The ultimate thumb-to-the-nose for the packaged foodstuffs industry is to eschew the bottles and cans whose brand names have come to be synonymous with soft drinks. Sure, their flavors are reliable, but they are heavy and sometimes caustic to produce, and they support a beverage monoculture that is just plain boring. Strip back the flashy labels and the marketing and what do you have? Sweet, flavored bubbles, which are certainly easy enough to brew up at home.
Home beverage curators tend to draw the line at lemonade and iced tea. While I would never speak poorly of these fine libations, there are other fruits and spices in the sea that merit your taste buds’ attention.
pineapple mint soda, strawberry black pepper soda, blueberry lemon soda
In truth, this is actually two recipes: a fruit syrup that is a stunning Day-Glo red starter for bubbling cold beverages, and also its by-product—my favorite strawberry jam to date. Absolutely do not discard the macerated fruit left over from making the syrup; when tossed in a food processor or food mill with a squeeze of orange juice, it’s a jam that can be stored fresh in the refrigerator for a few days or canned for later. (The same is true for the other two syrups in this chapter: they give you syrup AND yummy jam.) Note that if you can this syrup, the flavor will become cooked but still makes a good soda.
Makes 3¼ to 4 cups
TIME COMMITMENT less than 1 week
About 2 pounds ripe organic strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved (7 cups)
3½ cups sugar
3 tablespoons orange juice (about ½ orange)
2 tablespoons crushed black peppercorns
INSTRUCTIONS In a giant mixing bowl, combine the berries with 2 cups of the sugar, being sure to coat each berry in sugar completely. Cover the top of the berries in a blanket of the remaining 1½ cups sugar. Let the berries macerate for 12 hours, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. (Setting this up after dinner and stirring periodically before bedtime is sufficient.) The berries will shrink in size and release their juice and the sugar will dissolve in the liquid. If necessary, cover the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel tied with string to protect the sweet syrup from insects.
After maceration, stir again to dissolve as much sugar as possible from the bottom of the bowl. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and drain the syrup into it, stirring the fruit (but not pressing on it) to release as much liquid as possible. Reserve the fruit for another use (like jam or pie filling) and taste your syrup. Heaven.
Stir in the orange juice and the peppercorns and transfer the mixture to a clean, odorless glass jar with a secure lid. Refrigerate for 5 to 6 days to allow the peppercorn flavor to develop.
HOW TO STORE IT Store, refrigerated, for up to 1 month. For long-term storage, pour into canning jars and process for 10 minutes (see directions for canning). Canned, it will keep for 1 year.
INSTRUCTIONS Stir ¾ cup Strawberry Black Pepper Syrup into 1½ cups sparkling water (or any quantity in a ratio of 1:2). Add ice cubes and enjoy. Shot of gin optional. To make carbonated soda, see How to Carbonate It. Drink within 3 days. Note that soda left for longer than that, even at cold temperatures, is in danger of becoming explosively overcarbonated.
In a clean glass bottle of any size with a tight-fitting lid, combine syrup and tap water in a ratio of 1:2—for example, a 750 ml bottle can hold a little more than 24 ounces, which means 8 ounces of syrup and 16 ounces of water. Add to the mix a scant pinch of active dry yeast, cap tightly, and shake well to combine. Label and date the bottle. Allow it to get gassy at room temperature for 1 to 3 days until carbonated. The best way to test for carbonation is to create one small “testing” bottle of soda that should be checked daily for proper carbonation. To do so, decant 1 to 2 ounces of your soda into a separate bottle, rescrewing the cap tightly after each check. Once the soda has achieved the right level of bubbles, move the bottle to the refrigerator and let the soda chill.
I hate to play favorites because it just makes the other soda recipes jealous. But between, you, me, and the ice cubes, I must admit that this syrup makes one of my favorite homemade sodas. I return to it again and again. The mint comes on first, and then the sweet tropical fruit follows like a breeze. And before you throw away the rind from the pineapple, check out the recipe for Tepache.
Makes about 2½ cups
TIME COMMITMENT About 1 day
7 cups fresh pineapple chunks (from about a 2-pound fruit)
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
1 bunch fresh mint, well washed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
INSTRUCTIONS Combine the pineapple and both sugars to coat in a large, covered pot and let it macerate, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve, for at least 12 but no more than 24 hours. (Setting this up after dinner and stirring periodically before bedtime is sufficient.) The fruit will shrink in size and release its juice and the sugar will dissolve in the liquid. If necessary, cover the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel tied with string to protect the sweet syrup from insects.
When the fruit has macerated, move the pot to the stovetop. Tie the mint together at the stems with kitchen string or unwaxed, unflavored dental floss and dunk the leaves into the fruit and syrup. (Leaving the stems sticking out will help with easy removal later.) Cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep, still covered, for 30 minutes.
Remove the mint with tongs or your fingers and squeeze out as much of its liquid as you can through a sieve back into the pot. Strain the pineapple from the liquid and save it for another use (such as eating). Stir in the lemon juice.
HOW TO STORE IT Pour the syrup into a glass bottle for storing in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to 6 weeks. For long-term storage, pour into canning jars and process for 10 minutes (see directions for canning). Canned, it will last for 1 year.
INSTRUCTIONS Stir ¾ cup Pineapple Mint Syrup into 1½ cups sparkling water (or any quantity in a ratio of 1:2). Add ice cubes and enjoy. Shot of rum optional. To make carbonated soda, see How to Carbonate It. Drink within 5 days. Note that soda left longer for than that, even at cold temperatures, is in danger of becoming explosively overcarbonated.
Tangy, tart, and blueberry-luscious, this syrup makes a drink with the most stunning purple color when illuminated by square ice cubes and the sun. This is your picnic soda, provided that you can keep it super chilled. Be certain you’re using ripe, delicious berries good enough to eat out of hand. Of all the syrups in this chapter, this one best takes to canning for nonseasonal enjoyment.
Makes about 4½ cups
TIME COMMITMENT About 20 minutes
4½ cups fresh blueberries
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 or 2 lemons)
Pinch of kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS Combine the fruit, sugar, and water in a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil (but be careful not to let it boil over). Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 3 minutes—just enough time to let the berries release their juice.
Take the pan off the heat and stir to cool slightly. Pour the contents of the pan through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl, stirring but not pressing the berries to harvest as much syrup as possible.
Reserve the berries for another use. (But don’t toss them out! Puree them in a blender to make a great jam, or use them as an ice cream topping, pie filling, or compote.) Stir the lemon juice and the salt into the syrup.
HOW TO STORE IT Using a funnel, pour the syrup into a glass bottle for storing in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to 6 weeks. For long-term storage, pour into canning jars and process for 10 minutes (see directions for canning). Canned, it will last 1 year.
INSTRUCTIONS Stir ¾ cup Blueberry Lemon Syrup into 1½ cups sparkling water (or any quantity in a ratio of 1:2). Add ice cubes and enjoy. Shot of vodka optional. To make carbonated soda, see How to Carbonate It. Drink within 3 days. Note that soda left for longer for than that, even at cold temperatures, is in danger of becoming explosively overcarbonated.
In my first book, Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, I shared a recipe for a rockingly pungent Jamaican-style ginger beer frothed in a blender with loads of sugar and citrus. This is its fermented upper-crusty cousin. It’s somewhat smoother and more refined, and delicately effervescent from the natural fermentation agent found on the ginger’s skin. Note that this soda requires a double fermentation: first making the ginger beer starter (aka the “bug”), and then fermenting in the bottle. The result is pure liquid summer. You’ll be grating some fresh ginger every day for about a week—a Microplane is the perfect tool, if you have one. Otherwise, use the small holes on a box grater.
Makes about 6 cups
TIME COMMITMENT up to 10 days
6 cups water
About 9 teaspoons freshly grated ginger (with the skin)
About 9 teaspoons plus 1 cup sugar
INSTRUCTIONS First, create the ginger beer starter. In a clean 1 quart (or larger) jar or bowl, combine 2 cups of water with 3 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger and 3 teaspoons of sugar. Stir to combine. Cover the jar or bowl with a paper towel secured by a rubber band around the rim. You want to let air in but keep insects out.
The next day, add another teaspoon of freshly grated ginger and another teaspoon of sugar, stirring to combine and loosely covering again. Do this daily until the starter foams and releases a strong, fermenting odor; this can take up to 1 week.
Once you have your starter, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a large clear measuring cup, pressing hard on the solids as you go, and then discarding them. You should have somewhere in the neighborhood of 1¾ cups of liquid starter. Pour equal amounts of the starter through a funnel into 2 clean 750 ml (or larger) bottles with tight-fitting caps. Into each bottle, also funnel in ½ cup of sugar and 2 cups of water. Cap the bottles tightly and shake them well to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar has been absorbed, swirl the bottle around upright to ensure that there’s no sugar coating the lip or neck of the bottle. Into a smaller third bottle, which will serve as your “tester” bottle, pour ½ ounce from each bottle.
Label and date the bottles and let them sit at room temperature for 1 to 3 days—warmer weather will yield faster carbonation. Check the tester bottle after every 24-hour period for your preferred level of fermentation. Be sure to recap the tester tightly between tests, and know that the ginger beer in the unopened bottles will lean slightly fizzier than that in your tester.
HOW TO STORE IT Once the ginger beer in the tester is properly carbonated, move the bottles to the refrigerator, chill, and drink within 5 days. Note that soda left for longer than that, even at cold temperatures, is in danger of becoming explosively overcarbonated.
Okay, I admit this to you, cookbook author to cookbook purchaser: I wavered on whether or not to include this recipe. As I understand it, this is an old-fashioned summer cooler, a natural and economical use of pineapple rind before it hits the compost bin, and a popular basis for hooch in Mexican prisons (it’s just barely alcoholic in this recipe; you’d have to let it go for much longer to get soused). I’m a big fan of its dry fruit and natural swampiness, but many of those who have crossed my kitchen threshold don’t share my enthusiasm. I say give it a whirl, as it’s a fun project to do with something you would normally have cast aside. Additionally, if you ever find yourself behind bars in Tijuana, you’ll be able to dazzle your cellmates with your culinary chops.
Makes about 5 cups
TIME COMMITMENT About 5 days
2½ cups dark brown sugar
Rind and core of 1 whole pineapple (minus the green leaves), coarsely chopped
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
INSTRUCTIONS In a large glass, ceramic, or food-grade plastic container, pour the sugar over the pineapple rind and stir well to coat each piece of rind in sugar. Nestle the cinnamon into the pineapple rind until it’s buried. Pour 2 to 3 cups of tap water over all of it, until the water just covers the fruit.
Cover the top of the container loosely with a kitchen towel and tie a string around it to secure it: you want to keep insects out but allow airflow in. Allow it to ferment for 2 to 4 days, checking it daily: you want to see just natural bubbles, not a thick layer of mold.
Once bubbles have formed, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Discard the solids. Pour the liquid into 2 clean 750 ml bottles, diluting the tepache 1:1 (for every cup of tepache, dilute with 1 cup of water). Into a smaller third bottle, which will serve as your “tester” bottle, pour ½ ounce from each bottle. Cap the bottles tightly and allow them to sit at room temperature for 1 to 3 days, until the liquid in the tester bottle becomes carbonated.
Once the liquid is bubbling to your liking, transfer the bottles to the refrigerator and chill until very cold, then serve immediately over ice.
HOW TO STORE IT Refrigerate and consume within 2 to 3 days—this is not a beverage for aging longer than that.
A blend of apples (three or more sweet varieties) gives this drink a nice complexity and roundness. Score an apple bargain at the farmers’ market of ugly or mealy fruit, but avoid the rotten specimens fallen from the tree, as their bruised or rotten flavor will seep into the juice. This is delicious both ice cold and gently warmed. Cinnamon or not is up to you.
Makes 4 quarts
TIME COMMITMENT About 2 hours
5 pounds each (15 pounds total) of three sweet apple varieties, such as Fuji, Honeycrisp, Candy Crisp, Arkansas Black, or Red Delicious
INSTRUCTIONS This recipe requires some hardware assembly. Find a large bowl or food-safe bucket and place a sturdy rack on top. Line a large colander or sieve with a
thin, clean kitchen towel, and place this colander on top of the rack. The point is to leave room to collect as much juice as possible in the bowl. Note that if you don’t have a cooling rack large enough to sit atop the bowl, you can use a clean oven rack.
Wash, quarter, and core the apples, leaving the skins intact. Puree the apples in batches in a food processor or blender, along with about ⅓ cup of water per batch—just enough to get the blades going. Process for 1 minute, scrape down the sides if necessary, then process for 1 minute longer. The apples should be completely pulverized.
Pour each batch of pureed apples into the towel-lined colander. Allow the juice to drip through to the bowl beneath, stirring and pressing on the mash periodically to help harvest as much juice as possible. Note that you will need to empty the towel of its contents at least one time during the processing, as all of the pureed fruit won’t fit. To do this, bring together the four corners of the towel and twist it into a hard ball to squeeze out all the juice. Loosen the towel, stir the mash, and squeeze again a couple more times to harvest as much juice as possible. Discard the solid fruit.
Continue until all the apples have been juiced, squeezing the puree in the towel again at the end. Note that the juice will darken as you work.
Refrigerate the collected liquid immediately and drink within 5 days. To keep cider longer, heat to 160°F for pasteurization and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. (Note that heating the juice will alter its flavor.)
HOW TO STORE IT For longer-term storage, can the juice by pouring into pint or quart jars and processing for 15 minutes (see directions for canning). Or freeze the juice, being careful to leave ½ inch of headspace in each container to allow for expansion of the liquid. Both of these methods will preserve the juice for up to 1 year.
