Herbal homemade soda is quite simple actually. Almost any herb can be used, and this lavender and lemon combination is cooling and refreshing!
Lovin’ Fresh is a series of recipes designed to showcase produce gathered from local farms or grown in my own garden.
“Hot. So very hot.” These words, or some variation of them, echo through my head at least a dozen times a day now that summer is officially here. Interspersed among them are a sundry of other fleeting thoughts, most prevalent among them being, “Is it lunchtime yet?” You see, laboring as I do outside so much of the day in my horticulture work, I tend to quickly get a little parched and hungry. Concocting refreshing icy beverages has become a priority.
This desperation for refreshment brings us to a truly revitalizing Lavender Lemon Soda that is the ideal remedy for a sweaty brow. It is downright cleansing with its effervescent flavors. I have been intrigued by herbal sodas since last summer when I had one at a local café, but I surprised even myself with how tasty this particular combination turned out to be.
Herbal homemade soda is quite simple actually. Almost any herb can be used to make an infused simple syrup that then goes on to flavor some form of bubbly (seltzer, tonic water, ginger ale, and so forth). I’m anticipating coming up with several other combinations using the herbs in my tea garden.
So bring on the heat! I’ve got a great way to chill!
Lavender Lemon Soda
Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lavender florets (Hidcote variety recommended)
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- Seltzer water
- Ice
Method
- In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar, and lavender. Bring to a simmer over gentle heat. Remove from stove and let steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain and chill until ready to use.
- To make the soda, combine a ¼ cup of lavender syrup with a ¼ cup lemon juice over ice in a pint glass. Fill the glass with seltzer water and serve immediately.
That is awesome. Really cool – my lavendar has just got its second flowering, so I think I’m going to give this a go this weekend.
I have a lovely looking recipe for lemon syrup that I got out of The Age’s Saturday magazine about six months ago – supposed to be great with soda, even better with soda and a bit of gin! Would you like it?
Rachel – Would love the lemon syrup recipe! Bet you’ll love the lavender syrup! :)
Found it!
This recipe is courtesy of The Age Good Weekend section. I clipped this some time in late 2007. More than that I can’t say as I only have the ragged square of torn-out newsprint.
Lemon Syrup
2 scrubbed lemons
350g (3/4 cup) caster sugar (don’t know what it’s called in the US – the fine sugar used for baking things like merangues)
2 cups boiling water
25g tartaric acid
Finely grate the lemond rind and juice the lemons, but keep the squeezed halves. Put the juice, grated rind and the lemon halves into a large bowl with the caster sugar. Tip the boiling water over, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Leave to cool overnight, popping in the fridge if it’s a really warm night. Remove the lemon halves, stir in the tartaric acid and pour into sterile bottles. Refridgerate until ready for use and shake before boiling. Use with plain or sparkling water.
And because I love my gin drinks in summer.. (oh, let it soon be Pimms O’Clock, please, please, please!?)
Lemon and gin sparkler
Yield: one drink
2 tbsp lemon syrup
1-2 tbsp gin (me, I’d say to taste… but that, again, is just me)
100ml seltzer (or tonic)
an ice cube or two.
Mix, enjoy.
This is a great post! I’ve also seen a recipe for rosemary lemonade with fresh rosemary sprigs.
I really like the lavender and lemon idea and will try this recipe when the heat rises :)
Rosemary lemonade? Really!? Do you have a recipe handy – that sounds marvellous.
Another really easy, refreshing summer substitute for water (no calories, either) is a huge pitcher of ice water with a sliced orange and a teaspoon of vanilla. It’s like the essence of a dreamsicle. Drinks like these are helping my husband wean himself off HFCS-based sodas (my mortal enemies).