Spriggan Soda (Lemon-Lime)

You can make a really good lemon-lime using, no surprise, lemons and limes. However, lemons and limes vary in size and cost, they spoil, and also take a bit of work to cut and squeeze. The easier and more consistent way is to use lemon and lime oils for the flavor, and a blend of citric and malic acids for the sourness.

I've been using Boyajian oils, which you can get in a set of three, orange, lemon, and lime. They can also be used in place of citrus zest, 1/4 tsp or 24 drops per 3 tsp zest; really handy. The emulsifiers (gum Arabic and xanthan gum) in the syrup allow the oils to blend in, rather than pooling on top.

Acidity is a huge part of the flavor of citrus, and of soda. You can try only using the citric acid, but using the malic also makes this more like real citrus fruit. Malic acid is the sour in lots of super-sour candy. It's also the main acid in apples.

Spriggan Soda

Ingredients

• 288 g (.9 cups) soda syrup, one fourth of a recipe from this blog post, or make just enough (see below).
• 2.4 g (0.5 tsp) citric acid
• .6 g (0.125 tsp) malic acid
• .3 g (6 drops) lemon oil
• .5 g (10 drops) lime oil
• Cold soda water, or cold water and a carbonation system like the one discussed here: Home-Made Soda: Let's talk Fizzzzz

Directions

Syrup: Blend together syrup and flavorings with an immersion blender until well combined. For best results, chill the syrup before making soda.

To make soda:
Method 1: Add all the syrup to cold carbonated water to make about 1.8 liters of soda.

Method 2 (see Home-Made Soda: Let's talk Fizzzzz for more detail):
a)  Add all the syrup to chilled water to make about 1.8 liters, in a 2-liter soda bottle. This should bring the level to about the start of the curve in the top of the bottle.
b) Squeeze out all the air, pressurize, and shake bottle vigorously for 30 seconds. Close valve.
c) Again, Squeeze out all the air (except for what is trapped in the foam on top), pressurize, and shake bottle vigorously for another 30 seconds. Close valve.
d) All done! Close all the valves, and put the original cap back on the bottle. Rinse the carbonation cap.

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Soda Syrup, Just enough for this recipe

If you don't already have some made up, and want to make just enough for the cherry syrup, make this first. Yield: 288 g (.9 cups) soda syrup

Ingredients

• 27 g (0.14 cup) sugar
• 116 g (1.01 cup) dextrose
• 42 g (0.5 cup) Benefiber, Dex#
• 9 g (0.11 cup) Benefiber, Dex++
• 0.02 tsp (0.05 g) cream of tartar
• 103 g (0.46 cup) water
• 0.25 tsp table salt
• 0.09 tsp accent
• 0.5 drops glycerin
• 1.3 g (0.26 tsp, 42 drops) stevia drops
• 1.2 g (0.21 tsp) gum arabic*
• 0.14 g (0.02 tsp) xanthan gum*

*If you've got some mixed up from the other blog post, use 1.3 g (0.23 tsp) emulsifier blend to replace the gum arabic and xanthan gum.

Instructions

1. In the pot, mix together sugar, dextrose, fiber, and cream of tartar. Add water and optional salts for soda syrup, and stir to combine over low heat.
2. Note: be prepared to remove the pot from the heat If it begins to boil over.
3. Increase heat to medium-high, continue to stir while bring to a gentle boil (250). Wash any sugars off the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Reduce heat (220), cover, and simmer 10 min. Remove from heat and cool 30 minutes or to room temperature.
4. Add water to achieve final weight/volume, to account for evaporated water.
5. Add stevia, and emulsifiers. Blend well with an immersion blender.
6. Store refrigerated.