Apple Season: How To Make Fiery Cider
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If you're not making your own vinegar, what are you even doing? Never buy brand-name again, with New York City jack-of-all-foods Harry Rosenblum's latest book. This pantry staple has never been hotter, whether you're incorporating it into cuisine or brewing a batch to drink (to your health!), Vinegar Revival is an essential book for you. This fiery cider is a fall treat you'll make over and over.
This tonic is a traditional New England cure-all for lots of ailments, including aches and pains, colds, flu, congestion, and heartburn. Slug it first thing on those cold dark mornings in winter — its spicy punch will clear your nasal passages and wake you right up. You can also use it as a condiment like you would a hot sauce, or in sweet or savory cocktails. If you really like this stuff, this recipe scales well, and you can make it by the gallon.
- 4 tablespoons freshly grated or prepared horseradish
- 2 whole heads garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped fresh ginger
- 3 fresh Thai chilies
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/4 cup whole mint leaves
- 1/4 cup whole parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole thyme leaves
- 1 tarragon sprig
- Juice and pulp of 1 lemon
- 1 quart raw homemade apple cider vinegar, or store-bought
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon gorund turmeric
- 1/4 cup good quality maple syrup or honey
- In a clean quart-sized mason jar with a tight-fitting lid, mix together the horseradish, garlic, onion, fresh ginger, chiles, peppercorns, mint, parsley, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, and lemon juice and pulp. Pour in the cider vinegar to cover the ingredients and seal the jar.
- Store the sealed jar at room temperature but out of direct sunlight. Shake the jar well once a day for 3 to 6 weeks.
- Strain out and discard the solids; mix in the ground ginger, ground turmeric, and the maple syrup to taste. Fire cider will keep tightly sealed in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. Shake before use.