'Fire Cider' Maker Shire City Herbals Shuts Down (2024)

FAQs

'Fire Cider' Maker Shire City Herbals Shuts Down? ›

Shire City Herbals, a maker of apple cider vinegar tonics, has shut down. In an email sent to customers this week, as well as a message on its website, the company said it intends to fulfill its remaining paid orders but is no longer accepting new sales and will cancel outstanding unpaid orders.

Two years ago, the co-op discontinued Fire Cider made by Shire City Herbals because of the legal action they had taken against community herbalists for using a traditional remedy and term. This decision was not made lightly.

It can be stored either at room temperature (just make sure it's in a cool, dark place away from the sun) or in the refrigerator. Fire cider should last about 6 months at room temperature and up to 1 year in the fridge.

It may feel alarming if you notice your fire cider turning rainbow colors like green and blue. Rest assured, this is totally normal! What you are noticing is an enzymatic reaction between compounds in the garlic and acid in the vinegar.

Does Fire Cider Have to be Refrigerated? Fire cider contains vinegar and honey, two ingredients often used to preserve other foods. It's safe to keep in the pantry for several months (in a tightly sealed jar), but it will last even longer if stored in the fridge.

Soon after, Shire City sued three herbalists for selling products using the name. The case came to an end in 2019 when a Massachusetts court ruled that “fire cider” is a generic term and the trademark was invalidated, helping establish legal precedent to keep open the names of other traditional herbal remedies.

The next year, Shire City fired back with a trademark infringement lawsuit against Blue, Langlier, and Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine director Nicole Telkes and sought a declaratory judgment to validate its ownership of the Fire Cider name.

I recommend that you use a good quality vinegar. I like organic ACV, but you could use red or white wine vinegar. I would not recommend cheap white vinegar, as that is best kept for cleaning purposes.

Store the jar in a cold, dry place for one month and shake it a little each day. When ready, strain the vinegar and compost the scraps. Add the honey and whisk until it's well incorporated. Transfer the finished cider to a clean glass jar with an air tight lid and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

What is a substitute for horseradish in fire cider? ›

In place of horseradish, I use a combination of turmeric and galangal, an Asian rhizome closely related to ginger. You'll get spice and heat, but it's much milder than horseradish. Cut these into small chunks, or you can grate it like ginger. Onions and garlic are good choices too, as they can help with many viruses.

The strained pulp can be dehydrated and used as one heck of a spice mix, or used to make a second batch of fire cider. Just place the pulp back into the original jar and top with apple cider vinegar to restart the process.

Pasteurization at 72 °C for 15 s prevented the production of methanol in fermented plant beverages containing Morinda citrifolia (noni fruit). In cider spirit, the pasteurization (30 min at 50 °C, then heated to about 85 °C) of the apple juice prior to fermentation reduced the methanol content by 34–46%.

BUT, be careful. "The spices and herbs are fine, but the apple cider vinegar can cause problems if too much is consumed. Apple cider vinegar is very acidic, which can be bad for your teeth, your GI tract, and your throat if you have too much of it," Dr. Ian warns.

In 2012 a Massachusetts company called Shire City Herbals trademarked the name Fire Cider and started selling it. However, Dana St. Pierre also claim to have trademarked it. A number of herbalists say that they have been using the term Fire Cider since 1980s.

Oxymel, Four Thieves Vinegar, Honeygar, and Fire Cider are all variations of a base vinegar tincture that has been with us for over 2500 years, and we reckon our modern take Hilbilby Fire Tonic™, has mastered the "Master Tonic".

Our mission is to bring Scotland's orchards back, one sip of cider at a time. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree and nothing is truer when it comes to Lost Orchards, a cider created at East Adamston Farm, near Dundee by a 4^th generation family farmer Andrew Husband and his business partner Angus Morrison.