Cola Syrup
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Ingredients
- Grated zest of 2 medium oranges
- Grated zest of 1 large lime
- Grated zest of 1 large lemon
- ⅛teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
- 1section of a star anise pod, crushed
- ½teaspoon dried lavender flowers
- 2teaspoons minced ginger
- 1one-and-a-half-inch piece vanilla bean, split
- ¼teaspoon citric acid (available at health food stores, or canning supply stores or kingarthurflour.com)
- 2cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1tablespoon (packed) light brown sugar
- ¾teaspoon caramel color powder, optional available at kingarthurflourcom
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
322 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 83 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 79 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 5 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
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.
- Step 2
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.
- Step 3
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.
- Step 4
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 ¼ cup syrup over ice and add 1 cup seltzer. Stir.
Private Notes
Comments
It's definitely different from my favorite syrups. It had a strong sweet citrus flavor, like mtn dew. It fell a bit short on the other flavors I might patch a home version of this with some coriander, a hint of bitter orange peel, and a little more star anise. This recipe filled about half of a 1L syrup bottle.
Use stevia instead of sugar. Not sure about the sub for the brown sugar, though.
A couple of things missing from this recipe! Such as yield, and how long it will last. A 1 c to 1 c ratio for simple syrup will usually give 1.3 c of syrup. However, you don't cook this sugar, and then there are items that will absorb more water. So I would say you will get between 2.5 and 3 c syrup. One serving is usually 1.3 T, and this is 3 times that! That sounds awfully sweet to me. Simple syrup generally lasts for 1 month in the refrigerator.
I made this a couple of times to avoid buying factory syrup (even the "artisanal" brands take shortcuts), but it's not good enough as a replacement. I finally broke down and put the effort into the Cube Cola recipe instead (using browning sauce instead of caramel color): it's far better, and the concentrate lasts for years so it's worth the effort.
This is a good start to creating a cola. I’ve avoided sodas for a couple years, but I love a good cola. I found this a bit orange-forward and, yes, 1/4 cup syrup to 1 cup of carbonated water is painfully sweet—but so is Pepsi or Coke. Next batch, I’ll dial back the orange and am using significantly less syrup that prescribed, but this is quite good and certainly scratches the cola itch for anyone avoiding commercial sodas or prefers to consume more natural and fewer highly processed ingredients.
For the cinnamon, should Cassia be used or is “True Cinnamon” better in this recipe? Any thoughts?