BEST YEASTS FOR MAKING SODA
When it comes to making sodas, I favor dry champagne and ale yeasts. They ferment quickly and do not impart any yeasty tastes to the soda, which would muddle the flavor of the actual soda.
However, if you’re in a hurry and need soda, ordinary active dry yeast (the kind used for baking bread) would suffice. But sodas prepared with baker’s yeast tend to have a stronger yeasty flavor than those made with other ingredients.
How to properly bottle soda.
Sodas may also be packaged in glass or swing-top bottles, exactly like beer, although it’s more difficult to determine whether the sodas have reached their full carbonation level in these containers.
As a result, fill one tiny plastic soda bottle with each batch of sodas you bottle in order to use it as a gauge to determine when the sodas have completed carbonating.
Once the plastic bottle has been carbonated, immediately place all of the bottles in the refrigerator; never keep the glass bottles at room temperature once they have been carbonated.
Soda Recipe by Master
THIS RECIPE SERVES APPROXIMATELY 8 PEOPLE.
(EQUIVALENT TO A 2-LITER SODA BOTTLE) Nearly anything may be used to make fizzy, fresh drinks. No, I retract my statement: Soda can be manufactured out of almost anything. You may brew ginger ale by soaking ginger in sugar syrup.
You’ll have a drink by morning if you pick up some fresh fruit juice at the farmers’ market. It’s everything fair game here: add spices or herbs, combine fruits, experiment with savory components, use a different kind of sugar.
Depending on your own tastes, adjust the quantity of fruit in this recipe. Less fruit yields a lighter soda, whereas more fruit yields a nonalcoholic sparkling cider-like beverage. If your fruit lacks natural acidity, add extra lemon juice to your soda. It’s totally up to you and your sweet tooth how much sugar you put in.
INGREDIENTS.
4 to 8 cups fruit juice, ideally unsweetened, or 2 to 4 pounds fresh or frozen fruit 2–6 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice (from 1–2 lemons or 3–4 limes) 1 cup water + more water to fill bottles
12–112 cup white granulated sugar (312–1012 ounces)
Extras for flavor: fresh herbs, fresh gingerroot, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, star anise salt (a pinch)
18 tsp champagne yeast (dry)
EQUIPMENT.
Saucepan (large bowel)
spoons and measuring cups
Knife with a long handle
Blenders or food processors
strainer with a large fine-mesh
Cheesecloth or a flour sack towel (optional)
Funnel
a strainer with a fine mesh
a 2-liter soda bottle with a screw top that has been thoroughly cleaned
1 • Cut the fruit into bite-size pieces and remove any stems, seeds, skins, or other inedible parts. Smaller fruits and berries may be left intact. In a large mixing basin, combine the fruit, lemon juice, and any other flavorings.
2 • In a small saucepan over high heat or in the microwave, bring the water to a boil. Heat should be turned off. Pour over the fruit after stirring the sugar and salt to dissolve. Allow 10 minutes for the fruit to macerate, or until the frozen fruits have thawed fully.
After the fruit has been macerated, discard any intact spices. If you’re using fruit juice, just mix it with the sugar water and proceed to the bottling stage.
3 • In a food processor or blender, purée the fruit in batches with its liquid. Strain the puree into a dish, capturing as much fluid as possible while avoiding pushing any particles through the sieve. To make a soda with less pulp and sediment, filter the liquid using a flour sack towel or cheesecloth.
4 • Using the funnel, transfer the juice to a clean 2-liter bottle. Fill the bottle to the top with water, allowing 1 inch of headroom. Taste it and adjust the sweetness or lemon juice as needed. The additional sugar will naturally dissolve.
5 • In a separate bowl, combine the yeast and the warm water. To dissolve and spread the yeast, put the cap on the container and shake it. Allow 12 to 48 hours for the bottle to carbonate at room temperature and away from direct sunlight.
The time it takes for soda to carbonate depends on the temperature of the room; at high temperatures, it will carbonate rapidly, while at colder temperatures, it will take longer.
Check the bottle on a regular basis to see whether it’s ready; it should feel rock firm with minimal give.
6 Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or overnight. To prevent bubble-ups, open carefully over a sink. When serving, strain over a fine-mesh strainer to remove any remaining fruit pulp or sediment.
APPROXIMATELY 8 CUPS GINGER ALE
(EQUIVALENT TO A 2-LITER SODA BOTTLE) It was a revelation for me when I attempted home brewing ginger ale for the first time. The ginger had such a fresh, clear taste. The sugar smoothed out the edges, and the touch of lemon added just the right amount of zing. It tingled on the finest conceivable level on my tongue. I’m certain this is how ginger ale was supposed to taste.
fresh ginger root, 2 in.
1 cup water + more water to fill bottles
9 tbsp./4 oz. white granulated sugar, plus more if necessary salt, 1/8 teaspoon
5 tbsp lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons), plus more if necessary 18 tsp champagne yeast (dry)
1 • Finely grate the ginger after peeling it (I use a Microplane). About 2 teaspoons of grated ginger root should be enough.
2 • In a small saucepan over high heat or in the microwave, bring the water to a boil. The heat should be turned off. Stir in the sugar and salt until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved. Allow cooling after adding the ginger. Lemon juice should be added now.
3 • Using a funnel, fill a clean 2-liter bottle halfway with ginger water. Remove the ginger but do not strain it out. Fill the bottle to the top with water, allowing 1 inch of headroom. Taste it and adjust the sweetness or lemon juice as needed. The additional sugar will naturally dissolve.
4 • In a separate bowl, combine the yeast and the warm water. To dissolve and spread the yeast, put the cap on the container and shake it. Allow 12 to 48 hours for the bottle to carbonate at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, depending on the temperature of the room.
Check the bottle on a regular basis to see whether it’s ready; it should feel rock firm with minimal give.
5. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or overnight. To prevent bubble-ups, open carefully over a sink. To collect the ginger as you pour, strain the soda through a tiny fine-mesh strainer.
HOW TO MAKE A SUGAR-FREE SODA.
SODA You’ll probably need some form of sweetener to make your soda acceptable unless the fruit is already sweet. To feed the yeast and carbonate the soda, you’ll need a little actual sugar (1 tablespoon white granulated sugar per 8 cups soda), but you may sweeten to taste with whichever sweetener you choose.
MAKES ABOUT 8 CUPS OF STRAWBERRY SODA
(EQUIVALENT TO A 2-LITER SODA BOTTLE) Make this soda if you want a taste of summer in a can. Make it using ripe strawberries that are almost jam-like. It’s not going to work if the middles are hard white. Make it with the intention of hosting a backyard picnic and sharing it with friends. Try adding a shot of tequila to your next glass if you happen to have any on hand.
2 lbs. strawberries (fresh or frozen)
14 cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons), plus more if necessary 1 cup water + more water to fill bottles
9 tbsp./4 oz. white granulated sugar, plus more if necessary salt (a pinch)
18 tsp champagne yeast (dry)
1 • Peel the strawberries and finely cut them. In a large mixing basin, combine them with lemon juice.
2 • In a small saucepan over high heat or in the microwave, bring the water to a boil. The heat should be turned off. Pour over the strawberries after stirring the sugar and salt to dissolve. To macerate the fruit, set aside for 10 minutes. If you’re using frozen strawberries, wait until they’ve fully thawed before macerating.
3 • In a food processor or blender, purée the strawberries in batches with their liquid. Strain the puree into a dish, capturing as much fluid as possible while avoiding pushing any particles through the sieve.
4 • Using a funnel, fill a clean 2-liter bottle halfway with strawberry juice.
Fill the bottle to the top with water, allowing 1 inch of headroom. Taste it and adjust the sweetness or lemon juice as needed. The additional sugar will naturally dissolve.
5 • In a separate bowl, combine the yeast and the warm water. To dissolve and spread the yeast, put the cap on the container and shake it. Allow 12 to 48 hours for the bottle to carbonate at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, depending on the temperature of the room.
Check the bottle on a regular basis to see whether it’s ready; it should feel rock firm with minimal give.
6 Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or overnight. To prevent bubble-ups, open carefully over a sink.
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HOMEBREWED ALCOHOL
KEFIRS, SODAS, AND
KOMBUCHAS
As long as yeast is utilized in the fermentation process,
Whether it’s carbonated or non-carbonated drinks, alcohol will be present.
As a by-product, it was created. The shortfall is, however,
The quantity of food that can be fermented is limited by the length of time it takes
alcohol found in sodas, kefirs, and other fermented foods
It generally comes out to kombuchas, and it usually comes out to
a fraction of one percent
Soda with Orange Cream
MAKES APPROXIMATELY 8 CUPS
(ENOUGH TO FILL A 2-LITER BOTTLE OF PLASTIC SODA) Try to figure out what makes cream sodas creamy. Let your imagination go wild. Don’t glance down at the ingredients list to see if you can get away with it! Okay, here’s what I’ll tell you: It has a vanilla flavor.
The richness is more flavor than texture, fooling your taste senses into believing otherwise. Vanilla extract will enough for a Friday night Coke to accompany pizza. Instead, soak a split vanilla bean in the sugar water if you want to be really fancy.
1 cup water + more water to fill the bottles
128 cup / 8 oz. white granulated sugar, plus more if necessary 1 teaspoon of salt
2 oranges, zested
1 split vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 2 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 lemon), plus more if necessary 1/8 teaspoon champagne yeast, dry
1 • In a small saucepan on the stovetop or in the microwave, bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat. Stir in the sugar and salt until they are completely dissolved. Allow it cool before adding the orange zest (and vanilla bean, if using). Combine the lemon juice and vanilla essence in a mixing bowl (if using).
2 • Using a funnel, pour the orange water into a clean 2-liter bottle. The orange zest should not be strained. Fill the bottle halfway with water, leaving 1 inch of headroom. Taste it and, if necessary, add additional lemon juice or sugar. The remaining sugar will dissolve by itself.
3 • Stir in the yeast. Screw on the top and shake the bottle to dissolve and spread the yeast. Allow the bottle to remain at room temperature out of direct sunlight until carbonated, which may take anywhere from 12 to 48 hours depending on the ambient temperature. Check the bottle on a regular basis to see whether it’s ready; it should feel rock solid with very little give.
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4 • Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or overnight. Slowly open over a sink to gently release the pressure and prevent bubble-ups. As you pour the soda, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to capture the orange zest.