Foraged and Fermented Pine Needle Soda
Discover the refreshing world of homemade fermented pine needle soda!
Equipment
- Swing Top Soda Bottles - can use mason jar.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pine needles
- 1 ½ cup filtered water
- 2 tablespoons raw honey or sugar I prefer honey - artificial sweeteners will not work.
- optional Garnish your drink with cranberries, sprigs of herbs like rosemary, or citrus slices.
Instructions
- Gently rinse pine needles in cool water if dirty, then put them into a 16-ounce swing-top soda bottle.
- Use a small funnel if necessary and add the honey (or other natural sweetener) and filtered water to the bottle. Leave 1–2 inches of headspace at the top.
- Close the lid tightly and shake the bottle to distribute the sugar. Place the bottle in a warm place, such as a kitchen counter, for fermentation. Allow the soda to ferment for 2–3 days. If fermenting longer, burp every 3 days to relieve built up carbonation pressure.
- Strain the soda using a fine mesh sieve and serve over ice with a garnish (optional) of citrus slices, cranberries, or sprigs of pine or herbs.
Notes
- Be cautious when opening the bottle, as it may have built up carbonation and bubbles.
- Burping the bottles (releasing pressure) is not necessary unless you want to ferment them longer than 3 days. If you choose to ferment longer, consider burping the bottles after 3 days.
- Artificial sweeteners will not work. You can, however, use any natural sweetener you have such as honey, sugar, or maple syrup.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!