Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh ginger thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh horseradish root peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 head garlic cloves peeled and lightly crushed
- 1 lemon scrubbed and thinly sliced; seeds removed
- 1 orange scrubbed and thinly sliced; seeds removed
- 1 jalapeño sliced; remove seeds for less heat
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tsp ground turmeric optional
- 3 cups raw apple cider vinegar labeled 5% acidity, plus more as needed to cover
- 1/4 cup honey plus more to taste; optional
Equipment
- 1-quart glass jar with nonreactive lid
- Cutting board and knife
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Glass bottle or jar for refrigerated storage
Instructions
- Wash the jar, lid, cutting board, knife, and sieve in hot soapy water and dry them well. Rinse and scrub all produce before slicing.
- Pack the ginger, horseradish, onion, garlic, lemon, orange, jalapeño, peppercorns, and turmeric into the jar without crushing them tightly.
- Pour in enough 5% acidity apple cider vinegar to cover every solid by at least 1/2 inch. Release trapped air with a clean utensil. Use a nonreactive lid, or place parchment beneath a metal lid.
- Label and refrigerate the jar for 2 weeks, shaking gently once a day and checking that the solids remain submerged. For a stronger infusion, continue for up to 4 weeks.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing lightly on the solids. Discard the solids. Whisk in the honey, if using, while the liquid is at room temperature.
- Transfer the fire cider to a clean glass bottle or jar and keep it refrigerated. Shake before measuring and dilute to taste.
Notes
- This is a refrigerated infusion, not a tested shelf-stable canning recipe.
- Keep all solids submerged during infusion and discard the batch if you see mold, unusual bubbling, or an off odor.
- Use a vinegar labeled 5% acidity and refrigerate both during and after infusion.
- Nutrition is intentionally left for manual calculation because the strained yield and amount of honey vary.
