• Gather all your ingredients and decide what you want in your fire cider. For it to be palatable to me, I went easy on the hot peppers but made up for it with garlic and onion.
• Finely chop the garlic, onion, fresh herbs, and hot pepper. The hotter the pepper, the more careful you need to be. You may want to wear gloves and eye protection and be sure you don’t rub your eyes when you are working with hot peppers! It will burn.
• Grate your ginger, horseradish, and turmeric root. I like to use a glove made to protect your fingers so you don’t accidentally grate them, too!
• Layer your ingredients in a large mason jar.
• Pour enough apple cider vinegar into the jar to submerge all of your ingredients. Put a lid on the jar and give it a good shake.
• Allow your fire cider to steep for at least two weeks, shaking it daily. It is even better if you can let it steep for a month. The color will darken and change over time.
• Strain your fire cider with a cheesecloth laid over a strainer or colander.
• Add honey to taste to the liquid. You can throw out the leftover pieces of ginger, onion, etc.
• Store your fire cider in a cool, dark place for up to a year. I prefer to store mine in the refrigerator to be safe, although fire cider is considered shelf-stable.

How Much Fire Cider Do I Need to Drink?

• You can take one tablespoon of fire cider a day as an immune system booster. Take one tablespoon several times throughout the day to ward off a cold or illness.

   Many people like to dilute the drink in a glass of juice or tea because the flavor is very spicy! You may want to be careful when you first start using the fire cider. Start with a smaller dose and make sure to take it with food until you are sure it won’t upset your stomach.

   Just like any other spicy food, fire cider can cause your nose and eyes to run and reduce inflammation. Drink with caution!