Fire Cider

Every fall, when the air sharpens and the garden has folded in on itself, I start chopping roots. Our fire cider begins the way so many good things do, with simple ingredients and some patience.

Fire cider is not new. It isn’t trendy. It’s not something I invented or improved upon. It’s a traditional medicinal tonic, made from pungent roots, herbs, apple cider vinegar, and often honey. We play with variations each year, choosing each ingredient with care, and blending to support different aspects of health. The ingredients are chopped or grated, covered in apple cider vinegar, and left to steep slowly while the flavours and properties infuse. It smells strong. It tastes bold. It wakes you up.

I will never forget the first time I tasted it. I had been sick with an awful flu for more than two weeks, and just wasn’t getting better. I felt weak and every part of me ached. Small movements triggered terrible coughing fits that made my head stab with pain. I was miserable! I was sitting on the floor in my sister’s kitchen while the rest of the family celebrated a birthday party. I had thought I felt up to going out, but I just wanted to go home to bed. Then a hand appeared in front of my face, holding a shot glass. My sister gave me a gentle order: “Drink.” I drank. The shot of fire cider kicked me in the back of my head from the inside… and that’s when I started getting better. That was my turning point. I had taken all the supplements, but something about the fire cider drew a line in the sand for me. Many times since, I’ve taken it when I start to feel like I might be coming down with something, knowing that the vitamin- and antioxidant-rich tonic is going to help!

We’ve been making our own for years now, playing with different variations and compounds. One with elderberries, sarsaparilla, rosehips and more. One with wild mushrooms. Nearly all of them with onions, garlic and horseradish.

Our go-to Ember & Root Tonic is the one we make the most of. We harvest wild horseradish, gather onions, garlic, cayenne and rosemary, buy organic turmeric root, ginger root, lemons and pepper, chop or grate it finely, and add to gallon jars, covering with our own homemade apple cider. (Here's a video of the process.) After a minimum of 6 weeks of steeping, I strain it and add a little local raw honey to soften the edges and round it out. The result is something fiery and nourishing; it is sharp, sweet, and grounding all at once. In our house, a bottle lives on the counter through winter. A shot before bed. A splash in warm water. Sometimes stirred into a dressing. Usually pounded straight, with a deep breath. Jim loves it, while I need to brace for impact - but am still so grateful that I have access to something so powerful!

It’s one of those old-fashioned preparations that reminds me that food and medicine were never meant to be separate. Nothing fancy or rushed; just good ingredients and time. I love the meditative aspect of chopping and grinding and mixing, staining my hands deep yellow from the turmeric and clearing my sinuses with the horseradish.

Fire cider is simple. And sometimes simple is exactly what we need. If you’d like some, we have it to share.