Last Updated on February 19, 2014 by
This post about homemade soda has been sponsored. I received a copy of this book at no charge for review purposes but all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
I have a serious weakness for soda. I don’t know what it is about that sweet, fizzy drink that makes me crave it so often. I generally try to avoid it as much as I can and since I started the Paleo diet most of them are not approved anyhow. But, just because *I* can’t drink them, doesn’t mean the kids can’t and my son (like most teenage boys) loves when he is allowed the occasional soda. When I was sent The Complete Soda Making Book
to review I was curious what sort of recipes I would find in there. I am all for buying fewer plastic bottles and cans so making homemade soda is a smart choice for the environment. Not to mention how much money it will save!
How to Make Homemade Soda
Title: The Complete Soda Making Book
Subtitle: From Homemade Root Beer to Seltzer and Sparklers, 100 Recipes to Make Your Own Soda
Author: Jill Houk
Publisher: Adams Media (January 1, 2014)
ISBN: 978-1440567483
Format/Length: Paperback: 240 pages
From the Publisher:
Zesty lemon-lime. Sweet orange cream. Tart cherry.With The Complete Soda-Making Book, you can recreate your favorite sodas in the convenience of your home–without the high price tag or all the unpronounceable ingredients. Featuring 100 all-natural, budget-friendly recipes, this book shows you how to use your soda-making appliance to craft classic and one-of-a-kind soft drinks that not only taste better than your fountain go-to, but are also lower in calories and sugar. From traditional options like cola and root beer to artisanal flavors like mango mint and lemongrass, each of these natural sodas are bursting with fresh fruits, juices, and herbs, and free of the artificial additives and sweeteners found in commercial sodas. You’ll also find simple instructions on how to experiment with flavor and ingredient combinations to produce your own fizzy concoctions.
Complete with recipes for floats, cocktails, and sweet treats, The Complete Soda-Making Book is the ultimate resource for crafting delicious, healthy, and inexpensive sodas that your entire family will enjoy!
My Review:
The idea of making homemade soda is appealing but honestly, I had no idea where to start. The Complete Soda Making Book has several chapters at the beginning to help you get started. There is tons of information about carbonation and what sort of equipment you will need. Honestly, since I have a Soda Stream unit that can carbonate things I will probably not be worrying too much about that portion. However it will come in very handy for others needing to know how carbonation fits into their homemade soda creation. The table of contents is neatly organized and broken into sections based on the type of flavor. Citrus, herbal, fruits, etc. There are also sections on making cocktails once you have your homemade soda base created.
Most of the homemade soda recipes have you create a syrup of some sort which can be stored in the fridge for a short amount of time and used to make several batches of homemade soda. The recipes all see fairly simple and easy to follow. I did notice that almost all of them use pure white sugar or stevia (for a lower calorie homemade soda). There are a few that use a portion of honey but not too many. I would have loved to see the author include a few more recipes for homemade soda that used only honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, etc. And since I am a very visual person when it comes to my recipes, I really would have liked a few pictures.
Overall, though, I think that The Complete Soda Making Book will be a great reference for my kitchen. It is a great way to make a healthier beverage, save money on your grocery bill, and avoid creating so much recycling!
Post Update: Check out the recipe I made from this book! The Tangerine and Honey Natural Soda was delicious!
Sounds intriguing! I’ll have to check it out.