Fire cider is a powerful tonic used to ward off illness. It’s made from plants containing many natural antiviral, antifungal and antimicrobial compounds. Combined and steeped in vinegar for a month or so, the resulting liquid becomes infused with these powerful flavors and compounds.

Take a shot at the onset of symptoms of getting sick, and you either won’t get sick at all, or you’ll breeze through and recover more quickly. (These are my own personal experiences and should not be construed as medical advice!)

Generally speaking, fire cider is not pleasant tasting. However, you can embellish it or mask the strong flavors by mixing with honey. Personally I just take a shot, let it burn while it goes down. I chase it with some cool water if it’s too much to bear.

Strictly speaking, this is generally not a true ferment, or at least that’s not the goal. There may be some bubbling, indicating activity by the ever-present live microbes, but that would be incidental. The purpose here is to create an infusion.