Cannabis Infused Fire Cider
Winter is Coming, it's time to step up your defense!
To my friends in the Northern Hemisphere, November is a month marked by the last of the leaves changing color and temperatures dropping, bringing with it closer quarters and shared sniffles.
Now is the perfect time to craft up a batch of Fire Cider, and what better way to super charge this traditional immune boosting remedy than by ramping it up with some Cannabis Infused Honey.
What is Fire Cider?
It's a spicy-tangy-sweet blend of apple cider vinegar and honey,
infused with an assortment of plant allies known to stoke the cool weather slow down, keep your sinuses moving, and prime the immune system to defend against those gnarly office (or classroom!) germs.
How to Use Fire Cider
Fire Cider is best utilized as a daily supplement. Tasty enough to be taken by the spoonful or shot, it can also be splashed on veggies, mixed into a vinaigrette, or used in place of standard vinegars in your favorite recipes.
Why Add Cannabis?
Umm, why not? I kid, ish. Because Cannabis makes everything more fun? True, but obviously I have a better reason.
When we ingest Cannabis, the cannabinoids first come in contact with CB2 receptors. CB2 receptors are found primarily in the organs of the immune system, and on the cells that the immune system communicates with.
Cannabis has an incredible ability to survey what is happening in the body and instruct it on how to act accordingly. Meaning if there is an over abundance of immune cells, the cannabinoids are going to instruct those cells to self-regulate. If there is a deficiency and the body is struggling to overcome illness, the cannabinoids will aid in building the body back up to fighting condition.
No Specific Strain, No Problem
We often talk about how terpenes (the smelly components of Cannabis) determine the effects of cannabinoids. Uplifting terpenes like Limonene and Pinene are characteristic of sativa strains, while calming terpenes like Linalool and Myrcene are often associated with indica strains.
It's can be easy, especially in times of increasingly legal weed, to forget that most people do not have access to a vast selection of genetics and flavors. A large percentage of the United States' population still has to guess what they are actually purchasing, and often don't have the option to be picky.
Do not fret though, sweet prohibition friends.
See, this is the beauty of working with Cannabis from an Herbalism perspective.
All plants contain terpenes, many of which overlap with those found in Cannabis. When we combine Cannabis with other plants, we essentially manipulate the terpene profile to direct how the cannabinoids will interact with the body.
By using whole plant ingredients (such as an actual lemon, rather than using lemon essential oil) we get the added benefits of extracting the nutrients the plant contains. Working with whole plant materials is also better for the environment, but we'll talk about that another day.
Ready to Make?
All of the ingredients needed to craft the base Fire Cider recipe (sans Cannabis, of course) can be bought at your local grocery store. Save glass jam, jelly, and dressing jars to reuse as storage containers. You can even find customizable tags to print for free, should you decide to gift a bottle! Just be warned - this stuff is low-key delicious - before you know it, your phone will be ringing with refill requests.
Click Here to Download the Cannabis Infused Fire Cider Recipe Card
As always, leave a comment or send an email with any questions. Be sure to tag your creations #CARECider to share your experience with the community!