Tis the season for zippy fire cider! Spicy, warm, pungent, immune-supportive, cardio-tonic. It's medicine, it's food. Here are the basics!

Fire Cider

Make a large batch of this each fall and use it throughout the year in food or solo. Pungent & delicious!

Feel free to skip or adjust ingredients as desired. Rosemary Gladstar's original recipe is versatile -- make it your own! <3

1. 1 quart raw apple cider vinegar
2. 1 large onion, chopped
3. 1 head of garlic, minced
4. 1-4 jalapeño or other hot peppers, chopped
5. 3 inches of horseradish root, chopped
6. 4 inches of ginger root, chopped
7. 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
8. Honey, optional (or to taste)
9. Anything else you want to throw in there (hibiscus flowers/calyxes make it gorgeous red!)

Cover with raw, organic apple cider vinegar, about 1 quart. Let sit for at least one month before straining. (If you don't feel like chopping everything by hand, feel free to use the food processor.) Great in salad dressing, marinades, broth, soup, stir fries, or by the spoonful when you're not feeling well.

Thai Curry Fire Cider Variation: Add a few fresh lemongrass stalks (chopped), 2 cinnamon sticks, and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon turmeric powder to the above recipe.

Fire Cider Maple Mustard Salad Dressing

Delicious atop bitter green autumnal salads with toppers like toasted pepita seeds and dried cranberries. If desired, other nice toppers include red radicchio, sliced apples or pears, seared salmon, bacon bits, red onion, and/or cheddar. A great side salad alongside warm breakfasts, panini, tomato or squash soup.

1. 2 parts fire cider
2. 1 part maple syrup
3. 1 part whole-grain mustard

This keeps nicely in the fridge for a long time. You could add oil (olive or otherwise), but olive oil congeals in the fridge and shortens the lifespan, and I like it just fine without.

Spicy Sweet Asian-Inspired Fire Cider Sriracha Sauce

This is fabulous atop Korean-style bibimbap bowls, Thai-inspired lettuce wraps, Vietnamese pho, etc.

Mix approximately equal parts in a blender or shake vigorously to combine:

1. fire cider maple mustard dressing
2. toasted sesame oil
3. sriracha sauce
4. maple syrup

I learned the original fire cider recipe from my teacher Rosemary Gladstar and am honored to have variations of these recipes featured in her Storey Publishing book Fire Cider!

Order copies of the book from me here or wherever books are sold.