Fire Cider and Friends
Well, I still have a draft of what to do herbally if one should one get The Flu. And I swear I will eventually finish it and post it. I also have a 3-week old daughter sleeping on me right now, which is part of the reason that writing has taken even more of a back-burner spot in my daily priorities.
What doesn’t take a back-burner spot (or much less of one) is the medicine that must be made and harvested Now. Plants don’t wait. They have specific times and seasons. So out we went, 2-week old in her Moby, to harvest the Nettles. Yum!!! So out we will go the next fresh day to make Dandelion Oil. Ahhh!
And this last week we made Fire Cider. This is creating an interim and related post to the Flu Series. You are still sitting there wondering what Fire Cider is? Let me elaborate.
The Fire Cider Recipe
Equal spice parts** of the following:
HOT chilies (we used Thai red and green chilies – the hottest the Asian food store had)
Garlic
Onion
Ginger
Horseradish
Everything but the chilies need to be peeled. The chilies need their tops cut off.
**A note on spice parts** Horseradish is hotter than ginger, so we add a little less horseradish/a little more ginger. Likewise with the chilies – they might add the most spice so they go in as the smallest amount. Use your judgment to try to make the spiciness of each ingredient balance.
Mince these all very fine (we do each ingredient separately in the food processor, mixing them in a bowl as they are ready). Keep the bowl covered with a lid, plate, or towel as much as possible so the minimum amount of spice is lost to evaporation.
You will need at least one glass jar with a tight seal (a good canning jar and dome lid/ring will be fine). Fill the jar(s) 2/3rds of the way with the mince. Fill the jar, removing all bubbles, with Apple Cider Vinegar. Top off with the ACV so there is a minimum of air space, and lid tightly. Wrap the jar in a plastic bag.
((Here is the alchemy. I don’t know why this is important scientifically, but it always works and so we follow the Magic, knowing that there is much that science just can’t account for. But that’s a topic for another post…))
Bury the plastic wrapped jar in the earth for one month. Remember where you buried it!! After a month, carefully dig it up. Strain through muslin and bottle as any other tincture. Save the mince and mix with a little honey to use as a SPICY relish.
That’s it.
This will annihilate colds, flus, stuffiness, and anything else that comes with a germ attached. It is good for eradicating a hangover, and is also effective for some headaches – though not all. It’s also tasty. It makes a fine addition to marinades. The relish is good on a sandwich.
We tried an experiment this year, making our standard amount in Apple Cider Vinegar, but branching out to make Fire Honey (similar process – you have to really stir to get the air bubbles out of the honey) and Fire Bourbon (that’s my husband’s idea – can you imagine a hot toddy made of this stuff!?). We still have some 28 days till it’s dug, so you have to wait until then, or after that when I actually have time to write, to find out how that experiment turns out.
Now go forth, and play with your spicy foods!