Sodas, colas, soda pop, or soft drinks; whatever part of the world you are in, and whatever you choose to call them, carbonated drinks are a favorite among many cultures. Though so many people love to grab a cola or artificially sweetened beverage, the fact is that most commercial brands have way too much sugar and have been proven to be a major cause of diabetes and obesity among Junior High and High School aged children. Particularly, here in the Western part of the globe.
There is something about a soda that can be refreshing and there are ways to make your own beverages that are just that delicious and refreshing without all the extra sugar and artificial flavoring and preservatives. Plus, making your own sodas can be loads of fun and a creative project for the entire family. Here we offer you three homemade soda recipes that will quench your thirst and become perfect additions to your spring and summer get-togethers.
Making homemade soda requires three things:
1. Carbonation
2. Flavor
3. Sweeteners (raw sugar, syrups, molasses, honey)
Here are three simple recipes to create your own sweet healthy, and tasty concoction that you and your family will love:
Homemade Cola
Ingredients:
Carbonated water
The zest and juice of a lemon, a lime, and two oranges
A couple of fresh cinnamon sticks
Fresh coriander seed
Grated nutmeg
A couple drops of vanilla extract
Orange peel
For instructions and exact amounts, click here
2. Ginger Ale
Ingredients:
Fresh ginger
Lime juice
Water
Seltzer
ginger syrup for sweetening
Grab the full recipe from Epicurious Magazine
3. Grape
Ingredients:
2-3 lbs or a little over 1 kg of red seedless grapes
Fresh ginger
Carbonated water or seltzer of your choice
Full recipe again, by Epicurious Magazine
These are just three simple examples of homemade soda recipes with ingredients that are quite easy for most people to find. You can get really creative with your soda making once you get the hang of it, by adding herbs like basil, mint, and rosemary. There are many other fruits you can play around with such as, kiwi, apple, tangerines, peaches, and pink grapefruit. What is most important is that you will be learning how to replace the overly sweetened, artificial drinks we all love so much with something even more delicious and much healthier.