A fiery potion to support our immune system
How to make your own fiery cider
I have to confess! Making potions, tinctures and other natural products is one of my passions. Being surrounded by herbs, flowers, honey, alcoohol (yes yes but not to drink it as such ) roots, small brown bottles, large brown bottles, jars of all kinds and sizes is my kindda paradise next to rows of books of course. It is. my way of escaping reality, of diving in a world where nature is king, a world where there is always, always something to learn, explore, experiment. It is also something that our ancestors did generation after generation in small villages on coal stoves or the ones fired by dry corn husks. No, not the Aga ones! At least not in my lineage. Probably this is my motto:
LEARN, EXPLORE, EXPERIMENT
In those times, antibiotics were not yet on the map but various natural recipes were passed on from one generation to another. I always marvel at the rows and rows of medicines and vitamins one sees in pharmacies. I always wonder how many pharmacies are in every town. At times it feels as if there is no corner without a pharmacy, competing with Starbucks or Costa Coffee for the best location.
We suddenly found ourselves conquered by people in “white coats”. How did it happen?
In the old times women were planning for the cold season. It never took them by surprise! Wasn’t it amazing? Nobody to remind them that the weather was getting colder, that the wind was strong, that rain was knocking at the door. But hey … they knew all about this and more!
They knew what to harvest and when, how to dry the plants and where, they knew what to make and how to store.
Without any shadow of a doubt what we nowadays call fiery cider was on top of the list.
Would you like to know what is fiery cider and why it has this name?
Read more :)
Fiery cider is a … tonic. Yes yes a tonic. A spicy, pungent, strong tasting, taste buds kicking tonic ideal to boost the immune system. Actually let’s call it a … booster tonic as we’ve been intoxicated with this word for years and we want to upgrade the word now and peel the unpleasant taste in our mouth when we hear the word booster once more. What is the difference? It is 100% natural. Although it is especially popular during the cold season this is a … tonic one can take all year round.
There are quite a few bonuses when making such a potion one being the gorgeous colour and beautifully looking jar. Such a feast for the eye! You will see shades of orange, yellow, green, red in abundance, it will make you smile each time you will lift it up and shake it one more time (more about this in a few moments)!
OK so let’s talk about the ingredients. The beauty of this tonic is that once you make the recipe as I suggest it you will enjoy adding your own touches here and there. Once you add the main ingredients you can be creative and innovative with the other batches, making your own interpretation of a fiery cider tonic.
Ready? The quantities are relative to the jar you are planning to use. I can only recommend a biggish jar say 2 - 3 litter one but you can do this in a small 500 ml one as well. Let’s introduce the main players and a few quantities:
Garlic - 5 cloves or more
Horseradish - 1 root or half it is up to you - chopped in square pieces or whatever shape you want. Horseradish- an acquired taste similar to wasabi - is rich in antioxidants, helps improve respiratory health, reduces inflammation
Ginger root - the size of your palm - grated or chopped - contains gingerol which is a powerful antibacterial, it also reduces stomach pain, reduces inflammation, alleviates nausea
Lemons - 1 cut in slices
Oranges - 1 cut in slices
Chilli - 1 cut in small pieces - contain capsicum and is high in vit C, iron helping to reduce inflammation, aid weight loss, improves bone health
Onions - 1 big onion chopped in slices
Rosemary twigs - 1 or more it is up to you
Thyme twigs - 1 or more it is up to you
Turmeric (root or powder) - 1/2 tsp ground or 1 root fresh turmeric chopped
Pepper - up to you
Honey - 2,3 tablespoons - up to you - anti viral, anti inflammatory, antibacterial, it is great for improving digestive issues, soothing sore throats, killing bacteria in the system
Raw cider vinegar - enough to cover the ingredients (a recipe for how to make your own cider vinegar is in the pipeline) - has antimicrobial properties which help kill bacteria and lower the blood sugar
If you look at the list of ingredients I am sure you know why it is called fiery! Yep it is a fiery girl indeed! I have to confess again! I love inventing names, I love giving personality to whatever I create. The latest batch is called “Fiery wolf princess” as I want to blend the potency of the tonic with the strength of a wolf.
What to do after you have all of the ingredients at hand? First, put a TV on your ipad or screen. Choose something you really, really like! Then, pick up your favourite knife and .. start chopping. In my case I had Reacher, a great detective type of TV series.
Ones your ingredients are chopped you can use your creativity and arrange the ingredients in layers upon layers. It will all become a happy mess once you start shaking the jar but hey it will look nicely layered for a few minutes.
Now that the ingredients are beautifully arranged in the jar is time to add the apple cider vinegar. Almost there!
Add it, seal the jar with a lid and then … shake, shake, shake! Remember to shake the jar once daily for about 2 weeks.
The “Fiery wolf goddess” will be ready in 1 month. Then it is time to strain out the pulp and add more honey if needed. Taste and see what else you would to add. Maybe a touch of chilli flakes or more pepper?
Store in a jar in the fridge or in a cool place for up to 6 months. How to take it? I would say 1 or 2 tablespoons daily and remember this is not the only way to use such a potent tonic.
Here are a few more ideas:
add it to cooked rice, pulses of any kind
add it in sour soups
add it in salad dressing
use it to marinade meat
add it in soups
add it in the sauces you create
Treat it as an ingredient and be creative with it!
Until next time be creative, be safe!
I could have done with this to help my hubby and I to recover from our cold. During the month where it’s doing its thing, do you store it in the fridge?