immune supporting fire cider.
in our neck of the woods, the days are getting shorter, goldenrod has started to bloom, and plants are beginning to yellow; as summer season comes to an end, we are called to look to the season ahead and get our medicine prepared.
fall season is reminiscent of cozy camp fires, flannels, and pumpkin spice - but unfortunately the autumnal season is also filled with colds, flus, and the sniffles. the combination of kiddos back to school in a petri dish of germs, colder air temperatures, and less time outside is a breeding ground for germs, pathogens, and bacteria.
luckily, the plant world offers us medicine of season.
i believe one of the most beautiful parts of working with plants, is their reminder of the constant rhythm and cycles we belong to. in the spring, we are greeted with lymphatic spring "weeds" that support detox like dandelion, chickweed, cleavers, the summer is filled with hydrating, juicy fruits like melons and tomatoes along with refreshing herbs such as lemon balm, tulsi, and hibiscus; towards the end of the summer we harvest our onions, garlic, horseradish, peppers, turmeric, and ginger, all notorious immune support, and preserve them in apple cider vinegar to make fire cider to keep us healthy for the season ahead.
nature is rhythmic and so are you. as humans, we feel the shift and slowness, the final harvest, the gentle goodbye to summer, and welcome falls steady rhythm.
why fire cider + the immune system.
as mention above, fall comes with a bit more exposure to pathogens and bacteria, luckily, your immune system is beautifully designed by divine, we couldn't replicate it if we tried. humans are born with an innate immune system that is pretty general and protects them during their first years, and eventually acquire and adaptive immune system. that's why kiddos are more prone to illness than adults, their immune system hasn't been exposed and "flexed as much".
your immune system is responsible for keeping you safe. it is like the guard walking the perimeter to detect a threat or breech. if a virus, bacteria, or pathogen makes its way into your body (like someone coughing or sneezing next to you) and you breathing it in your nasal pasages) your immune system will detect that pathogen as foreign and ring the alarm. it tells your body - intruder alert, we need more support here, create more white blood cells so we can get this thing out, pretty cool eh?
knowing that your immune system divinely knows how to protect you, you don't have to tell it to do it's job; instead, your job becomes supporting it and giving your body what it needs. to build out healthy immune cells your body needs nutrients like vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin A, and protein - so eating a variety of rainbow fruits and veggies and quality protein can be your multivitamin this time of year, quality sleep allows your body to heal, staying hydrated, and getting consistent movement like daily walks to keep your lymphatic system moving to clear things out are all immune system supportive (also decreasing the things that drain your immune system like sugar, alcohol, food dyes, and stress) - makes sense why holiday season coincides with cold and flu season.
herbal ways you can support your immune system are bringing in immune supportive, vitamin C rich, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant rich plants like elderberry, rosehips, mushrooms, nettle, ginger, turmeric and of course fire cider herbs.
so let's get into the reason you came here, how to make it.
how to make fire cider
if you can chop something roughly with a knife and pour something out of a bottle - you can make fire cider, it's that simple, going to take you less than 10 minutes, and then you will have beautiful medicine on your shelf.
FIRE CIDER RECIEPE
gather ingredients:
remember - always organic, we are making medicine here.
organic apple cider vinegar with the mother
1-2 onions (red or white)
1 whole garlic clove
2-4 jalapenos or cayenne depends on your spice preference
1 inch of ginger
1 inch of turmeric
1 horseradish root, 2-6ish inches
optional add in's
1 orange
1/4 cup hibiscus
1/4 cup rose hips
rosemary, thyme, sage,
black peppercorns
making fire cider is subjective and everyone has their own spin; just like everyone has their own way of making mac and cheese (fancy gouda, boxed, aluminum pan kraft); you are invited to be creative and use flavors that you actually enjoy; play with the citrus notes, spice levels, and herbs; the premise is for this to contain antimicrobial herbs (like onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, rosemary, thyme, sage, etc. because you want this to be medicinal) but you also want it to be something you will use!
To make:
set your intention for your medicine - important
rough chop everything (i don't even take the skin off of my onions and garlic, that's how rough, raw, and unhinged we are going)
put herbs in a glass jar to the topish- add an extra onion if needed, etc.
pour organic apple cider vinegar and fully cover all of your herbs
put a cap on it, label it with the date and ingredients
put on a darkish, cool shelf for 4-6 weeks (maybe set a reminder on your phone to check on it)
*optional - shake occasionally to help infuse the herbs (and your healing intention)
*optional - after a few weeks, taste it, do you need to add some more ginger, jalapeño?
after 4-6 weeks, strain it, bottle it, put it on your counter to use.
that's it!
10 minutes of prep, a few mindless weeks, medicine for the entire season.
when and how to use fire cider
fire cider can be used as a daily tonic in the fall and winter months to ward of illness and keep your immune system robust or best used for nasal congestion, head colds, sore throats, and sinus infections.
i recommend it for "head colds and sinuses" because first and foremost the horseradish has that wasabi hit that is really nasal clearing, it is IMPORTANT to treat sickness and sniffles early; lots of folks say "oh it's just a little cold" and let it linger, but remember the nasal passages are connected the lungs and bacteria thrive in warm and moist places aka your sinuses and if left unchecked will continue to multiply and travel down the throat, and taking up residency in the lungs where the cause issues like bronchitis and pneumonia. please, please, please treat early and save yourself a visit to the ER.
also, while fire cider is filled with immune herbs, once bacteria have traveled down to the lungs, you will typically need to switch to more lung tonics such as reishi, mullein, elecampane, honey, marshmallow and potentially antibiotics depending on the severity.
so when to use fire cider?
in a box
with a fox
in a house
with a mouse
when you're ill
instead of a pill.
it is truly a food as medicine.
daily morning shot to keep your body flooded with daily dose of antimicrobial herbs
when traveling or exposed to someone sick
or reserve it for the first signs of sniffles, sinus, and nasal congestion take every 3-4 hours when sick to help clear it out
in our household we just use a shot glass and take it straight (y'all - the glow up from tequila shots to fire cider) , however if you don't like the aggressive taste of apple cider vinegar or the spice i recommended adding about an ounce of water to dilute it (don't dilute it too much or then you'll just have a big glass of vinegar water), or mix in a bit of honey. if all else fails, it is a vinegar base so use it to marinate chicken or in salad dressings mixed with equal parts extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt to still get your immune herbs in.
okay off to the grocery co-op to gather your ingredients, you've got this, and remember your body is capable of healing when you give it what it needs.
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