{"id":477846,"date":"2025-12-29T14:51:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T14:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/477846\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T14:51:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T14:51:12","slug":"celebrity-chef-shares-fire-cider-recipe-for-better-immunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/477846\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrity chef shares fire cider recipe for better immunity"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we make our way through the peak pestilence of cold and flu season<\/a>, a celebrity chef swears that his ancient recipe can help boost immunity \u2014 and best of all, you can make it at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cFire cider is an age-old herbal remedy,\u201d Welsh chef Gaz Oakley, author of \u201cPlant to Plate,\u201d<\/a> told The Post.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only does it taste good, but it\u2019s packed full of fire ingredients that are going to give your body immunity \u2014 especially in times of winter.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fire cider is made by infusing apple cider vinegar with \u201cfiery ingredients\u201d like turmeric, ginger, chiles, onions and garlic for about four weeks.<\/p>\n

Celebrity chef Gaz Oakley says drinking fire cider gives you a \u201cprotective shield.\u201d Gaz Oakley and Tom Kong<\/p>\n

\u201cRaw apple cider vinegar extracts the goodness from each ingredient, making it a potent remedy for colds and boosting your immune system,\u201d Oakley explained.<\/p>\n

Once the cider has infused, Oakley strains the mixture and pours it into a sterilized glass container. The result? \u201cA tonic that gives you a protective shield.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Every morning, it\u2019s bottoms up for Oakley, who adds a shot of the potent brew to water.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have that in the wintertime, mainly,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019ll give your body everything you need to ward off anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, legend has it that fire cider, also known as \u201cfour thieves vinegar,\u201d is so effective at warding off illness that when the Black Plague spread through Marseille in the 17th century, a band of thieves escaped infection by drinking and dousing themselves in the herbal-infused vinegar.<\/p>\n

In kind, Oakley thinks of fire cider as a \u201csuperhero tonic\u201d that acts more like a preventative measure than a cure-all or a fast fix.<\/p>\n

Oakley notes that the fermented quality of fire cider is a boon for gut health. Gaz Oakley and Tom Kong<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re giving your body the things that it needs to protect itself,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not saying this is going to cure major ailments, but it will give you that protection.\u201d<\/p>\n

In terms of the efficacy of the ingredients in Oakley\u2019s home brew, ginger is a\u00a0natural expectorant<\/a>\u00a0with\u00a0antimicrobial<\/a>\u00a0and antioxidant properties.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the\u00a0capsaicin<\/a>\u00a0in chiles has been found to relieve congestion and sneezing, and turmeric\u00a0contains curcumin<\/a>, known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antimicrobial properties.<\/p>\n

Garlic is rich in prebiotic inulin fiber<\/a>, which supports gut health and is believed to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties.<\/p>\n

It also contains allicin, a natural antibiotic used to fight disease for thousands of years. <\/p>\n

One study<\/a> found that people who took a garlic supplement for 12 weeks during cold season had fewer colds and saw their symptoms cease faster than those who didn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In addition, apple cider vinegar is considered a\u00a0natural antibiotic<\/a>, and limited research suggests<\/a> that drinking about a tablespoon in water with meals can help control blood sugar levels in people with insulin resistance, as well as contribute to very minor weight loss in obese populations.<\/p>\n

Oakley\u2019s tonic shares some similarities with other natural remedies, including\u00a0\u201cAmish amoxicillin\u201d<\/a>\u00a0and Australian alternative health care advocate Barbara O\u2019Neill\u2019s viral seven-ingredient flu-bomb<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Oakley\u2019s also features spices like star anise, clove and cinnamon.<\/p>\n

\u201cHistorically in the UK, cloves were priced higher than gold because of their anti-microbial properties,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Homegrown herbs like rosemary and sage round out his ingredient list, with significant benefits for the body and mind.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0recent study<\/a>\u00a0found that carnosic acid, prevalent in rosemary\u00a0<\/a>and sage, could prove therapeutic for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

Adding to its roster of benefits, Oakley notes that the fermented quality of fire cider is a boon for gut health.<\/p>\n

Fire cider recipe<\/p>\n

Makes 1 large jar<\/p>\n

Once strained, fire cider will keep in the fridge for several months. Instagram\/@gazoakley<\/p>\n