The day has finally come! Eight weeks ago we started this process and now our Fire Cider has reached it's steeping maturity and is ready to strain and taste.
We took off the lid and the parchment layer to reveal a slightly grainy super pungent slurry. The smell was a bit scary when I thought about ingesting this, very hot and garlicky. Yet, at the same time it was intriguing, strongly healthy and invigorating.
First we dumped the chunky bits into a strainer to get all the loose liquid out of the jar.
Then we took some cheese cloth and squeezed the chunky bits to get all "the good stuff," the juice of the steeped onion and garlic and peppers.
We ended up with about three cups of finished liquid. Next time we make this I definitely want to use fresh turmeric and possibly omit the powdered cayenne and use more fresh peppers. I am not satisfied with the grainy texture even though it is very slight. BUT, now was the final step: tasting...
A preliminary sniff test." Smells hot."
The face of trepidation.
Gaaaaaahk. It burns!
But the aftertaste is surprisingly sweet! Plus it kinda peps you up, makes your eyes wider and your brain more alert. Taking shots was fun but in the future I think maybe a tablespoon a day is more prudent. Although neither of us had any problems digesting our samples, the thought of what the fire cider might do to our guts long term is a bit scary. On the other hand all of the ingredients are known to be beneficial to ones general health and I have heard that the intestines are one of the most important organs in immune defense. Still everything in moderation, right?
