Remedies

Combine 2 cups water, ½ cup dried elderberries, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 knob fresh peeled ginger, and 1 tsp whole cloves in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the syrup reduces by about half. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Set aside. Fill a bottle with 1 cup raw honey and place a funnel over the bottle. Using a sieve placed over the funnel, strain the syrup into the honey. Use a spoon to press the berries against the sieve, extracting as much of their juice as possible. Discard or compost the solids. Place a lid on the bottle. Shake vigorously to fully combine the syrup with the honey. Store in the refrigerator.

Chop, grate, or otherwise prep 1 medium diced onion, 4 large minced garlic cloves, 4 tbsp freshly grated horseradish, 4 tbsp freshly grated ginger root, 4 tsp turmeric powder, and 2 fresh hot peppers (like cayenne). Optional add-ins include 1 sliced whole orange, 1 sliced whole lemon, a pinch of black peppercorn, 4 tbsp chopped ginseng root, and cinnamon sticks. A food processor is useful for this step. Place all ingredients in a 32 oz glass jar; it should be about two-thirds to three-quarters full. Pour raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar over everything, lightly knocking out air bubbles as needed, until the container is full. Cover the jars with high-quality food-grade stainless steel lids that will not rust.

While infusing, store fire cider at room temperature and somewhere you’ll see it and remember to shake it daily. Rosemary Gladstar says even a warm sunny kitchen window will work. It does not need to be burped; just gently shaken daily. After a minimum of 4 weeks, separate and strain the liquid with a fine mesh stainless steel strainer poised over a large empty vessel below. At this point, 2 tbsp warmed raw honey and cayenne (or chili) powder can be added to the cider if planning to take as shots. Store finished bottles of fire cider in a refrigerator; it will keep up to a year (maybe longer, so long as it doesn’t develop mold or have a sudden change in flavor or odor.

It is recommended to take 1-2 tbsp of fire cider per day throughout the fall and winter as a preventative measure. When you feel sickish, take a little shot a few times per day as needed. A chaser is recommended. Alternately, children and the more genteel can drink their fire cider: mix fire cider (1 tbsp for kids, 2 tbsp for adults), 1 tbsp raw honey, optional squeeze of lemon and optional chili powder in a mug of warm water and sip. Leftover pulp can be dehydrated, powdered and capsuled. Or the pulp (sans citrus rinds) can be added to meals like sauteed veggies or bowls of beans.