NETWORK WINTER 2020 | Page 26

INFORMATION HANDOUT MAKE YOUR OWN IMMUNITY BOOSTING FIRE CIDER MASTER TONIC A daily dose of an ancient fermented tonic can give your immune system a shot in the arm, writes nutritionist Zoe Dent. Isolation has turned us all into home bakers, so why not take it a step further and try your hand at making your own Fire Cider? Taken as a daily shot, this centuries old powerhouse mixture – made by fermenting garlic, onion, turmeric, ginger and horseradish – is a potent immune boosting mix, due to its anti-microbial, decongestant and circulatory-boosting ingredients. Makes approx 1 litre Ingredients Horseradish root Ginger, large knob Chillies, 2-3 Garlic, 1 head Turmeric root, 1-2 pieces Cloves, 5-10 Cinnamon stick, 1-2 Peppercorns, 1 dessert spoon Lemongrass, 1 piece Raw unfiltered honey, 1 tablespoon Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (live, unfiltered, unbleached and nondistilled with the ‘mother of vinegar’ - strands of proteins, enzymes, and friendly bacteria - in it) Amazonia Raw Vitamin C, 2 tablespoons Method 1. Chop or coarsely grate all the ingredients and mix together. A food processer or highspeed blender makes this step very easy – but be careful not to over-process as you want the ingredients chopped and not liquidised! Rubber gloves are handy here to avoid the turmeric stains. 2. Fill a jar to 3⁄4 full with the chopped/grated ingredients, then top up with Apple Cider Vinegar to 2-4cm below the rim, depending on the size of your batch. 3. Close firmly and shake to get rid of air bubbles, then top up if required with more Apple Cider Vinegar and close firmly. 5. Ferment on the kitchen bench in a cool, dark corner out of direct sunlight for two weeks. Wrap in a tea towel, if necessary, to keep sunlight out. 6. Stir occasionally or give the bottle a shake when you pass it on the kitchen bench. 7. Strain after 14 days, though it can be left up to 28 days. Strain through a coffee filter or through cotton to remove sediment. After straining, sediment will continue to sink to the bottom, which is quite normal. 8. Bottle, label/date and pop into the fridge. 9. Take a daily immune boost shot. Zoe Dent, BHSc Zoe is a nutritionist and an ambassador for leading health foods brand Amazonia. With a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, she is passionate about wellness education. Practicing a form of restorative medicine, she combines the traditional use of medicinal plants with modern health science. FITNESSNETWORK.COM.AU