The O-town Scene

A5 Still a lot of snow out there … I imagine a little spring- time zest might warm our bellies until the outside temperatures do the same. Enter Rosemary Gladstar's Fire Cider. Those of you who know this recipe may have also caught wind of some recent activity regarding this recipe's name. Allow me to get everyone up to speed. The Fire Cider recipe we all love is one of many that have been handed down through the ages. Tradition- ally, it was used during the winter to ease cold and flu symptoms or prevent cold and flu onset. Each tradition had its own version, but the core ingredients were always similar — garlic, onions, horseradish, ginger, hot peppers and vinegar. About 35 years ago, herbalist Rosemary Gladstar re-ig- nited herbalism in the hearts and minds of people around the world when she opened the first herbal school in California — the California School of Herbal Studies. She published many books, and organized symposiums and conferences on herbalism and traditional medicine. I could go on and on, as Rosemary is truly a spark that lights every corner of American herbalism. As a pioneer in our herbal movement, she also came up with unique names for her recipes: Zoom Balls, Calm Tummy and Fire Cider, to name a few. While Rosemary created these names, she did not object to others using them, so here we are today label- ing our jars with the name "Fire Cider." Some businesses have major revenues from the sale of this spicy, sweet- and-sour tonic. For me, it's a connection to the tradition and the memories I shared when this age-old practice was passed along to me. But about two years ago, Shire City Herbals of Pittsfield, Mass., trademarked the name "Fire Cider." They began to call herbal companies who produced Fire Cider, telling them they had to pull this tonic because Shire City Herb- als had total ownership over its name. Members of the American herbal community were in an outrage; in just a few hours, word spread wildly. It would have been fine and dandy if Shire City had come up with the name; this name would be their intellectual property, their baby, their inception. But they didn't; Rosemary coined this term. It is her baby, and always will be. In her gracious way, Rosemary said she was "disap- pointed" to learn that someone else had trademarked this product. "So many people make and sell it, as it was given freely to everyone, to be used, to keep healthy with, and to tell. But the audacity of someone to lay claim to the name and then trademark so others can't use it, is hugely disappointing to me," she wrote. You can read the rest of her comments on my Facebook page at facebook. com/herbsandwildplants. And so in support of Rosemary, I share with you a Fire Cider recipe. Consider creating one of your own. Rosemary's Fire Cider: Marguerite's Version Ingredients and Supplies: 4 32-ounce wide-mouth Ball jars with lids 3 quarts apple cider vinegar 2-3 cups honey 6 cups onions, sliced thin 3 cups shredded horseradish 2 to 3 cups shredded ginger 1 to 2 cups garlic, crushed and set aside for 30 minutes before mixing Optional: 4 to 10 dried red peppers (or more, it's up to your taste buds) Directions: Combine onions, horseradish, ginger, garlic and pep- pers if you are using them in a large bowl. Mix and turn well. Fill each jar about 2/3 full with the mixture of roots. Pour apple cider vinegar into each jar until it is about 3/4 full. Add honey until each jar is full. Blend with a long spoon or wooden stick. Close tightly and label with ingredients and date. Note: Be sure your jar lids are not scratched, as vinegar can decay this, causing the metal contents to spoil the mixture. Place jars in a dark corner on the counter, shaking every day to blend and mix the nutrients. In six weeks, it's done melding, at which time it is then ready to refrigerate. Its shelf life in the refrigerator is about a year. I like to use the Fire Cider "solids" as a relish on salads, potatoes, meats and vegetables, and the liquid as part of a salad dressing, or to spice up my soup, meats, fish, chicken, etc. Some people like to use this to open up the sinuses, and it surely does. Rosemary's recipe is simple, calling for equal parts garlic, horseradish and onions, half that quantity of garlic, and honey and apple cider vinegar as needed. She in- structs you to fill the jar halfway with the roots, then cover with apple cider vinegar and add cayenne pepper to taste. After two or three weeks, Rosemary's recipe says to strain and discard the herbs, and add honey to taste. You can also try adding lemon, or turmeric and other spices. Rosemary says, "Fire Cider should taste hot, spicy and sweet. ... I loved to take little shot glasses as a tonic. It's quite tasty!" You can find this and other recipes of Rosemary's at sagemountain.com/rosemary-glad- star/winter-recipes.html. And if you're inspired to do so, you can sign the petition to have Shire City's trademark revoked at http://chn.ge/1nKmS2o. To share your thoughts or recipe ideas with Marguerite Uhlmann- Bower, email her at 3moonsisters@ gmail.com. A5 Rosemary Gladstar's Fire Cider March 6, 2014 O-Town Scene 5

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