Rhubarb Soda Recipe

You need an expensive, as-seen-on-tv soda maker to make your own soda, correct? Wrong! Making different flavors of fruit soda is actually really easy to do at home, without any sort of fancy gadget. I chose rhubarb for this recipe, because it is a beautiful pink color and happens to be in season, but try substituting other fruits such as strawberries or black cherries instead!

Ingredients:

1 pound rhubarb (approximately 8-10 stalks)
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 quart Seltzer Water
Ice

Start by scrubbing the rhubarb stalks. Chop the cleaned stalks into small pieces, roughly 1″ in size. Place the rhubarb pieces, water, and sugar into a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and let cook for 30 minutes. Set the pan aside for mixture to cool and thicken. When it has cooled completely, pour the syrup into a fine-mesh sieve with a bowl underneath it. Let the mixture drain for approximately one hour, or until the liquid has separated from the rhubarb pulp. Store strained syrup in a mason jar in the refrigerator.

To make the soda itself, put 3 tablespoons of the cooled syrup into the bottom of a glass. Top with 1 cup of seltzer water and mix well to combine. Add ice to the glass. Enjoy!

Now that you’ve made all this sweet syrup, what do you with it other than making pop? Here are some more ideas:

• Drizzle some over vanilla ice cream for a delicious sundae
• Mix some vodka into the seltzer for a refreshing cocktail
• Pour a little into a fluted glass and top with champagne for a fun bellini
• Top pancakes with it for a new breakfast twist
• Mix with a little balsamic vinegar and brush onto grilled chicken for a savory glaze

What other fruit and soda combos would you like to try? Let me know in the comments below!

Keep Connected,

Caroline