Fire Cider

Does anyone use fire cider regularly? What do you use it for? Do you use it for prevention or treatment of an issue? What's the best recipe?

Comments

  • pamelamackenzie
    pamelamackenzie Posts: 143 ✭✭✭

    I make it for the flu season. I start off taking it as prevention. Then as I forget to take it, if I feel a tingling in my throat or beginning of a cold, I take it. I think the best recipe depends on what you need to use it for. You would add/remove ingredients based on what benefits you want from it. Also consider your taste since you want something you will actually be willing to take. The following website has a basic description of the benefits of different ingredients: https://theherbalacademy.com/homemade-fire-cider/

    For Rosemary Gladstar's recipe, click on the Fire Cider article on the Grow Network home page, then click on the link to the book on Amazon. The recipe is on one of the free preview pages.

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    I made a Fire Cider last year and drank a shot every morning and when I was feeling a little under the weather I drank more of it, but below are the ingredients that I used:

    organic, raw Apple Cider Vinegar

    Two Mayan Chiles

    Pine Needles

    local Turmeric

    Ginger

    Fermented Garlic (2 bulbs)

    Half Jicama

    Half Red Onion

    Serrano Peppers (3)

    You can mix and match ingredients from Rosemary Gladstar's recipe as I based my recipe on it.

  • merlin44
    merlin44 Posts: 426 ✭✭✭✭

    I make and use it during the winter months as an immune booster. The recipe is also available on the Mountain Rose website.

  • bubknzklee
    bubknzklee Posts: 15 ✭✭✭

    I just made a hug batch. My family got sick quite a bit last year, so we are taking it as a preventative this year. Also, my husband has an auto-immune disease, so he takes it to help naturally boost his immune system

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

    It's just about time to start making it now - getting ready for the holidays. I swear it keeps me protected and my immune system boosted during all those parties, shopping, running around, and eating stuff I normally wouldn't.

    Gosh, I wonder how that court case about the name 'fire cider' is turning out? My team may be lining up an interview with Rosemary Gladstar to see how it is going...

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

    Regarding Fire Cider, there is a big court case about infringement of trademark and the name of it. I got this email from Stephanie Boucher, an herbalist in our upcoming Home Medicine Summit.

    I can't believe they took down her site.... that is starting to get into vigilante territory... Stephanie doesn't say exactly who took her website down...

    But regardless, this email shows the drama and passion of the court case over a company trying to trademark a common name for an herbal remedy.

    ..........

    Today I got an infuriating and scary email, and I'm not the first or the only one to have gotten it.

    Sometime around noon I was notified that my website -- which I've built with my own two hands lovingly over many hours -- was taken down because of a product I sell. And no, it has nothing to do with cannabis, believe it or not.

    It has to do with a little something called Fire Cider, a traditional immune tonic that has been made my herbalists for a long, long time, and was brought into popularity and given its common name back in 1980 by the amazing Rosemary Gladstar, who I think of as the fairy godmother of modern herbalism. 

    She's freely shared this name and its appeared on countless handcrafted products up until 2014, when a company called Shire City Herbals decided that they had the right to trademark it and use it exclusively. And not only that, but to go after a number of other herbal companies and SUE them for using the name.

    Since then, Rosemary as well as the original herbalists who were targeted have been locked in a court battle, and the fate of the spicy tonic has yet to be decided. In the meantime, however, it seems that Shire City is continuing their offensive against mom and pop herbalists like me, effectively cutting us off from the primary way we share our work with the world.

    Since I sell a CBD Fire Cider, that's exactly what has happened. I wanted to send out this email not only to let you know that my website is therefore DOWN until further notice, but also to make sure you were aware of the ongoing legal battle. What's at stake here is not just the ability of me or you to be able to sell Fire Cider, but the issue of whether tradition can be trademarked -- whether something that has existed as common knowledge and practice in the herbal community can be stolen out from under us by a bunch of pirates (and I'm not saying that randomly, they LITERALLY have a pirate on their label. Fitting, I know.)

    Click here to learn more about the movement to Free Fire Cider, and to get involved. And in the meantime, if you want to buy any products (including the one that shall not be named!), or book any services, we can do this the old fashioned way over email.

    In solidarity,

    Stephanie

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The lawyers have found a new way to make money. This situation is occurring everywhere. Someone is trying to copyright Aloha, for example, therefore going after anyone who uses the word in name or advertising. There are several others that have slipped my mind (of course.)

  • lmrebert
    lmrebert Posts: 363 ✭✭✭✭

    @bkpelfrey I use it when I feel like I’m not right and starting to fight off something because I’m rarely sick but my family takes it regularly. My recipe varies and I’ll use stuff popping up in my garden like different peppers etc. I have a really cool grinder I use to grate my stuff up pretty small but chopping stuff up is fine. my basic recipe is:

    64 oz mason jar

    10 garlic cloves crushed

    1 onion

    1 cup horseradish (can slow thyroid omit if you have issues)

    1/2 cup ginger

    1/2 cup turmeric

    a few chili’s cayenne, Serrano or any others from my garden

    Couple rosemary sprigs from garden

    a handful basil from garden

    1 teaspoon peppercorns

    put goods in jar then fill with ACV and give it a shake daily

    leave minimum of 2 weeks to 4 weeks strain and drink. I keep mine in frig but not necessary!

    enjoy

    its also great for salad dressing mixed with olive oil or as a marinade for meat if you eat that or veggies etc!

  • bkpelfrey
    bkpelfrey Posts: 23 ✭✭✭

    Thank you so much. I never realized I could use it as a salad dressing. I will definitely try it!

  • pseabolt
    pseabolt Posts: 48 ✭✭✭

    So is it more of a preventative or a cure? I’ve heard of it but the ingredients are a little intimidating, it appears to be a very flexible and forgiving recipe but knowing me, I would find a way to mess it up. Lol

  • sarah121
    sarah121 Posts: 129 ✭✭✭

    I've made fire cider many times in the past. It is always a life saver over the winter, and is a great remedy to easily start of your home apothecary. However... I wanted to ask the community if anyone has any great tips for getting rid of the rather pungent smell of vinegar which is left behind in the macerating vessel once the vinegar has been dispensed?!!!! I've tried lots of different methods in the past, but usually have to recycle the glass jars as they can't be used for anything else because of the smell. Bicarbonate of soda seems to work the best, but even this has to be done several times and more often than not, the pong still lingers! Any ideas fellow forum members?

  • sarah121
    sarah121 Posts: 129 ✭✭✭

    @bkpelfrey It makes a delicious salad dressing / marinade! Just don't go out socialising later! I also take it right off the spoon as a preventative medicine and also to treat colds and flu if they do rear their head. It really does stop illness in its track.


    @Marjory Wildcraft I call my preparation "Cornish" Fire Cyder (traditional spelling) in the hope of avoiding stress for myself and my customers. It's so very upsetting that people feel the need to trademark these traditional heirloom recipes isn't it. Herbal medicine belongs to all of us. Nobody owns it. I do so hope there will be a favourable and sensible solution in this case to set the precedent for future generations to practice and pass down their recipes without fear of being harangued by the courts.

  • lmrebert
    lmrebert Posts: 363 ✭✭✭✭

    @pseabolt never sell yourself short!! It is a very forgiving recipe and you can read up on ingredients and customize it to your family for example, my daughter has had thyroid issues and horseradish possibly can slow the thyroid so I make her batch without the horseradish but add more peppers because she likes it HOT😃

  • gardneto76
    gardneto76 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭✭

    I am a spice wimp! How important are the hot peppers? I can barely do sriracha sauce.

  • lmrebert
    lmrebert Posts: 363 ✭✭✭✭

    @gardneto76 I think you can just use peppercorns maybe reduce the horseradish and use a yellow chili they’re more mild, play around with it until you get what you can tolerate. You can also make it spicy and add to a soup bowl maybe a tablespoon to a big bowl of soup and you may not notice it. I did forget to add the lemon to my recipe!!

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @sarah.121

    Are you sure its not just the lid? I've never had a problem cleaning the glass. Glass can't really absorb odors. But you could try rubbing alcohol or maybe some borax..