Master Tonic

Master Tonic is a health tonic that will help to fight off or prevent colds and flu.

Ingredients

(Approx 1 litre)

1 part of each main ingredient: 200-300 grams

  • White or any other hot onion
  • Horseradish root/wasabi/radish
  • Ginger
  • Hot chillies
  • Garlic

Turmeric root: 1-2 pieces
Cloves: 5-10
Cinnamon Stick: 1-2
Peppercorns: 1 desert spoon
Lemongrass: 1 piece
Raw unfiltered honey: 1 tablespoon

Other optional ingredients to taste or availability:
Parsley/Coriander
Tamarind root
Vitamin C powder (dry orange peels then grind into powder)
Echinacea

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother in it, live, unfiltered, unbleached, non-distilled)

 Instructions

1.      Start on a new moon and strain on a full moon, which is about 14 days.

2.      Chop or coarsely grate all the ingredients.

3.      Mix together using rubber gloves.

4.      Fill the jar to ¾ full with the chopped/grated ingredients, then top up with Apple Cider Vinegar to 2-4 cm below the rim depending on the size of your batch.

5.      Close firmly and shake to get rid of air bubbles, then top up if required with more Apple Cider Vinegar and close firmly.

6.      Ferment on the kitchen bench in a cool, dark corner out of direct sunlight. Wrap in a tea towel, if necessary, to keep sunlight out.

7.      Stir once a day or give the bottle a shake when you pass it on the kitchen bench.

8.      Strain after 14 days, but could leave up to 28 days. Could strain through a coffee filter as it’s so fine or through cotton or other fine fabric to remove sediment. After straining, sediment will continue to sink to the bottom and is quite normal.

9.      Bottle, label/date and store in a dark place.

Notes for Master tonic/fire cider/plague tonic

These are exact amounts but only meant as a guide, as no two batches are ever the same. Experiment with the ingredients until you find a recipe you enjoy. You can ferment twice with the same ingredients, or add extra vinegar proportionately to dilute the taste.

Take once or twice daily as a preventative, 10-30ml at a time. Sip it straight or dilute by mixing with raw honey and warm water. Some suggest you can mix it with things like bone broth, Beet Kvass, or even Kombucha tea. Gargle it before swallowing if you are able.

15-30ml can be consumed every 3-4 hours if you are already ill.

If making multiple batches at once then only strain each batch as required and leave the others to continue to infuse.

The strained vegetable and herb solids can be pureed and:

Mixed with lemon and honey for a salad dressing or marinade

Frozen in small portions to add to bone broths or soups, stir fries and casseroles to spice them up.

Download recipe