This recipe is absolutely from scratch and will take a little more effort with learning how ingredients interact and with infusing. This is a Lemon Lavender Fizzy Soda, made "old school". Find some flip top wire bail bottles, as they work to make the best fizz (like found on Grolsch beer bottles).
You will need:
7 1/2 cups of spring water
1/2 cup of raw honey
1/4 cup of dried organic lavender buds
1 Tbs of organic white wine vinegar
1 organic lemon pre-sliced into 1/4th inch rounds.
Combine all ingredients in a clean, half gallon glass jar, cover with a lid, and shake well until the honey is dissolved. Please place a piece of parchment paper between the metal lid and glass jar or some type of barrier that allows you to still seal tight. Set aside to ferment, covered with a dishtowel, at room temperature on the counter for two days.
After 2 days, strain out the lavender and lemon. Then use a funnel and pour the liquid into glass bottles with a wire bail. This type of bottle is the best way to do this for maximum fizz. The lids need to fit tight and it is a must to leave a 1/2 inch space (head room) from the top (use a ruler). Set the bottles aside in a cool dark place to further ferment for an additional 3 days.
Open just one of the bottles on the 3rd day to test the fizziness. If you want more fizzy, then continue the 2nd fermentation for no more than 2 more days. The yeast activity during the 2nd ferment is what creates the fizz. This process is very similar to making kombucha but we are doing this without the starter, called the "SCOBY". Once the 2nd ferment is complete, put the bottles of soda into the fridge to stop the process.
Do not freak out if you see a floating disc of goo at the surface! This is actually a type of beneficial bacteria and is in no way harmful. Simply remove it with a spoon or strain it out. It really is no big deal and is just the end product of your creation "should" it appear.
I mentioned earlier on how this is similar to making Kombucha. The difference is that you are using herbs instead of a green tea, and using honey instead of raw sugar. No SCOBY is being used to create the probiotic drink that most enjoy. If you successfully made this drink, then you can certainly learn how to make your own kombucha.
If by chance, you were not able to create an awesome fizz, there are several factors that play in this. The temperature of your house. If its cooler weather, you may need a longer 2nd ferment. If it's warm in your house, the 2nd ferment should work on the 2nd day. If the lid on the bottle for the 2nd ferment is not air tight, then the fizz cannot be accomplished. If you alter this recipe, that's another possibility. If you used your tap water instead of spring water, that's another.
IF your creation never gets a good fizz, that's ok. Enjoy the drink anyway and try again another time!
We hope you enjoy your homemade fizzy soda!
