Fire Cider...It Will Cure What Ails You!

Tonight I finally got around to making up a batch of fire cider. This is one of those recipes that I keep meaning to start, but I either don't get around to getting all the ingredients at the same time, or I have them all but just feel too lazy or overwhelmed to even start slicing things up. Well, I was determined to do it NOW so we could have it ready when needed.

What exactly is fire cider, and why am I making it? I am going to be brief (you can follow the link to read more) because I want to get off to bed and I am too tired to think straight. First the why. When I was growing up, I remember my great-grandmother always cooking, baking, and creating in her kitchen. I wish I had paid more attention then, but since I was so young I am not sure it would have made much of a difference. She was from such a different era as well as place than I was. She grew up on the Russian steppes, and was an amazing cook. She could (and DID) make vodka out of anything. I have very strong scent and flavor memories associated with her. One of these is the concoctions (potions? medicines? whatever you want to call them) she would make to stave off illness or outright banish it from an infirm body. I remember one particularly strong one that knocked me on my butt as a child (our whole family was quite ill at the time with some bronchial issue), tasted of blackberry syrup and brandy, and eliminated the virus within 24 hours. It really was that impressive.

Those memories stayed in the back of my brain until a few months ago when I ran across this recipe for fire cider. I have often made up my own herbal teas and tisanes, but this one just reminded me so much of something my great grandmother would make, that I wanted to try it and perfect my own recipe for the family. This version of fire cider should be excellent whether it is used to prevent a cold or flu from taking hold, or to expel one from the body. It is also useful in maintaining a healthy digestive system, which has become an important issue for my hubby and partner. When his gut doesn't hurt, the rest of his brain and body feel better.

If you are knowledgeable about herbs, you can use those which are most relevant to your particular needs. If you are not knowledgeable, please either find someone who is, or just use the basic recipe.

I borrowed this recipe and tinkered a bit with it to suit my own tastes and what I could find at the store. I had to substitute some cherry peppers for the habanero/cayennes (although I would have much preferred the latter), so I am hoping it will have the heat I am looking for. Next time I will try to find the peppers I want, rather than make a substitution. Whatever chiles you use, remember that your cider will be spicier if you include the seeds, so be aware of that when making your choices. I ended up chopping the chiles finely, with most of the seeds as they are a milder pepper. I am hoping it doesn't become too spicy, but if it does, I will add a little more honey to cool the effects a bit. I also used rosemary, mint and sage fresh picked from the garden. I am now wishing I had put in more mint, but it can always be added a little later on if necessary. I used a 1/2 gallon jar and expanded my ingredients accordingly as I know that if the recipe works as I expect it to, we will use it up during the coming winter months. I may try a little turmeric root next time as well, as it has immune-boosting properties. I will try to post some photos of the concoction tomorrow.

Remember, fresh quality ingredients will work better than dried, conventionally grown ones. Ask around at your local Farmers' Market for the ingredients you need. For a smaller amount of fire cider, use a quart jar instead, and simply use a smaller amount of the roots. You may have to tinker with the amounts to get the taste you prefer. We like ginger a LOT, so I use more than other people might.

Fire Cider (adapted from Rosemary Gladstar’s version HERE)



1 head Garlic, peeled and chopped fine

i large Ginger root, peeled and chopped fine

1 large Horseradish root, peeled and sliced

1 large Onion, diced (I used white)

1-2 Chile Peppers (Cayenne, Habanero, whatever flavor/heat combination you prefer), sliced thin

1-2 Oranges, zested then juiced (lime would also be fantastic)

Herbs (I used Rosemary, Peppermint, and Sage), crushed then chopped fine

1 quart Apple Cider Vinegar (preferably a brand with the mother of vinegar)



Honey to taste, once it has fermented to your liking



Slice your ingredients and layer them in a half-gallon jar. Cover the ingredients about 2-3 inches above the herbs. Cover and place the jar in a cool dark corner (closets work well) for a minimum of 2-3 weeks. You can let it sit longer if you feel it needs to be more potent (although I would not let it go beyond 3 months or so without straining it). Strain out the herbs and other material, and place in a clean glass jar with a lid; add the honey at this point to your taste preference. It can be kept refrigerated for several weeks. When you feel a little under the weather, have a small glass of it; the cider should taste spicy and sweet.

Strange Things Part Two

We have had a few interesting and somewhat strange things occur around here in the past week or so, and I thought it might be entertaining to document them here.

First off, on the daily rounds the kids do to check for eggs, Miss Claire found something unusual I had previously only read about. A most unusual egg....without a shell. I knew that one of our girls (a newer hen) was laying thin-shelled eggs, but this is the first time I saw one without any shell whatsoever. Of course we had to take pictures!

It is a sign of a calcium deficiency in the bird, which is usually an easy fix by adding oyster shell to their diet. Our problem? These girls free-range through the yard, so she should be getting enough calcium naturally. We also aren't positive which exact bird it is, because they roam freely, although I have narrowed it down to a likely suspect (the little Barred Rock my son likes to hold). So, I may have to try something a little different, like a container of yogurt (and hope that Miss shell-less egg layer actually eats it!). If it continues, then very likely she is destined for freezer camp.

The kiddos were utterly fascinated by it, and wanted to keep holding the extra-fragile egg. After a day or so of taking photos, careful cradling, and attempts to peer into it with a flashlight , I fed it to the pigs. Who promptly gobbled up the snack and wanted more. Typical little piggies!!

Next, was the unusual fruit occurrence.  What do you do when your husband brings you a fruit that is quite literally making its' own foam? Why, take pictures of course!! I know they could be more cleverly placed, but I was not feeling terribly creative at the moment.

Several weeks ago ( and by several I really mean almost two months) I picked up some kiwi fruit from the grocery store. Several were still quite hard, so I kept them in the fruit basket so they could ripen a little faster by staying with the apples. They even took a journey to our house for a week and back, as I kept forgetting about them. Back into their little basket, I again completely forgot about them. Until dear husband found one that was bubbling away, fermenting itself in its' own hairy little skin.

Oops. I'm happy it didn't get all mouldy at least. I think the birds (chickens, etc) were quite happy when I tossed it in the yard for them to eat. Maybe a little too happy...

Snakes and Crawfish

We were working at the landshare today, trying to get more seeds planted and the field flood irrigation going. I know, it is WAY late for planting out doors around here, but since we only recently came up with this agreement, it is what we have to work with. Hopefully something useful will actually grow, and it can be a positive experience!

Anyways, while planting with the kiddos, we saw some interesting things. First was a small garter snake I caught. It was about 18 inches long, and was slithering through the waterways we have made to irrigate the field we are working in. I am really surprised I even caught it, it was moving so fast. I wanted to get a picture, but I left my camera in the truck so it wouldn't get ruined in my pocket. The kids held it for a little while, and were quite pleased to see it there.

Second was the strangest and most unexpected. A Crawfish. In the middle of a field, in the middle of the desert! Our best guess is that it came from a lake about 15-20 miles away, and was carried through the irrigation canals to our little plot of land. Poor little critter was already dead, but I'm sure his nutrients will only help the soil in the area. Thank you, little Crawfish, for such an unexpected surprise!

Land Shares and Homesteading

I found a great article on Homegrown.org recently that really highlighted for me the problems we (as a family as well as a society) are facing right now. I'll try to pull up a link, because I think it is important to share it. Essentially, we have been trying to figure out a way to buy property so we can homestead on it, without really having any extra money to put towards it. We DO already own a house, a decent enough one in the suburbs, but in a town we don't want to live in. With no room to breathe and space to call our own. We could sell the house, but would then be homeless, without the excellent credit needed these days to get another mortgage. But if we sold it, we might have enough to put towards the property we want. A conundrum for certain. Here is a link to the article. I think you will find it interesting.

One idea we had to resolve our dilemma was to put out essentially a wanted ad for a farm or land that someone had that wasn't currently using it. Does that make sense? We are farmers without land, looking for a farm without a farmer. I did a lot of digging around the interwebs, and discovered some promising programs for people like us, but there is no quick fix. We were hoping to find someone that had land we could use to grow some crops for the animals and veggies for ourselves and the land owner to share. This way we all benefit - their land gets used creatively and sustainably, and we get the experience and products of our labor. It has been variously called a land share or garden share, and is a great way to bring people together for their mutual benefit.

And in a roundabout way, we may have actually found someone to land share with us. We are currently working out the details, but I am pretty hopeful we will get something going in the next week. If I can find some other folks to form a co-op to help us out and work the land as a larger collective, it will be even better. This will hopefully (fingers crossed) be a good intermediate step for us while we figure out the monetary issues for funding our own homestead in the hills.