Homemade Soda Syrup Recipes

Steps:

• Place strawberries into a heavy saucepan, add water, and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to low, and simmer until strawberries soften, about 15 minutes.
• Strain juice into a separate saucepan, using a fine mesh strainer; discard strawberry pulp. Stir in sugar until dissolves. Bring strawberry juice back to a boil a second time.
• Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Skim any foam from the top of the syrup. Turn off heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Pour syrup into a lidded container and refrigerate.

Steps:

• In a heavy pot over medium heat, bring 2 cups water to a simmer with the zests, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, lavender, ginger, vanilla and citric acid. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
• In a food processor, whirl the sugars together for one minute (this will help them dissolve), then transfer to a large bowl. If using caramel color, sprinkle it over the sugar.
• Line a sieve or colander with a double thickness of cheesecloth and place over the bowl. Pour the contents of the pot through the sieve. Carefully gather up the corners of the cheesecloth and twist the top to close. Use a spoon to press the bundle against the sieve, squeezing out all the flavorful liquid.
• Stir the syrup and let cool, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves, about 15 minutes. Transfer to containers and keep refrigerated. To make a soda, pour 1/4 cup syrup over ice and add 1 cup seltzer. Stir.

Steps:

• Place sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until sugar is caramelized.
• Carefully add 2 cups water and lemon juice; add vanilla bean and seeds and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.
• Discard vanilla bean and transfer syrup to an airtight container. Syrup may be kept, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks. To serve, fill a 16-ounce glass with ice cubes and add 1 1/2 ounces syrup; top with seltzer and stir to combine.