Ingredients
Infusion
- 0.25 cup fresh ginger scrubbed and thinly sliced
- 0.25 cup fresh horseradish root peeled and coarsely grated
- 0.5 small onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and lightly crushed
- 1 small red chili sliced; use less for gentler heat
- 2 cups commercial apple cider vinegar labeled 5% acidity; more if needed to cover
Optional serving addition
- honey to taste, stirred into individual servings only
Equipment
- Clean 1-quart glass jar
- Food-safe nonreactive lid
- Knife and cutting board
- Grater
- Fine strainer and clean cheesecloth
- Clean storage bottle
Instructions
Infuse and strain
- Wash and rinse the jar, lid, strainer and bottle thoroughly. Sterilize heat-safe glass containers according to their manufacturer’s instructions. Wash the produce under running water and dry; prepare the ginger, horseradish, onion, garlic and chili with clean utensils.
- Put the prepared aromatics into the jar without packing them tightly. Pour in the commercial cider vinegar, ensuring all the ingredients are covered. Add a little more of the same vinegar if necessary; do not add water.
- Close with a food-safe nonreactive lid, label the date and refrigerate. Gently swirl the closed jar daily. Infuse for 3–4 weeks, checking that the ingredients remain covered. Discard without tasting if mold, unexpected bubbling, sliminess or another sign of spoilage appears.
- Strain through a fine strainer lined with clean cheesecloth into the clean bottle. Close, date and refrigerate. The yield is approximately 1 1/2 cups, depending on how much liquid the solids retain.
- Use small amounts in dressings or other food, tasting the finished dish before adding more. If desired, sweeten only the portion being served with a little honey. Keep the main bottle refrigerated; this is not a canning or room-temperature storage recipe.
Video
Notes
Use sound ingredients and commercial vinegar labeled 5% acidity. Keep refrigerated throughout. Do not dilute the storage bottle with water or substitute this infusion into a canning formula. This recipe makes a culinary condiment and is not intended to prevent or treat illness.
The Mountain Rose Herbs video demonstrates a related fire-cider preparation with different spices and handling. Follow this card’s ingredients and refrigeration directions; its wellness claims are not evidence for a medical benefit. Original upload: August 8, 2019.
Honey is optional and must not be given to children younger than 12 months. The strained yield varies; nutrition cannot be calculated accurately by assuming all of the solid ingredients are consumed.