Make your own fire tonic.

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My fridge is always stocked with an immune-boosting make-your-own fire tonic. It’s easy to make and tastes delicious!

Eating right, exercising consistently, and getting enough sleep can be challenging. It’s so easy to pop into that drive-thru lane, open a bag of chips, or binge-watch “just one more episode.”

I get it. We all have our tugs and pulls that distract us from sticking to good habits!

Several months ago, I started a new habit that I’m excited about sharing with you. It’s a make-your-own fire tonic. It tastes delicious, and every time Dennis takes a swig of it, he happily declares, “Mmmm, tastes like salad dressing!”

What exactly IS a fire tonic?

Don’t worry – we’re not lighting anything on fire! (Bummer, right?)

Traditionally, a fire tonic combines good-for-your-gut healing herbs and ingredients that can boost one’s immune system and gut health. The plethora of ingredients in my fire tonic go into a glass container, stored briefly, and then it is ready for daily shots to chase away the sickies!

The “fire” is traditionally made with chilis. Hence, the “fire” aspect of fire tonics. I have learned that chiles can irritate the gut (me no likey), so cayenne pepper is often substituted.

My make-your-own fire tonic technically has no “fire” in it! The horseradish root added to it does give it a bit of a “pow!” The base is a good quality organic apple cider vinegar.

Dr. Mercola’s Upgrade Your Immunity with Herbs cookbook.

Last summer, I purchased a copy of Dr. Joseph Mercola’s Upgrade Your Immunity With Herbs cookbook, and this is just one of his recipes that I latch on to and incorporate into our everyday kitchen.

up close of fire tonic ingredients in a jar

While I can’t share the actual recipe ratios for the recipe (sorry, I wish I could, but it wouldn’t be fair to Dr. Mercola), I will share with you the ingredients. They are:

Apple cider vinegar
Garlic cloves
Fresh horseradish
Ginger
Celery
Carrot
Onion
Turmeric
Mustard seeds
Parsley
Rosemary
Oregano
Thyme
Juniper berries
Black peppercorns
Fresh bay leaves
Licorice root sticks
Sea salt

Feed that immune system!

His recipe makes a quart (I always add extra apple cider vinegar). I always double or triple the ingredients to have plenty on hand, especially since we have several more winter months and icky bug exposures. Scratch that – this is a 365-days-in-a-year tonic I will continue to make and take all year.

Gotta keep that gut healthy, after all!

I started making fire tonics last summer, and it feels great knowing I’m doing something to boost my gut health and immune system. While I am no doctor, the Huffington Post voted Dr. Mercola the Ultimate Wellness Game Changer. So there you go!

Ready to make your fire tonic?

You can play around with the ingredients I shared; however, if you want this recipe, as well as his “illustrated guide and cookbook with smart strategies, cutting-edge research, and dozens of delicious recipes to support immunity,” you can find his book on Amazon.

During these cool weather months, you can find fresh horseradish in specialty grocery stores. I’ve stocked up the last few visits, chopped them, and stashed them in my freezer. However, horseradish wasn’t available when I started making this fire tonic last summer. So, I did the next best thing and ordered dried horseradish on Amazon. I discovered a seasonality to the dried stuff on Amazon, so it went out of stock in the fall. Thankfully, that was when I saw the fresh stuff at the market. Score!

From my experience, here are some additional pantry items and kitchenware that will set you up to make your own fire tonic.

Everything else can easily be found at the grocery store.