Thursday, February 3, 2011

Ginger and Lemongrass Soda

The other night when we were at Corner Table for dinner we got to try a little of Scott's fermented ginger & parsnip soda. It was so good that it had Matt & I thinking about what flavors of soda we could make at home. We decided to go with ginger because I love ginger ale & added the lemongrass because I had a few stalks lingering in the crisper.
Ginger & Lemongrass
The thing with making soda is you have to have a way to carbonate it. Scott does this by adding yeast & letting it ferment, similar to making beer. We went a much easier route & used our Sodastream which is a super easy way to carbonate water. You could also use a spritzer bottle or just buy some soda water. From there all you need is some flavor infused simple syrup to add to the carbonated water.
Homemade Ginger Lemongrass Soda
This flavor turned out even better than we expected. The ginger flavor & aroma are quite strong with that little bit of burn only fresh ginger has. Then there is that subtle hint of the lemongrass, the perfect compliment. It would make one heck of a mixed drink. Plus it's not overly sweet & doesn't contain artificial anything! Matt thinks it's a lot better than Sodastream's ginger ale syrup. After this success I'm looking forward to trying lots of other flavor ideas.

Ginger & Lemongrass Soda
(This simple syrup would also make a great flavoring for ice cream.)

3 6-inch pieces of lemongrass, cut into smaller pieces
3 oz fresh ginger, peeled & cut into small pieces
2 c sugar
2 c water

Use a rolling pin or pestle to give the lemongrass & ginger a good mashing to release the flavors. Put the ginger, lemongrass, sugar & water into a small saucepan.
Ginger & Lemongrass Simple Syrup
Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to help dissolve the sugar. Once simmering, continue to stir for 1 more minute. Let simmer another 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat & let cool. Strain into an airtight container.

Makes 2 1/2 - 3 cups of syrup. You can keep the syrup in your fridge for quite a while.

To make the soda carbonate 1 liter of water. Mix in 1/2 c of the ginger lemongrass syrup.

Makes 1 liter

I experimented with how much syrup to add by adding 2 tablespoons at a time & tasting it until I was satisfied with the intensity of the flavor. Everyone's taste is different so I recommend doing the same thing until you discover your perfect ration.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski

17 comments:

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

Very cool! I am impressed that you even make your own soda. Love the flavors!

RJ Flamingo said...

What a great idea! As it happens, I have a backyardful of lemongrass, as we speak...

Liz Darner said...

Incredible! It would be a great drink for a hot summer day. Can't wait to try it!

foodwanderings said...

Love the flavor combination. Brings back memories of th esoda making bottle my parents owned very vintage I wish I had one!

vanillasugarblog said...

and ginger is so good for you too. i bet this tasted good!

Elle said...

Love making soda at home! I can't grasp the taste of ginger and parsnip, but ginger and lemongrass must taste spectacular and very fresh!

kat said...

Elle - The parsnip was surprisingly good, it has such a great sweetness.

grace said...

until this moment, i had no idea how to make my own soda, or even that it was possible at home! flank you very much. :)

The Duo Dishes said...

How refreshing! And easy too. Good idea.

Jenn @leftoverqueen said...

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Natasha @ Saved by the Egg Timer said...

Ohhh super refreshing and perfect fit for Chinese New Year today. Did you even realize? :) I have a ginger bug starter and would love to make this the fermented traditional soda way. Hmmm?

Lori said...

This sounds incredible! So glad you recreated it. I love ginger in drinks and I can only imagine the lemongrass makes it even better.

How do you like your Sodastream? We have been considering one since we moved back from Brazil. We got hooked on water with gas there and just hate all the plastic bottles we are wasting in club soda!

Amy said...

Sounds wonderfully flavorful and refreshing!

Unknown said...

Impressive that you even make your own soda! These flavor combinations sound really good together.

Deborah said...

I've never thought to make my own soda - what a great idea!

dining tables said...

This is one of the most refreshing drink I can think of. The ginger flavor is really nice.

Alicia Foodycat said...

One of the best cocktails I have ever had was a ginger and lemongrass mojito - so I am seeing your soda with a nice big shot of rum!

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