? Thank you for such wonderful articles, Colleen.:)

    Reply
  16. Michelle says

    April 15, 2017 at 6:42 am

    I’ve been wanting to make this for years. This year I’m going to do it. Great article!

    Reply
  17. Jessica says

    February 16, 2017 at 6:00 am

    What is shelf life? Does it need to be processed in canner?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      February 17, 2017 at 10:48 am

      Because of the vinegar, it will last a long time! I can’t give you an exact time frame, but I would guess up to a year or even more. I wouldn’t process it in a canner as that will kill all of the good bacteria in the raw ACV :)

      Reply
  18. poddys says

    January 25, 2017 at 11:31 pm

    This sounds really good. Can you refill with more cider vinegar and brew another batch using the same “vegetables” or do you need to thorw these out and start again? I was thinking you might be able to do something along the lines of making ginger beer where the batch gets used over again.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      January 29, 2017 at 8:49 pm

      You could do that, but it wouldn’t be nearly as strong. Ginger beer is a bit different because there is fermentation involved, so you can keep a starter alive for a long time. Fire cider is really more of an infusion, so would be weaker if you reused the veggies.

      Reply
  19. Shaun says

    January 7, 2017 at 10:55 pm

    This is amazing! My husband was under the weather so I did and early strain with one of the jars (about 2 weeks in) added some honey. We both thought it actually had a pleasant taste. Definitely putting this in regular rotation!

    Reply
  20. Terri says

    December 24, 2016 at 4:48 am

    We have been making this for about 5 months now and we feel great. We love it! The health benifits from this are incredible. We make it in a half gallon jar with a spout on it, lasts us a month or more taking a shot daily. We always have one “brewing” while we are using the other one so that we never run out. Costs about $16 dollars to make a batch of this size compared to $125 on the Internet for “fire cider” and it’s fun to make.

    Reply
    • Terri says

      December 24, 2016 at 4:52 am

      Forgot to mention that we also turn the heat up a bit and use habanero instead of jalapeños

      Reply
  21. Karen says

    December 13, 2016 at 8:06 am

    I made some two weeks ago. The recipe I used said we could use it after a few days, so we did. It sure did cut the time hubby & I were down with a cold. Going to make another batch today, and add the lemon. The recipe I used said to add lemon & honey as you use it. I’ll try it this way and add some fresh rosemary from my garden.

    Reply
    • Cheryl Anderson says

      October 14, 2017 at 5:20 pm

      I was glad you mentioned Rosemary as I was thing the same thing.

      Reply
  22. Robin Jozovich says

    December 13, 2016 at 6:32 am

    Sounds like it could warm up a cold morning! Thanks, Colleen!

    Reply

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I want to inspire you to live seasonally, become more self sufficient, and protect your health. I share information on foraging and wildcrafting, fermenting and preserving, cooking whole foods from scratch, permaculture gardening, and making herbal products. And that’s just the beginning! Learn more.

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