Ringing in the new year with fire cider

By EVELINE MACDOUGALL

For the Recorder

Published: 01-02-2023 3:22 PM

Kara and Chris Peters raise their glasses every December 31 and toss back shots of fire cider, greeting the New Year with a concoction Peters makes herself.

“I started making fire cider when the kids were little, to try to boost immune systems and keep colds at bay,” said Kara Peters. A growing number of fire cider fans believe it can help support healthy enzymes, kill bacteria, thin mucus, increase white blood cells and detoxify the liver. Fire cider is also purported to stimulate circulation, decrease inflammation and calm coughs.

Peters credits renowned herbalist Rosemary Gladstar for formulating a modern version of fire cider. “Apple cider vinegar and honey have been around for thousands of years,” said Peters, “and people added various herbs to those two ingredients throughout history.” In the 1970s, working with college students, Gladstar researched the best possible combinations, yielding a result they dubbed fire cider.

“I’m not a doctor,” said Peters, “and I don’t make magical claims. But I find that fire cider can turn things around quickly, especially if taken just as a sore throat is coming on. I’ve seen it work over and over.”

Fire cider is fairly easy to make. The basic recipe combines horseradish, turmeric, ginger, garlic, onions, hot peppers, herbs like rosemary or thyme, and optional citrus fruit rinds – all of which sit in apple cider vinegar for a month or more. The recipe often includes honey to balance the spiciness.

“When I noticed how much our family loved my homemade fire cider, I started sharing it with friends, which led to suggestions that I make it to sell,” said Peters. “I thought that would be too big of a project, but something told me to give it a try.”

Today, “Ahlbin’s Tried & True Fire Cider” flies off the shelves of about 20 regional food co-ops and other stores, as well as at farmers markets, music festivals and craft fairs. The transformation from homemade wonder to wholesale and retail product has been arduous, but Peters persevered with help from loved ones and local organizations.

Still adjusting to her first full year as a licensed producer, Peters was unprepared for the overwhelming demand she’d face with the arrival of autumn. She found herself running out of stock as she prepared for several fairs and festivals. “I went into extra production in October, but still, bottling couldn’t happen fast enough. I worried I’d have to sacrifice either retail or wholesale orders.” But when a friend suggested that she take orders while selling at fairs, Peters had her answer.

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“I always offer samples,” she said. “When people taste my fire cider and hear about potential benefits, the stuff just sells itself. People were delighted to order bottles, knowing that I would deliver to their homes.” Peters spent nine hours one day in early December making deliveries. “I had the best day listening to bluegrass music and driving through Petersham, New Salem, Ludlow, and so many other places, taking in the sights of our gorgeous area.”

Peters made Hope & Olive restaurant in Greenfield her last stop. “They make a wonderful hot toddy using my fire cider,” she said. “I finished that long day sitting at the bar and considering my good fortune.” Gratitude comes up often as a theme for Peters: “Without the support I’ve received,” said Peters, “I would’ve given up, because the process was very complicated.”

Ahlbin’s Fire Cider is no longer produced in her home kitchen; Peters moved production to the Western Mass Food Processing Center on Wells Street, an operation of the Franklin County Community Development Corporation.

“They walked me through every step along the way,” said Peters of the process she undertook in 2019 and which eventually resulted in her acquiring a wholesale license in May of 2022. She credits Food Entrepreneurship Program Manager, Kate Minifie, and Director of Operations, Liz Buxton. Peters also became a member of CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture), and sources ingredients almost entirely from local and regional farms.

The first step on the path to commercial production was to create a prototype. “I had to convert my five-gallon home recipe to 30 gallons,” said Peters. “Making the prototype was expensive, and unfortunately that first batch turned out too vinegary. I hadn’t taken into account that the industrial food press would yield far more liquid than I’d been able to hand-wring at home.”

When she had to start over, Peters worked with a mathematician friend to take the machinery’s efficiency into account. “I wanted the fire cider to be spicier and less vinegary,” she said. “We figured out that the first batch yielded five gallons more than I’d anticipated, so we deducted five gallons of vinegar from the second batch.” Peters borrowed money from a friend for the second try, and that batch came out as she’d hoped.

Next, an inspector came for the official bottling to review the process. “That’s when I earned my wholesale license,” said Peters. “It was such a relief, but then I realized the hard part was just beginning! I had to push sales and do bookkeeping. That felt overwhelming.”

Peters does outreach and recruitment in her full-time job of 20 years, but her position as enrollment department manager for Community Action Pioneer Valley’s early learning programs is quite different from peddling fire cider. “I have some of those skills, but it’s not my favorite part of the process,” Peters admitted. Once again, having friends in the community smoothed the way for Peters. “I learned about free bookkeeping software called Wave Financial through my friend Josh Breitner, co-owner of Cocina Lupita (restaurant in Greenfield).”

Peters shared a humorous vignette about how she met Breitner: “Chris and I gave our kids walkie-talkies, and Josh’s kids, who live close by, also have walkie-talkies. Our eldest child is named Atticus, and so is Josh’s eldest. When the kids heard two different voices claiming to be Atticus, the parents got on the line and helped figure it out. I love living in our community, where you can get to know people and work toward common goals.”

Other helpers in her commercial project included her friend Alexis Neubert, who operates Alexis Designs. “She did my website,” said Peters, “and a CISA grant paid for half of that.”

The product brand derives from a family name: “In 1906, at age 18, my great-grandfather, Thure August Ahlbin moved from Malmo, Sweden to Boston. Many Americans said Albion instead of Ahlbin, so when Thure became a U.S. citizen, my great-grandmother suggested they officially change the name to avoid confusion. I grew up with the last name Albion, but by choosing Ahlbin Home Made as my business name, I keep the original name alive.”

When asked about her innovative and determined spirit, Peters credits her parents, Wayne and Laura Albion. The family had a small farm in Hanover, situated between Boston and Plymouth. “We called our farm WALAKA, using the first two letters of my parents’ names – Wayne and Laura – plus the first two letters of my sister Katie’s and my name.”

Peters was inspired by her mother’s creativity. “Mom was a free spirit, always making things. She did stained glass, painting, crochet, cheesemaking, you name it.” Laura Albion was a first-generation American; her parents emigrated from Germany.

“Mom also loved going to music festivals,” said Peters. “She and my dad were in a bluegrass band called ‘The Mudslide Closet Band.’ Mom played the fiddle and Dad played the mandolin.” Like her parents, Peters is musical; she plays the flute, and contemplated a career as a music therapist.

Wayne Albion worked as a contractor, carpenter and house painter. “He could make or fix anything,” said Peters. “He built our barn and chicken coop; his hobbies included making stringed instruments and raising lots of animals.”

Growing up with a big vegetable garden and raising animals for food left lasting impressions on Peters. “We had about 25 goats and belonged to the New England Dairy Goat Association.” she said, “My sister and I were involved with the 4-H Club and showed our goats at fairs around our region.”

The Albions also raised geese, rabbits, a pig, sheep, and “lots of cats, dogs, plus birds in our house, like a cockatoo and parakeets,” Peters recalled. “For a while, we had a cow in our garage.” Truly a DIY operation, the Albion homestead was one acre of productivity. “We were a family of doers and creators,” said Peters. “I hope that my kids will one day say the same.”

They’re off to a good start. Atticus, 17, and Penelope, 13 attend Four Rivers Charter Public School and seem to have inherited the creative gene. “They’re both amazing in the kitchen, in different ways,” said their mom. “Atticus likes to make kimchi, and we make hot sauce together. Penelope, on the other hand, follows her own style. She’s very inventive!”

Peters finds making fire cider positive in many ways. “Starting this business has made me comfortable with the person I’ve become, as well as grateful for my childhood. Camping with dad, playing in the woods, working on the farm, learning to appreciate nature.”

Today, Peters loves spending time with her husband and kids, and some of her favorite moments are in the kitchen. “For me, bliss is listening to music on The River, drinking good coffee and creating healthful foods with ingredients I’ve grown or purchased locally.” A self-described “coffee snob,” Peters is partial to Pierce Brothers Fogbuster. “I used to work for Pierce Brothers, and my sister Katie is married to Sean Pierce, so it’s all in the family.”

For many years, anyone looking in her kitchen pantry would see shelves full of canned tomatoes, pickles, hot peppers and jams as well as various stages of lacto-fermented carrots, cabbage in the form of sauerkraut, and homemade hot sauce. “You’d also see fire cider and kombucha brewing,” she said. “So this is a dream come true.”

Peters also dreams of owning “acres and acres of land and being a homesteader.” For now, she follows in the footsteps of her mother in terms of spirited creativity. “We lost Mom when I was 18 and my sister was 15,” said Peters. “But I carry with me the pure joy of her life. I picture her barefoot and smiling, feeling happy and spreading happiness to those around her.”

And this is just what Kara Peters does with her fire cider, which is “perfect to sip daily for immunity, as needed when fighting germs, or just to wake up our senses.”

For more information about Ahlbin’s Tried & True Fire Cider, visit www.ahlbins.com.

Eveline MacDougall is the author of “Fiery Hope” and an artist, musician and mom. She can be reached at eveline@amandlachorus.org.

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