Wisdom Wednesday Long Form on Fire Cider: Intention for Strength in the Dark Season

This week’s Wisdom Wednesday is a little different — we’ve brewed up a special extended long-form reflection: Fire Cider: Intention for Strength in the Dark Season. We also wanted to make sure that our podcast listeners could enjoy our Wisdom Wednesday posts a few more times than usual!

Join Linda Shreve as she walks us through the recipe, the ritual, and the reminder that healing isn’t only in the herbs — it’s also in the care, the intention, and the love we bring. Perfect for these turning seasons and the challenges they carry.

Fire Cider Recipe

from Two Crones and a Microphone with Linda Shreve

Ingredients (for a half-gallon jar):

• 1–2 medium onions, chopped (optional if allergic)
• 20 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1–2 hot peppers (jalapeño or similar), chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh garden peppers
• 1 large piece fresh ginger root, chopped or grated
• ½ cup prepared horseradish (or fresh root if available)
• A handful of fresh rosemary sprigs
• A handful of fresh marjoram sprigs
• 2–3 cinnamon sticks
• ¼–½ cup dried rose hips
• A handful of fresh lemon balm (optional)
• Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (enough to cover all ingredients by 1–3 inches)
• Honey, to taste (added after straining)

Instructions:

1. Place all chopped vegetables, herbs, and spices in a clean half-gallon jar.
2. Pour apple cider vinegar over ingredients until completely submerged, leaving about 1 inch of headspace.
3. Cap tightly and shake the jar to combine.
4. Store in a cool, dark place for 3–4 weeks. Shake once daily.
5. After 3–4 weeks, strain out the solids and keep the liquid.
6. Stir in honey to taste. The finished fire cider should be tangy, spicy, and slightly sweet.
7. Label your jar with the date and ingredients used.

How to Use:

• Take 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon daily as a tonic.
• Mix into water if desired.
• If you feel a cold or flu coming on, take a dose every few hours.

Tags:
#WisdomWednesday #FireCider #TwoCronesAndAMicrophone #SeasonalHealth #HerbalWisdom #DarkSeasonStrength

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Transcript

Hello and welcome to Two Crones and a Microphone. My name is Linda Shere. I’m one of the three Crones who podcast, have fun, work together, and create content here on Two Crones and a Microphone.

You might notice I’m wearing a party crown. That’s because today we’re having a Fire Cider Party. Why fire cider? Fire cider is one of the best tonics you can make—a simple daily recipe to help you through the cold and flu season.

Ingredients and Preparation

I’m using a half-gallon jar because I like to make a big batch, but the ingredients are simple:

• Chopped onions
• Peppers
• Garlic (lots of it)
• Fresh ginger root (from my garden)
• Rosemary and marjoram
• Rose hips (for vitamin C)
• Cinnamon sticks
• Lemon balm (from my herbal cabinet)

To make fire cider, you’ll need apple cider vinegar—raw and unfiltered if you can, since that contains “the mother.” Use what you have, though; it’s a forgiving recipe.

I’ve pre-chopped most of the ingredients. Once everything is in the jar, pour vinegar over the top until it’s one to three inches above the contents. Cap it securely and let it sit in a cool, quiet place for three to four weeks. Then strain out the solids and keep the vinegar.

Here’s a jar I made last year, labeled “Fire Cider, 12/30/24.” Always label your jars with the date and the ingredients you used—you’ll thank yourself later.

The Party Begins

One of the best things you can do is chop your garlic, ginger, and peppers small. The more surface area, the better. Today I’ve added:

• About 20 cloves of garlic
• Garden peppers for color and visual appeal
• Chopped ginger root (grating works too)
• Prepared horseradish (since I couldn’t find a fresh root)
• Onions (though my co-host Betty is allergic, so leave them out if needed)
• Rosemary for brain function and memory
• Marjoram for antiviral properties
• Cinnamon sticks for healthy mucous membranes
• Rose hips for vitamin C and a rosy color
• Lemon balm for antiviral support and a mood lift
• Jalapeño peppers for a bit of zing, following the teaching of Rosemary Gladstar, who helped popularize fire cider in the 1970s

Once everything is layered in, pour in your vinegar, leaving an inch of headspace for what my teacher Luc called the “slush factor”—room to shake it.

Intention and Storage

Now here’s a secret: one of the best ingredients in fire cider is love. Add care, thankfulness, and good intention as you shake it. Dance with it if you’d like. Shake it once a day to keep it active.

Label your jar with today’s date (for me, the fall equinox) and note when you’ll strain it. After straining, store the liquid and add honey to taste. It should be zingy, tart, and a little sweet—like a sweet-tart.

How to Use Fire Cider

• Take 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon per day as a tonic.
• Mix it into water if you don’t like taking it straight.
• If you feel a cold or flu coming on, take some every couple of hours.

Strain your fire cider after 3–4 weeks, though six weeks is also fine. Always write down the date and ingredients so you’ll remember your variations year to year.

Thanks for joining me for this Fire Cider Party. I hope you find the recipe easy and fun. If you have questions, look for us on social media after this is posted. Take good care, live healthy, and enjoy some fire cider.