Drinks / winter warm up tea
Fire Cider Drinks!
When Brian, Dana and I finish making a new batch of Fire Cider, we usually have about a half-case of oranges and a third case of lemons left over. Good thing my mom loves the fresh squeezed, organic orange juice I make for her with the left over oranges!
This was the scene in my kitchen last night: 
The last batch of left over oranges, sliced and ready to juice!
I made about a gallon and a half of orange juice and two ice-cube trays full of lemon juice. The lemon juice cubes are really handy for cooking or making lemonade. Since my mom is not a fan of spice, she uses the orange juice to dilute her daily dose of Fire Cider- about one tablespoon of Fire Cider in an 8 oz glass of juice, which she uses to take her other vitamins.
Making your own juice is a little bit of work, but per ounce it's cheaper to make your own, there's no plastic packaging, and it tastes amazing. Now I know most of you are thinking, where am I supposed to get a case of oranges? If you belong to or live near a cooperatively owned grocery store, like Wild Oats, Berkshire Co-op Market, Honest Weight and many others, you are in luck! Sometimes I will contact the produce manager at The Berkshire Co-op Market in Great Barrington to round out our Fire Cider produce order or to try out new recipes. I have also bought a case of ginger more than once to juice, as this is one of my staple health foods!
Buying in bulk saves us a lot of money on the groceries we can not grow ourselves and allows Dana and I to eat only organically grown and ethically raised produce and animal foods. It's worth the time and planning for the amount of money you can save and the positive effects these healthy, whole, organic foods can have on your health!
Here are two more drink recipes that use Fire Cider as an ingredient, so drink up and stay healthy!
Extra Tangy Lemonade
This recipe requires fresh squeezed lemon juice from at least one lemon. For a pint-sized drink I like to use 3-4 whole lemons, as we regularly have a lot of left over lemons from making a batch of Fire Cider. So, naturally, we make Fire Cider Lemonade! Mix the lemon juice in a pint glass with a splash of Fire Cider and raw honey to taste, top with soda or plain water.
Winter Warm-up Tea
To make a full pot of tea, double or triple the ingredients, depending on the size of your tea pot. For one cup of tea, steep the following ingredients in 12 oz. of just boiling water for about 5 minutes: 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root and the juice from half a lemon. Cover and let the ginger-y goodness infuse the hot water. Add honey or stevia to taste and about a tablespoon of Fire Cider. Enjoy the warming, sinus-clearing, and immune-boosting benefits as often as necessary.
