Fire Tonic

  • 15–18
  • –
  • 20 minutes
    (plus 14 days fermenting time)
  • –

Our fire tonic is a powerful combination of warming, digestive-stimulating herbs in a base of unpasteurised apple cider vinegar. This is a tonic to stoke your digestive fire (acid and enzyme production).

Course: Drink
Recipe contains: N/A

  • 500 ml (2 cups) apple cider vinegar, plus extra if needed
  • 10 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 120 g fresh horseradish, roughly chopped
  • 120 g ginger, roughly chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2.5 cm piece of fresh turmeric, chopped (or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • a few flat-leaf parsley stalks, roughly chopped
  • a few rosemary sprigs, roughly chopped
  • a few oregano sprigs, roughly chopped
  • a few thyme sprigs, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon juniper berries
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 3 fresh bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon licorice root sticks
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
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Unlike other fire tonic recipes this one does not contain any chilli (which can be irritating to the gut).

1

You will need a 1.5 litre preserving jar with an airlock lid for this recipe. Wash the jar and utensils thoroughly in very hot soapy water then run them through the dishwasher on a hot rinse cycle to sterilise. Alternatively, place them in a large saucepan filled with water and boil for 10 minutes then place on a baking tray in a 150°C oven to dry.

2

Place all the ingredients in a glass or stainless steel bowl and mix well.

3

Fill the jar with the vegetable and herb mix, pressing down well with a large spoon or potato masher to remove any air pockets. The vegetables and herbs should be completely submerged in the liquid, so add more vinegar if necessary. Add a small glass weight (a shot glass is ideal) to keep everything submerged. Close the lid, then wrap a tea towel around the jar to block out the light.

4

Store the jar in a dark place with a temperature of 16–23°C for 14 days. (You can place the jar in an esky to maintain a more consistent temperature.)

5

Strain the cider into a clean jar with a lid. Discard the vegetables, herbs and spices. Chill the fire cider before serving.

Notes

Refrigerate, unopened, for up to 12 months. Once opened, the tonic will last for 6–9 months in the fridge.