Fire Cider Recipe | Best Homemade Immune Boosting Tonic with Easy Ingredients

Fire Cider Recipe is one of the most powerful and easy-to-make natural remedies you can prepare at home. This immune-boosting tonic is a spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet infusion of fresh roots, herbs, and vinegar that has been loved for generations. Traditionally made with apple cider vinegar, garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, and hot peppers, this recipe is designed to support your immune system, improve digestion, and keep colds and flu at bay. The best part? You only need simple, everyday ingredients, and once it’s prepared, it lasts for months.

In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to make Fire Cider at home, why it’s such a powerful natural remedy, and how you can customize it to suit your taste and needs.

What is Fire Cider Recipe?

The Fire Cider Recipe is a traditional folk remedy first popularized by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar in the 1970s. It’s a vinegar-based tonic infused with potent ingredients like garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, hot peppers, and turmeric. After steeping for several weeks, the mixture is strained and often sweetened with raw honey, creating a bold, zesty, and spicy drink that warms the body and stimulates circulation.

People love Fire Cider because it’s easy to make, highly versatile, and deeply nourishing. Whether taken by the spoonful as a daily tonic or added to recipes like salad dressings and marinades, it offers a flavorful and functional boost. If you’ve never made it before, now is the perfect time—your immune system will thank you.

Try this homemade Fire Cider Recipe today and enjoy the benefits of one of the most famous herbal tonics!

Key Ingredients for Fire Cider Recipe

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make one quart (about 4 cups) of classic Fire Cider:

• 1 cup fresh horseradish root, peeled and grated
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup fresh ginger root, grated
• ½ cup fresh turmeric root, grated (or 1 tablespoon turmeric powder if fresh is unavailable)
• 10 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
• 2 fresh hot peppers (jalapeño, cayenne, or habanero), chopped
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary or thyme
• 1–2 tablespoons black peppercorns, lightly crushed
• Raw apple cider vinegar (enough to cover all ingredients in the jar)
• ¼–½ cup raw honey, to taste (added after straining)

How to Make Fire Cider Recipe

This Fire Cider Recipe is incredibly simple, requiring only basic chopping and grating of ingredients before letting time do the work. The infusion period is about 4–6 weeks, but the preparation itself takes just 15 minutes.

The result is a spicy, zesty tonic that’s both delicious and functional, perfect for cold and flu season.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the Ingredients
   Wash and peel the horseradish, ginger, turmeric, and garlic. Grate or chop them finely. Chop the onion and hot peppers. Zest and juice the lemon.
2. Fill the Jar
   Place all prepared ingredients into a clean quart-size glass mason jar. Pack them in tightly but leave about 1–2 inches of space at the top.
3. Add the Vinegar
   Pour raw apple cider vinegar into the jar until all the ingredients are fully covered. Use a non-metallic lid (plastic or glass) because vinegar reacts with metal.
4. Shake and Store
   Seal the jar tightly and shake well. Store it in a cool, dark place for 4–6 weeks, shaking it daily to help the infusion process.
5. Strain and Sweeten
   After 4–6 weeks, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve into a clean glass jar. Discard the solids. Stir in raw honey to taste.
6. Bottle and Enjoy
   Pour your finished Fire Cider into glass bottles or jars. It’s ready to use immediately and will keep for months in a cool pantry or refrigerator.

Why You’ll Love This Fire Cider Recipe

This Fire Cider Recipe is more than just a homemade tonic—it’s a tradition that combines wellness, flavor, and affordability. The biggest highlight is its potent immune-boosting power, perfect for supporting your body during cold and flu season. Making it at home also saves money compared to store-bought versions, and you get full control over the ingredients. Plus, the fiery mix of garlic, ginger, horseradish, and honey creates a bold taste that’s both invigorating and delicious.

If you’ve enjoyed recipes like Natural Antibiotic Recipe or Turmeric Tea Recipe, then Fire Cider is the next herbal remedy you’ll want in your kitchen. 👉 Give it a try and see how this zesty tonic can become part of your daily wellness routine.

What to Serve Fire Cider Recipe With

While Fire Cider is traditionally taken as a daily tonic by the spoonful, there are plenty of ways to enjoy it:

• Salad Dressing Base – Mix with olive oil for a spicy vinaigrette.
• Marinade – Use as a base for chicken, fish, or vegetables.
• Soup Booster – Add a splash to broths or soups for a tangy kick.
• Mocktail or Tea Enhancer – Add a tablespoon to hot tea or mix with sparkling water.

Top Tips for Perfecting Fire Cider Recipe

• Use fresh ingredients whenever possible for the most potent infusion.
• Adjust spice level by choosing milder or hotter peppers depending on your preference.
• Shake daily during the steeping process to maximize extraction of nutrients.
• Don’t skip the honey—it balances the heat and acidity beautifully.
• Experiment with add-ins like cinnamon, star anise, or citrus peels for unique flavor twists.

Health Benefits of Fire Cider Recipe

Fire Cider is often referred to as a natural antibiotic thanks to its powerful combination of immune-supporting ingredients. Garlic, onion, and horseradish provide antibacterial and antiviral properties, while ginger and turmeric help reduce inflammation. Hot peppers stimulate circulation, and apple cider vinegar supports digestion and gut health.

For centuries, vinegar-based tonics like Fire Cider have been used in herbal medicine to boost immunity, aid digestion, and fight infections (learn more here).

Discover safe, effective ways to support wellness at home. Check out our Natural Remedies: Herbal and Home Solutions guide

Storing and Reheating Tips

• Storage: Keep Fire Cider in a sealed glass jar or bottle. Store in a cool pantry or refrigerator for up to 6 months.
• Reheating: Fire Cider is usually consumed cold or at room temperature. If you add it to hot drinks or soups, do so at the end of cooking to preserve the raw honey’s enzymes.
• Freezing: Not recommended, as freezing may alter the flavor and reduce its potency.

Final Thoughts

The Fire Cider Recipe is a time-honored, immune-boosting tonic that’s easy, affordable, and incredibly effective. With just a handful of fresh ingredients and a little patience, you can create a homemade remedy that supports your health naturally. Whether you take it daily by the spoonful, mix it into recipes, or share it with loved ones, this recipe is one worth keeping in your kitchen year-round.

Try making your own Fire Cider today and enjoy the warmth, flavor, and wellness benefits packed into every sip.

Fire Cider Recipe FAQs

Evelyn

Fire Cider Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Fire Cider is a traditional folk remedy popularized by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar in the 1970s. It’s a vinegar-based tonic infused with garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, hot peppers, turmeric, and herbs. After steeping for 4–6 weeks, it’s strained and sweetened with honey, creating a zesty, spicy drink that warms the body and supports immunity.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Infusion Time (minutes) 28 days d

Total Time 28 days d 15 minutes mins

Servings: 32 tablespoons

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Healthy, Wellness

Calories: 20

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup fresh horseradish root peeled and grated
• 1 cup onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh ginger root grated
• 1/2 cup fresh turmeric root grated (or 1 tbsp powder)
• 10 cloves garlic crushed or chopped
• 2 fresh hot peppers jalapeño, cayenne, or habanero, chopped
• 1 lemon zest and juice
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary or thyme
• 1-2 tbsp black peppercorns lightly crushed
• raw apple cider vinegar enough to cover ingredients
• 1/4-1/2 cup raw honey to taste, added after straining

Equipment

• Quart-size Mason Jar
• Cheesecloth or Fine Mesh Sieve
• Non-metallic Lid

Method

 

1. Wash, peel, and grate horseradish, ginger, turmeric, and garlic. Chop onion and hot peppers. Zest and juice the lemon.
2. Place all ingredients into a clean quart-size mason jar, leaving 1–2 inches of headspace.
3. Pour raw apple cider vinegar into the jar until all ingredients are fully covered. Seal with a non-metallic lid.
4. Shake well and store in a cool, dark place for 4–6 weeks, shaking daily.
5. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve. Discard the solids.
6. Stir in raw honey to taste. Bottle the fire cider and store in a pantry or refrigerator.

Notes

Take 1–2 tablespoons daily as a tonic, or use in salad dressings and marinades. Adjust honey for sweetness and peppers for heat.