Thank you to herbalist Barbara Gladstar for coining the tonic, Fire Cider in 1980.
Rooted in History, Fire Cider traces back to “The Four Thieve’s Tonic” from Medieval Europe. Legend has is that grave robbers invented a tonic that was both drunk & inhaled to stay healthy while robbing corpses. Comprised mainly of vinegar, onions, garlic & spices this tonic warded off the Plague. Some believe it was because it warded off the fleas that transmitted the disease.
Barbara Gladstar modeled her Fire Cider after the Four Thieve’s and made some modifications. There is a lot of freedom in making your own fire cider as long as you stick to the main tenets: aromatic, sinus opening roots distilled in apple cider vinegar for four weeks.
In our Fire Cider we used:
- 1 Large Horseradish Root
- 1 Large Ginger Root
- 1 Small Tumeric Root
- 1 Garlic Bulb
- 1 Large Onion
- 4 Habanero Peppers
- 1 Japaleno Pepper
- 1 Orange (keep rind on)
- 1 Lemon (keep rind on)
We chopped all the ingredients and layered them 3 x 1 Quart Mason jars. We then poured Apple Cider Vinegar over the contents. In four weeks we will strain the liquid, add raw honey & be ready to go!
