Fire Cider
As the days get short and the temperatures cool, sickness seems to prevail! In response to this, I am excited to share the simple and incredibly effective formulation known commonly as fire cider. This is a must have in my home apothecary as we enter the winter season and I think it deserves a spot in yours as well!
Fire cider is the most well-known modern variety of Oxymel (oxymel = a vinegar, herb and honey preparation). Fire Cider is a name coined and popularized by Rosmary Gladstar. Oxymels, however, have been used for thousands of years to support respiratory and immune system issues including coughs, mucus, and difficulty breathing. In 400 B.C.E., in his On Regimen in Acute Diseases, Hippocrates wrote, “You will find the drink, called oxymel, often very useful…for it promotes expectoration and freedom of breathing.”
All you need to make this incredible remedy are some fresh and/or dry herbs, raw vinegar, raw honey, and a glass vessel with a lid. The ingredients are extremely customizable to what you have on hand, or your specific needs for the formula. You can even leave the honey out if that does not comply with your diet however it does make it much more palatable and using a raw local honey does add its own health benefits to the formula.
Whether you are wild crafting your fire cider or buying all the exotic things, you want to select ingredients that serve the appropriate purpose. Fire cider should typically be warming, stimulating, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, diaphoretic, immune boosting, antioxidant, and expectorant. (if making a summer oxymel you may wish to focus on cooling properties) When you are deciding on your ingredients keep those criteria in mind but also trust your intuition and experiment with different combinations to find your own unique formula that best suits your needs. (There will be a full list of herbs I recommend at the end of this post) Rosemary’s original recipe includes Onion, Garlic, Horseradish, and Cayenne. You can use those and add so much more!
To make your own batch of oxymel or fire cider, simply fill a glass jar roughly 3/4 full of roughly chopped fresh or dry herbs and cover completely with raw vinegar. Use a plastic lid or a piece of parchment paper to keep your metal lid from corroding. Let this infuse at room temperature for 3-5 weeks, giving the jar a shake every day or two. When it is finished infusing, simply strain off the finished vinegar into a clean glass jar with a tight fitting lid and add honey to taste. Keep this preperation in the fridge or other cold storage for around 6 months!
You can enjoy a shot glass daily as part of your wellness routine or take a teaspoon or two every hour or so during acute symptoms.
Bonus Tip : Experiment with saving the pulp you strained off and blending it up with a pinch of salt to make a unique chutney type condiment!
Herbs to consider for your own Oxymel/Fire Cider:
Antimicrobial and antioxidant, astringent, and probiotic.
Antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, sweet and moistening, helps to balance the pungent herbs included in this preparation and bring harmony to the blend as well as soothing cough and sore throat.
Citrus (e.g., Oranges and Lemons):
A good source of vitamin C, which supports the immune system. Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, bitter, and quite astringent, wonderful for sore throat and cough!
Cayenne Peppers (Capsicum annuum):
Cayenne peppers contain vitamin C, A and capsaicin. It can support the immune system, help thin and expel mucus, provide relief from congestion, increase circulation, and act as a diaphoretic inducing sweating to purge toxins and lower fever.
Sage is warm, astringent, moistening, bitter, pungent, aromatic, carminative. Great for sore throat, and cough, promoting appetite and aiding digestion.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis):
Warm, dry, pungent, carminative, circulatory stimulant, nervine, antifungal, antibacterial. Wonderful for sore throat and moving stagnant congestion from the lungs!
Thyme is considered pungent, hot, and dry. It has antimicrobial,carminative, diaphoretic, antispasmodic, and expectorant qualities. Often used for oral care, sore throat, spasmodic coughs and even yeast infections.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum or Cinnamomum cassia):
Stimulating, warming, dry, sweet, pungent, spicy/sweet. It is warming, demuculent, astringent, antioxidant and antimicrobial.
Warm, Stimulating, Pungent and Sweet It can increase circulation and promote warmth in the body.
Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana):
Warming and pungent, quite spicy and stimulating. Very good for expelling congestion in the lymph system and phlegm in the lungs.
Garlic is a warm and bitter herb that is abundant with minerals and vitamins that act as powerful antioxidants. These include vitamin C, selenium, manganese, and copper, as well as sulfur.
Onion is a beloved kitchen herb that has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. Warm, pungent, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and also expectorant. They contain several flavonoids, notably quercetin,
Warm, Dry, Bitter and Stimulating. Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antioxidant. Black pepper is often included alongside turmeric to increase its bioavailability.
Astragalus (aka milk vetch, Astragalus membranaceus):
Sweet, warm, moistening, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, nutritive tonic, immunomodulator, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, adaptogen. A wonderful long-term supporting herb to build general strength and vitality according to TCM practices.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium):
Anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, aromatic, astringent, diaphoretic, stimulant, and tonic. Especially helpful for bringing harmony and balance to the body.
“Thus, it is both cooling and warming, fluid generating and controlling. Remedies with contradictory but complementary properties are often of great utility since they are able to normalize opposing conditions. This is true for yarrow.” -Matthew Wood
Considered cooling, astringent and bitter, Mullein is a fantastic soothing expectorant that is used in many preparations aiming to support the respiratory tract.
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis):
Warming, bitter, pungent, diffusive, diaphoretic, antispasmodic, expectorant, carminative, nervine. Phenomenal for respiratory support.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis):
Bitter, slightly sweet and pungent. lymphagogue, alterative, astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial. Calendula keeps the lymph moving and cleanses the blood so that the immune system is able to function more efficiently and effectively. Traditionally in folk herbalism it was put into soups and stews in the winter months.
Pungent, aromatic, both cooling and warming… Oregano is autoinflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant rich.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale):
Cool, dry; bitter tonic, vital stimulant, alterative, nutritive, digestive stimulant, diuretic (especially the leaf).
There are many more options that you could include i’m sure, this is just my favorites list and I hope it gives you a good starting point on your fire cider. journey!
Disclaimer: This information is intended for educational purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice.
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