1. Peel the onion and cut it into small dice.
2. Peel the garlic and chop the cloves.
3. Finely grate or chop the ginger.
4. Place all these ingredients in the very clean Mason jar with the elderberries and hibiscus.
6. Cover with cider vinegar until the vinegar comes at least 1 inch above the ingredients.
7. Close the jar, inserting a sheet of parchment or wax paper between the jar and lid so the vinegar's acidity doesn't rust the metal.
8. Let macerate in a dark place for 3 to 5 weeks. Shake the jar once a day so the ingredients don't form a big loaf at the bottom of the container!
9. At the end of maceration, strain the mixture, pressing to extract as much vinegar as possible. No waste!
10. Store in an amber bottle in the fridge.
A sediment may form at the bottom of the container; it's simply small bits of aromatics that got through the cheesecloth. That's normal! Just shake the bottle well before using!
How to use it
There are several ways to consume fire cider:
– Tonic shot: mix 1 tbsp of fire cider with 4 tbsp of water and a bit of honey.
– Health drink: add 1 tbsp of fire cider to a glass of water (still or sparkling), apple, orange, tomato or vegetable juice, kombucha or another drink.
– Fiery vinaigrette: mix 1 tbsp of fire cider, 1 tsp of Dijon mustard, 1 tsp of honey or maple syrup, 3 tbsp of olive oil.
– Boosted soup: add 1 tbsp of fire cider to a bowl of soup.
We don't recommend consuming fire cider straight, undiluted; the vinegar and aromatics can damage the stomach, esophagus and teeth over time!
