Fire Cider for Fall

Fire Cider on the Countertop in my Home Kitchen

Chinese medicine teaches that the Autumn season is governed by the lungs and large intestine. Lungs and large intestine love fire cider - why? Fire cider stokes the digestive fire and loosens mucous in the respiratory tract. Your digestion will be encouraged with this blend which includes onion, garlic, radishes, ginger, turmeric, orange, burdock, lemon, and tulsi leaves. The tulsi leaf herbal component adds a subtle sweeteness and softens the blend. Typically Fire Cider includes horseradish root although I left horseradish out of this batch so that it’s can be less irritating to those with conditions that cause digestive discomfort.

This food-as-medicine blend is great as a morning tonic beverage as our mornings get colder. After breakfast, an ounce or two of Fire Cider in a glass will stimulate digestive action throughout the day. To reduce the spice of the blend, drink it with some water or herbal tea. Lately I’ve been keeping some Slippery Elm Bark cold infusion in my fridge to support my daughter’s respiratory tract. Slippery Elm Bark has a maple flavor and the cold infusion would be a nice addition to Fire Cider!

Amplify the herbal benefits of fire cider by following your morning dose with a gentle movement practice with deep breathing. Finish it off with a counter-clockwise abdominal massage.

Fire cider is not generally recommended if you have heartburn, GERD, diverticulosis, or indigestion. Have you used fire cider before? What was your experience? Have you tried a fire cider blend you love? Let me know in the comments! :)