Fire cider is easy and fun to make. My favourite winter tonic to prevent colds and flus, to stimulate immune function and to support circulation. My recipe is always based on Rosemary Gladstar’s original fire cider recipe, then I follow my disposition and throw in whatever I like.
Rosemary’s recipe is ½ cup of grated fresh horseradish root, ½ cup of chopped onions, ¼ cup of chopped garlic, ¼ cup of grated ginger, Cayenne pepper (dried or fresh) to taste, apple cider vinegar to cover all the ingredients in the jar, and honey.
Once you have the basics, you can add rosehips (full of vit. C!), elderberries (packed with antioxidants), lemon, orange, pomegranate, blueberries, cranberries, turmeric, tulsi (holy basil), rosemary, nettles, echinacea,… Just make sure you dice, chop or grate whatever you put in. I mix fresh and dried herbs. It’s all good!
Making it is easy; put all your ingredients in a jar and cover with apple cider vinegar. I use a mason jar with a glass lid – remember not to use a metal lid as the vinegar might react with the metal. This is one of my favourite moments in this process because all the herbs and fruits gathered in the jar look just so beautiful and colourful. This will no longer be the case after a while when the concoction is infusing. Let it sit for 3 to 4 weeks on your kitchen countertop, stirring once in a while (if you can remember, do it every day… I sometimes forget!).
Add honey to taste (acacia is easy because of its liquid form) or if you prefer to keep the recipe vegan, you can add maple syrup. When adding the sweet part, remember your fire cider should be hot, spicey and sweet. Bottle your fire cider and don’t forget to label it. Keep in a cool place for up to 3 months, Once opened, keep it in the fridge. It’ll last for weeks.
I take a shot glassful daily as a winter tonic. If you feel a cold coming on, take up to 3 shots a day.
Enjoy!
Rhubarb liqueur
600g rhubarb, cut in small pieces
400g sugar
Zest of 2 limes
1/2 vanilla pod
800 ml vodka
Place all ingredients in a mason jar and cover with the vodka.
Infuse for 4 to 6 weeks, stirring occasionally.
Strain, bottle and enjoy!
P.S. keep the rhubarb for the cake recipe below!
Vegan sponge cake
100ml vegetable oil, for example olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
160ml tepid water
275g self raising flour
200g caster sugar, plus some extra for the rhubarb
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Pieces of infused rhubarb, sprinkeled with sugar
Preheat oven to 160C fan / 180C conventional oven. Grease and line your cake tin.
In a bowl measure out the wet ingredients – oil, water and vanilla extract. In another bowl, measure out your dry ingredients – flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; wisk together. In yet another bowl mix the rhubarb with a little bit of sugar.
Little by little pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring constantly until you have a smooth batter. Gently mix in the rhubarb.
Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes. Check by inserting a skewer into the middle of the cake to make sure it is ready. If it comes out clean, with no wet batter on it, you’re good to go.
Let cool and enjoy!
Citrus peel household cleaner. Easy to make!
Put your peels (orange, clementine, mandarin, lemon) in a airtight container and fill with white vinegar. Let them sit for about 2 weeks, shaking it once in a while. Strain into a clean jar and label. To use mix 1 part of your citrus vinegar cleaner with 1 part water to disinfect, deodorise and degrease. Natural, no waste, cheap and easy!
Spiced cranberry sauce
This is a simple but very tasty cranberry sauce, all spiced up with cloves and cinnamon.
Ingredients :
• 400 gr cranberries
• juice of 2 oranges
• 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar (or more, to taste)
• 4 tablespoons port
• 5 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• salt and pepper
Put all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Let simmer till the cranberries burst. Taste and add more sugar if you like. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let it cool down a bit before serving. Enjoy!
