Make Adaptogenic Fire Cider, Fall/Winter Energetics, & Some of their Plant Allies
I like to keep this on hand all year round, but especially during the Fall and Winter seasons when our bodies need extra immunity and warming support.
It is easy peasy to make, and fun to experiment with your healing plant combinations! Lean into this creative practice, and allow your space to get a messy and playful!
xooo, tori
(You can scroll down to watch a little stop motion video of the whole process.)
What you’ll need:
Airtight jar
Your choice variety of dried powders, and fresh healing foods/herbs/adaptogens
Raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
Raw honey (optional)
Glass dropper bottle or another airtight glass bottle
Funnel
fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
Wax paper
Knife
Chopping board
Keep for 1-6 weeks on the counter with wax paper lined between metal top - or use a non aluminum top.
Superfood herbs options (choose 4-8/jar)
Finely chop:
Onions
Garlic
Turmeric
Ginger
Horseradish root
Orange with rind
Thyme
Oregano
Lemon with rind
Peppercorns
Rosemary
Raw honey
Fresh chili with seeds or jalapeños etc
Cinnamon chips or sticks
Pinch of mineral pink rich salt
Favorite Adaptogen options (powders work best but fresh is also great if you can get your hands on these fresh— except mushrooms— too much moisture!)
Gotu Kola leaf
Chaga mushroom
Moringa leaf
Tulsi leaf
Put all of your choice chopped superfoods and herbs into your jar and cover completely with ACV.
If your top is metal, cover with parchment or wax paper and then the lid. Screw to be airtight and store in a cool dry place for 2-6 weeks.
Transfer into a dropper bottle or another airtight jar or bottle. *Glass is best when using acidic liquids or food and fermentation.
*Enjoy a dropperful (or 1 tsp to tablespoon) in water or straight into the mouth, 1 x daily when everyone around is getting sick, or 3 x daily if you are sick for super immunity boost and a plethora of other wellness benefits depending on your choice herbs. Use a dropperful 2-3 times a week all year round as a preventative aid.
*Keeps out of fridge for a year. ACV is a preserver and wonderful internal (body) and external (home/space) cleaner.
*ACV creates a temporary warming circulation of energy (qi) in the body, and removes stagnant blood. It can quickly alter emotional stagnation as well, especially in children— bad moods will usually disappear a few moments after taking or eating something with high quality unpasteurized vinegar. ACV also promotes and eases menstruation.
Plant Power!
The Energetics of Fall and Winter and Ways to Support a Vibrant Immune System
// Fall is associated with Ayurvedic Vata dosha, and is a time of airy, dry, rough, and cold that can send us more easily into overwhelm and anxiety, and tendency for constipation. We want to balance these energetics so disease does not occur, with warm, circulation invigorating, and hydrating.
Minimize caffeine, cold drinks, raw foods, dry foods like crackers, chips, dried fruits, ice cream, etc, and dig into warm and hydrating foods and liquids, like hot herbal tea, grounding roasted root vegetables with lots pungent and warming spices, soups, baked fruit cobblers with minimal processed sugar, or a low-glycemic alternative like coconut sugar, etc. Balance sugars with pungent spices and herbs— and your Fire Cider supplement!
//Winter is associated with the Ayurvedic Kapha dosha, and is a time It is of dark, cold, a sense of heaviness, increased moisture (usually in the form of rain or snow), cloud-covered days, and the grounded, slow feeling that sends many animals into hibernation.
Opt for nutrient-rich drying foods like dried fruits, activated nuts, seeds, grains, (rinse or soak and rinse to get rid of the toxic digestion disrupting physic acid) soups, stews— higher protein, higher fat foods that are more dense and more insulating for the body. Ghee, avocados and its oil, olive oil, etc, pasture raised eggs and meat, or activated legumes, and lots of veggies! Think mineral rich foods, and lots of rest! This is a time for deep nourishment.
*Some of the benefits you will receive from our Fire Cider choice foods and herbs, and are wonderful to add into your daily cooking and routines:
Ginger
rhizome helps to move blood all over your body. It supports circulation, helping to warm the body and release stuck or stagnant energy, including stagnant energy that makes us sick.
Garlic
is a bulb that’s cultivated world-wide for culinary and medicinal purposes. It is strengthening to multiple systems in the body including the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, and immune systems. It may not be the cutest thing on the breath, but it’s great for nearly every part of your body and mind.
Onion
has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antihistaminic properties. Quercetin in onion reduces inflammation and allergies. It also helps to control the symptoms of asthma and gives relief in case of breathlessness.
Rosemary
is a common garden plant and aromatic bitter. It’s gently stimulating to the cardiovascular, digestive, and nervous systems. Making it the perfect herb for warming the body, clearing cloudy thinking, and moving stuck digestion. Plus, it smells so dreamy, and helps to relieve muscle tension and headaches when smelled.
Oregano
Is a natural antibiotic and antiviral. It is also antimicrobial and warming, and works to kill bad bacteria and yeast in the gut microbiome, aiding in treatment for dysbiosis (bacterial imbalance), Candida overgrowth, Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and Small Intestine Fungal Overgrowth (SIFO).
Gotu Kola
A nervous system tonic that improves mental clarity, depression, and skin elasticity. Super anti-inflammatory. May help in healing wounds, relieving diarrhea, boosting energy levels, reducing anxiety, enhancing sexual potency, treating venereal diseases, treating skin diseases, and treating menstrual disorders. Third eye opener. In Ayurveda, Gotu Kola is a Rasayana, or rejuvenating plant. A favorite overall longevity boosting herb!
Peppercorn (White, Black, Pink)
Is known in Ayurvedic medicine to increase internal heat. It has been traditionally used for respiratory diseases, as well as conditions related to intestinal flora.
Thyme
Is a mineral rich herb that is also an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiseptic. Thyme can help to relieve a cough, boosts mood, and has been shown to alleviate bacterial and fungal infections. One of my favorites!— it also cooks well with most anything!
Moringa
An ancient healing tree that is nutrient rich, anti-inflammatory and super detoxifying. Has been used to treat and prevent ailments such as diabetes; liver, heart and brain disease; and anemia. Its antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties have also been used for both blood and urinary tract infections, digestive disorders, and increased circulation.
Lemon
are used as a digestive aid to boost digestive fire; as an anupan (carrier) to boost absorption of herbs, spices, and foods; and as a cleanser for the blood, lymph, and mouth.
