| prariehawk |
Posted - Aug 06 2012 : 8:07:05 PM
I think I've stumbled onto something. I have such a hard time giving up my soda. Thanks to my new herb book, I found a recipe for making an herbal syrup. You take one and one-fourth pounds sugar, four cups water, and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Then add five ounces of plant material (I used ginger root, grated).Heat gently for five minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steep overnight. Strain and store in sterilized air-tight jar. It will keep up to 18 months in the fridge. I added the syrup (to taste) to sparkling mineral water and the result is a beverage that gives you the satisfaction of a soda but leaves you feeling better. You don't have to add a lot of syrup--just whatever gives it some flavor. I'm going to experiment with making other syrups using various herbs. You can also use honey in place of the sugar but a pound of honey costs a lot more than a pound of sugar, especially when you get it from a local source. I drank some regular cola today, but only about half of what I normally drink. So if you see me in the store buying Perrier, it doesn't mean that I've turned into cultural snob--just getting my daily kick.
Cindy
"Vast floods can't quench love, no matter what love did/ Rivers can't drown love, no matter where love's hid"--Sinead O'Connor
"In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers
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