When the colder, darker months envelop us and colds and ’flus start going around, fire cider is a wonderful remedy to have on hand. Fire cider is a warming, immune-stimulating, virus-fighting blend of herbs extracted into an apple cider vinegar base.

There are alternate names and closely related tonics, too, like cyclone cider and thieves’ vinegar. And fire cider itself morphs from herbalist to herbalist and season to season, adding and subtracting ingredients depending on availability and taste. This allows for tons of creativity!

Studies show that the specific bioflavonoids in organic elderberry extract may actually help to stop viruses from entering our cells. Combined with all the other beneficial biochemicals in elderberry, the elder tree gives us berries that are not only antiviral, but also nutritive, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory.

I think it’s safe to say that thyme is best known for its culinary uses, where it forms the basis of many dishes. It’s sweet, fragrant, with strong herbaceous notes, and is robust enough to withstand long, slow cooking.