This fire cider recipe is one of the most potent natural tonics for boosting immunity, enhancing digestion, and warding off seasonal illnesses. Made with fresh roots, herbs, and raw apple cider vinegar, it's the natural wellness shot your body will thank you for.
Every fall, before the onset of cold and flu season, my family makes a fresh batch of fire cider. This simple, traditional tonic blends roots, herbs, and citrus with raw apple cider vinegar to help the body stay balanced and resilient during the colder months. Try my favorite simple Garlic Honey Ferment for additional seasonal support as well!
As Hippocrates once said, "All disease begins in the gut." A healthy digestive system supports overall wellness. That's one reason fire cider has become one of my favorite natural tonics for the whole family.
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⚡ Quick Look: Fire Cider Recipe
💡 Pro Tip: Shake daily while it infuses and use a plastic or glass lid - vinegar can corrode metal
🧡 Main Benefits: Supports immunity, digestion, circulation, and respiratory health
⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
🧪 Infusion Time: 3-4 weeks
🫙 Yield: About 3 cups
🌿 Skill Level: Easy
🍋 Main Ingredients: Raw apple cider vinegar, ginger, turmeric, garlic, onion, horseradish, jalapeño, citrus, and raw honey
🍂 Best Time to Use: Fall and winter for natural cold and flu season support
🏺 Storage: Up to 12 months (strain and store in a cool, dark cabinet or refrigerate)
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Why You'll Love It
There's something special about fire cider. It's simple to make, uses everyday ingredients, and feels good knowing you can easily make your own healing remedies at home.
- Naturally supportive: Each ingredient offers powerful plant compounds. The roots and herbs are naturally antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory, helping your body feel balanced and strong during seasonal changes.
- Good for digestion: The apple cider vinegar and warming spices gently stimulate digestion and circulation. Since good health begins in the gut, this tonic helps support your body where it matters most.
- Multi-purpose: Enjoy a tablespoon daily as a wellness shot, add a splash to tea or broth, or whisk into dressings and marinades for a flavorful immune-supporting boost.
- Naturally empowering: Making your own fire cider connects you to your food, your health, and your intentions. It's a small act of self-care that feels deeply grounding, healing, and nourishing.
Before getting started, I invite you to set a positive intention for your batch. Infuse it with gratitude and the energy of good health.
✨ For guidance, download our free resource: How to Manifest with Intentions and Affirmations
Ingredients
Apple Cider Vinegar: This is what extracts the beneficial compounds from the ingredients. It contains acetic acid, which supports healthy digestion and gut flora. Choose raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with "the mother" for the most active enzymes and probiotics.
Ginger Root: Naturally anti-inflammatory and soothing to the digestive system. Ginger supports circulation and can help ease bloating or sluggish digestion. Use fresh, organic ginger for the best flavor and potency.
Turmeric Root: A strong natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant due to its active compound, curcumin. Pairing turmeric with black pepper increases absorption. Fresh turmeric root is best, but organic ground turmeric works too.
Garlic and Onion: Both are antioxidants and antimicrobials and contain sulfur compounds that support immune and cellular health. Choose firm, aromatic bulbs without green shoots for the strongest flavor.
Horseradish Root: Horseradish supports respiratory health and healthy circulation. Freshly grated horseradish is ideal, as its compounds are most potent right after cutting.
Jalapeño and Cayenne: These warming peppers contain capsaicin, which gently stimulates circulation and metabolism. Adjust the heat level to your comfort.
Fresh Herbs (Rosemary and Thyme): Known for their natural antioxidants and antimicrobial oils, these herbs also support respiratory and digestive function. Fresh herbs are more aromatic and beneficial than dried.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Fire cider is meant to be flexible. You can easily adjust it to your taste or what's in your kitchen.
Herbs: Try oregano, sage, or parsley instead of rosemary or thyme.
Roots: If you can't find horseradish, add extra ginger or a touch of wasabi root.
Sweetener: Replace honey with agave or maple syrup for a vegan version.
How to Make Fire Cider
Step 1: Layer all ingredients in a clean quart-sized glass jar. Start with the roots and onions, then add garlic, peppers, citrus slices, herbs, and spices.
Step 2: Pour raw apple cider vinegar over the top until everything is completely covered. Make sure no ingredients are exposed to air.
Step 3: Seal with a plastic lid (vinegar corrodes metal), label the date, and shake well. Store the jar in a cool, dark place for 3-4 weeks, shaking it once each day. After steeping, strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer.
Step 4: Stir in raw honey to taste and transfer to a clean bottle or jar.
Helpful Reminder: Label your jar with the start date and set a daily reminder to shake it. After 4 weeks, strain and enjoy your homemade fire cider.
Expert Tips
Turmeric stains: Warning! Fresh turmeric can stain cutting boards and hands. Wear gloves or use glass or stainless-steel tools when possible.
• Prep the roots well: Grate as much of the horseradish and ginger as you can for the best flavor and infusion. Chop the rest into small pieces. Smaller pieces extract more nutrients.
• Clean produce thoroughly: Spray roots and citrus with a white vinegar and water solution, let sit a few minutes, then rinse and scrub well before using.
• Shake daily: A quick shake helps keep the ingredients evenly infused and prevents oxidation at the top of the jar.
Fire Cider Recipe FAQ's
Properly strained and sealed, fire cider can last up to 6-12 months in the refrigerator or at room temperature. If kept at room temperature, make sure the vinegar completely covers the liquid and use a non-metal lid. Shake before each use.
After straining, keep it in a clean glass bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for freshness or in a dark cabinet if using regularly. Avoid plastic containers, as vinegar can react with them.
Start with 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon daily as a tonic. You can dilute it in warm water or add it to tea if the flavor is too strong. At the first sign of a cold or fatigue, take a tablespoon every 3-4 hours as needed.
For older children, a small, diluted amount (½ to 1 teaspoon mixed in juice or warm water) can be fine, but always check with a pediatrician first. We like to use it for children ages 4 and up.
Yes. The honey is added at the end to balance the flavor and add natural enzymes, but it's optional. You can replace it with maple syrup, agave, or leave it unsweetened.
It doesn't have to be refrigerated if the vinegar concentration is strong and all ingredients are strained out, but refrigeration will help it maintain its best flavor and color longer.
More Functional Food and Drink
Love this Fire Cider recipe? Give it a 🌟 review and let us know how it went in the comments below! Want more healthy recipes? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest and greatest! If you love natural remedies, check out my article: Supplements for Healing After Surgery.
Recipe
Fire Cider Recipe (Immune-Supporting Herbal Tonic)
Equipment
- Quart-size glass jar with plastic lid
- grater or food processor
- fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- clean storage bottle or jar
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh horseradish root grated and slices
- ½ cup fresh ginger root grated and sliced
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 6 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 fresh jalapeño sliced (leave seeds for more heat)
- 1 small pinch cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup fresh turmeric root grated and sliced (or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)
- 1 lemon thinly sliced
- 1 orange thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise pod
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns or freshly ground
- 4 cups Raw apple cider vinegar enough to cover ingredients, about 3½-4 cups
- ¼ cup raw honey to taste (added after straining)
Instructions
- Place horseradish, ginger, onion, garlic, jalapeño, turmeric, citrus, herbs, and spices into a clean quart-sized glass jar.
- Pour raw apple cider vinegar over the top until everything is completely submerged.
- Cover with a plastic lid, label with the date, and shake well. Store in a cool, dark place for 3-4 weeks, shaking daily.
- After steeping, strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer into a clean jar. Stir in raw honey to taste.
Video
Sally says
We used a different recipe from someone not as detailed as you and put the honey in at the beginning instead of after straining it. Do you know if that ruins it or if it will be ok still?
Natalie Perry says
Hi Sally. That is a great question. Short answer: It is not ruined. It just changes it slightly but still retains the benefits. Saving the honey for last prevents fermentation because fire cider is typically an infusion with the vinegar pulling out all the beneficial properties of the veggies and herbs in it. Adding honey will cause it to ferment, but it may be slightly more challenging to strain later. (Fermentation adds additional benefits). Just make sure everything stays fully covered in the vinegar and strain at the right time in 4 weeks. You may want to add extra honey after straining, as the straining will remove alot of the initial honey you added. Thanks for checking in! Let me know how it goes!
Natalie says
This is amazing and lasts a long time. It really boosts our immune system when feeling like a cold is coming on, I take a spoonful and it’s gone in no time!