I Love. Fire. Cider. Period.
- It’s a prime example of food as medicine.
- It is the consummate example of the people’s medicine. I love sharing it with and making it for people.
- It’s as versatile as it is delicious, and the ways to prepare it are only limited by one’s imagination and a few key guidelines. There’s not anything that I can think of that I dislike about it.
A little history/context drop: Fire Cider is an oxymel (a medicinal tonic made with vinegar as the base) who’s origins go back at least as far as 400 years ago when Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine (yes, being modern is apparently fairly old) wrote about oxymels in a transcript entitled, “On Regimen in Acute Diseases” which if you really love to read dense medical texts, you can read it free here.
Fast forward a few centuries to the 1970’s, and one of the most prominent western herbalists around, Rosemary Gladstar coined the term Fire Cider for a creation that she and her fellow herb school cohorts made to help address the chronic respiratory, seasonal depression, and colds that they all seemed susceptible to. Since then, she and herbalists all over the world have used the term (there was even a lawsuit regarding the use of the name Fire Cider, but goodness prevailed, and it is free and legal for all to use) to describe this beautiful tonic.
When I made my first batch, I literally cried. Quite possibly it could have been the horseradish, but maybe it was also because I subconsciously knew I was creating something special that would resonate with people and help them with elevating their health. I crafted it with care, layering each of the ingredients and thanking them for sharing their special medicine (yes, I still do this with each layer in every jar-I think it makes it more powerful!) and waiting patiently for weeks as the mixture brewed and mingled. It was love at first sip and I haven’t turned back since. If you want to check out our take on Fire Cider, click here.
Knowing how much work and care went into preparing the cider, I really didn’t want to waste all of the good stuff (aka the marc) inside. It felt like the compost pile, although a noble resting place, wasn’t the right place for these beautiful bits of all natural healing goodness. So, I did some research, and it turns out that what you can use the marc for is about as various as are the recipes to make it! My favorite way to keep the party going is by making a powder of the marc and using it for a myriad of tasty things.
To Make Fire Cider Dust:
Dehydrate the marc using a food dehydrator at 135 for about 12-16 hours or until dry. Get ready for some strong aromas to go into the air! If the smell bothers you, an unoccupied room with the door closed is good for this task. The odors don’t last too long once the drying process is complete. Once fully dried, powder marc in a blender or spice grinder. If you’re in a pinch a coffee grinder can work but depending on your model/type your coffee may have a new and distinct flavor if you’re not able to thoroughly clean it out, so I don’t recommend it!
Ways to use dust:
- Sprinkle on popcorn and add a little bit of salt and melted butter – BEWARE! This is addicting!
- Use as a spice for roasted nuts
- Add to vegetables or stir fries for a little extra zest or kick (it’s super tasty on sweet potatoes)
- Add to warm apple juice to make a nice cider beverage
- Season meat by using as a dry rub
Have you tried Fire Cider? What’s your favorite way to enjoy it? Comment below!