It has sugar, or honey in it, and it is fermented, ergo it IS alcoholic. End of story.
If you drink it made FRESH in the blender or on stovetop and then strained, then it is not Moonshine.
If you add sugar (honey is just a form of sugar, after all), and ferment it, it is UNQUESTONABLY Moonshine. It has an alcohol content that IS intoxicating, the amount depends on the length of fermentation. Average is about 15% alcohol after the honey has been in it for 1 month.
If you make it WITH SUGAR (or Honey), and put it in the fridge, it WILL ferment there, and you WILL have alcohol. Takes about 2 months.
If you make it and strain it and add the sugar (or honey) LATER, and then store it on the counter, or even in the fridge, it will STILL FERMENT, and it will still be ALCOHOLIC!
If you make it ALCOHOLIC, and then BOIL your single serving for 10 minutes, then this will EVAPORATE the alcohol, and it is no longer potentially intoxicating. This renders it SAFE for medicinal use, even for Children and Pregnant Women.
Now, we know the rules. Sugar, fermented, equals ALCOHOL! And sugar INCLUDES Honey, Agave, Fruit Juice, Starchy Vegetables, Grains, and ALL other forms of SIMPLE CARBS.
We also know, if it has a carbonation fizz, or fine burn (anywhere from soda pop to wine or vodka) that it IS ALCOHOLIC. The fizz hits the brew at about the same place as the ability to get intoxicated from it. If it has bubbles AT ALL, it is above the legal definition for an ALCOHOLIC (potentially intoxicating) BEVERAGE.
But we know all this. People who MAKE THE STUFF, already know this. People who claim it is not moonshine ALREADY KNOW THIS! They just lie about it. It’s a maxim… Alcoholics always lie, it is part of the diagnostic criteria of the condition.
Now, suppose you leave out the sugar… Let’s see.
Ginger has sugars that turn alcoholic. About the same amount as tomatoes, and the amount of ginger in Fire Cider is so much, the sugars are really active.
Lemon has sugars that ferment into alcohol. Lemon has a surprising amount of natural sugar in it.
Turmeric also does, but likely not enough to produce a buzz on its own (on the tongue, or in the brain).
If you include these or other ingredients with sugars, IT IS STILL enough to produce SIGNIFICANT alcohol. It averages about 2-3% alcohol WITHOUT fermenting it with sugar or honey, people.
So stop arguing about science, folks. It does not lie. But ALCOHOLICS do.
They also LIKE to make alcoholics of their own children. Normal people don’t do that. So they’ll tell you that it is safe for children. It is not… Nor is it safe for Pregnant women.
If you think that Fire Cider is safe for children, then you may as well just bring out the whiskey and give it to them by the Tablespoon and be honest about what you are trying to do.
Now, you may say, “It is only 1-2 tablespoons, and it is only medicinal.”.
But Fire Cider is not just recommended as a TREATMENT for illness, it is recommended as a DAILY PREVENTIVE (which it is not).
So that is 1-2 tablespoons PER DAY, and THAT is enough to get someone addicted and KEEP them addicted.
During an illness, it is commonly taken multiple times a day. And that is enough to keep a light buzz going as long as you can keep the excuse going.
There are those who insist they cannot taste alcohol in their sugary ferments, or in their “homemade soda”. Either they lie, or they’ve killed their sense of taste.
My brother, a former alcoholic, says, “If you cannot TASTE alcohol, or feel the fizz or burn, then YOU ARE AN ALCOHOLIC!” Because Normal People can taste it, and they can FEEL the difference between Cayenne Pepper and Alcohol.
SOLUTION
If you want a medicinal for colds, flus, and stomach upset, this alternative can be helpful.
The amounts are less, because the amounts in most Fire Cider recipes are too irritating to the gut, and are NOT HEALTHY. So this is adjusted for medicinal effect, and measured to be gut healthy.
Flaming Vinegar
- 1 Whole Small Onion, chopped
- 2 Cloves Garlic, chopped (careful, it is a blood thinner)
- 1″ Piece of Horseradish, Shredded
- 1″ Piece Ginger, Shredded (not enough to produce intoxicating alcohol)
- 1 Tsp Grated Lemon, Lime, Or Orange Peel
- 1 TBSP Lemon Juice (Not MORE)
- 1 TBSP dried (or 2 TBSP fresh) Resinous Rosemary
- 1 TBSP dried Calendula Flower
- 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Tsp Cayenne Powder
- 1/4 Tsp Cinnamon (careful, it is a mild blood thinner)
- 1/4 Tsp Turmeric
- 1/4 Tsp Clove
- 1/4 Tsp Allspice
- 1/4 Tsp dried Oregano
- 2 Cups Vinegar (Distilled, Apple Cider, or Blend)
- 2 Cups Water
Place in small Crock Pot, on high heat for 4 hours. It should simmer for about 2 hours if you do it on stovetop.
We boil this to extract the maximum amount of medicinal value from the ingredients. Cold extraction is far less efficient, and you don’t gain enough to compensate for the losses.
Strain well, and bottle in small jars. We recommend about a 4 oz jar.
Water bath for 10 minutes to seal.
To use:
Use 1-2 Tablespoons in about a cup of water. Heat it and add sugar or honey to sweeten to taste. Chug that nasty stuff down, and hope for the best.
NOTE: This keeps fairly well, since it is a vinegar, but it does not keep forever. You know how illness is. You need a bunch for months, and then you don’t need it again for years. So we need to be able to store this and keep full potency for an extended time.
You CAN use 100% vinegar instead of vinegar and water. If you do, it gets really heavy flavored. This is the lighter version, but go ahead and change it up so you can stand it, or so it fits your needs better.
Just DO NOT EVER add Sugar or Honey (or any of the other alcohol producing sweeteners) and let it sit.
It has recently come to my attention that there are a HUGE amount of people out there who just want alcohol, no matter the excuse. They’ll even drink something THIS vile to have an excuse.
What really shocked me is when Kombucha and Fire Cider moved into the Mormon Mainstream, and became trendy. I had friends who were deceived by this for a time, but who stopped.
There are others though, who will not stop. They have an agenda, and it is to mainstream alcohol, marijuana, and other intoxicants. They push it for teatotalers, for former alcoholics, and even for pregnancy and for babies and children. They will use any lie to do so.
They don’t just want to excuse themselves, they want to persuade YOU to do it too.
I will not.
“I will not put a thief in my mouth to steal my brains.” (True Grit)
Alternate Recipe – More Healing, Less Preventive, for Acute Illness
Twister Vinegar
- 1 Whole Small Onion, chopped
- 2 Cloves Garlic, chopped (careful, it is a blood thinner)
- 1″ Piece Ginger, Shredded (not enough to produce intoxicating alcohol)
- 1 TBSP Grated Lemon, Lime, Or Orange Peel
- 1 TBSP dried (or 2 TBSP fresh) Resinous Rosemary OR Oregano
- 2 TBSP dried Calendula Flower
- 1/4 Tsp Cinnamon (careful, it is a mild blood thinner)
- 1/4 Tsp Turmeric OR 1 TBSP Daylily Blossom
- 2 TBSP Red Rooibos (do not use green!)
- 1 TBSP crushed Juniper Berry
- 2 TBSP Rose Petal
- 1 1/2 TBSP Sunflower Leaf
- 1 TBSP Elder Flower
- 1 TBSP Mahonia, Mate, or Holly Leaf
- 1 TBSP Pumpkin Or Squash Leaf
- 1 tsp Sage
- 1 tsp Apricot Leaf, or Linden Leaf, Mulberry Leaf, or Elm Leaf
- 2 TBSP Pansy Leaf
- 1 TBSP Hyssop Leaf (or 1 tsp powder)
- 1 tsp Scullcap
- 1 TBSP Petunia Leaf OR Impatiens Leaf
- 1 tsp ground Thyme
- 1 TBSP Ground Hawthorne Berry
- 1 TBSP Apple, Pear, Peach, or Pomegranate Leaf
- 2 Cups Vinegar (Distilled, Apple Cider, or Blend)
- 2 Cups Water
Mud Vinegar
A simpler recipe, makes up faster, and is not quite as hard to get down. Use for persistent illness. Not recommended for every cold or sneeze, but is recommended for pneumonia or bronchitis, and these herbs were traditionally used for polio, tuberculosis, pertussis, diptheria, measles, mumps, and even chicken pox. This can help reduce the progression of strep until you can get something stronger, but it is NOT strong enough to treat it alone.
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp powdered hyssop, elm, or mullien leaf
- 1 1/2 tsp oregano or sage powder
- 1 1/2 tsp rosemary powder
- 1 1/2 tsp thyme powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp dill or fennel seed, OR 1 tsp dill weed or dried fennel leaf
- 3 cups full strength apple cider or balsamic vinegar
- 3 cups water
- 1/3 to 2/3 Cup honey or 1 to 1 1/2 cup of sugar
You can make this in a crock pot and let it steep for an hour or two, for strongest strength, or you can make it in a pot on the stove, and boil for 15 minutes, then cool and SETTLE it. It can be strained through a coffee filter but it does clog some. We just settle it and pour off the clearer tea on the top, and discard the sludge on the bottom.
WARNING – this has Sugars in it, and should NOT be stored long term without sealing it through canning it. It will keep several weeks after opening, but be careful or you’ll end up with alcohol in it if it is stored long.
To serve, use 2 TBSP and add water to 1 or 1 1/2 cup, and it tastes better warm. This should be WATER BATH CANNED for long term storage. Boil or steam can for 15 minutes for half pints.