Home Made Syrup for Soda Stream

My new Soda Stream Jet is amazing and I love it! The flavored waters are very light and if you add 1-3 drops of Vanilla Stevia they are sweet without any bad sugar additives! The orange flavor with the stevia tastes like orange sickles! YUM!

I looked on their website and I want to try their natural sodas as well as their teas. However, to buy enough to make shipping worth it (my local stores don't sell those) it would cost well over a hundred dollars.
Not something I really want to shell out right before the holidays!

So I went searching online! I found a great blog by "Former Chef" and the three syrup recipes that they have made thus far for their Soda Stream.

1st Recipe
Ginger Syrup for Ginger Ale

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup palm sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 cups water
4 oz peeled and sliced ginger (I started with 6-7 oz whole fresh ginger)
2 tsp cardamom pods
1 tsp whole allspice
1 tsp peppercorns
3 ea. star anise pods

In a small pot, combine the sugars with the water and add the peeled and sliced ginger. I used the palm sugar (in the photo at the top) because I had it, but you can also use 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup white .
Toast the whole spices in a saute pan until they just begin to brown and become fragrant. Add them to the sugar and water mixture and bring it to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes and then turn off the heat.
Allow to steep until cool. At this point you can strain it into a clean container and store it in the refrigerator. Chill.

For me, 2 Tbsp of syrup with 12 oz soda water and some ice makes a very refreshing glass of ginger ale.

2nd Recipe
Tummy Tamer Soda Syrup Recipe:

peel from 1 orange, cut off white pith
juice from 1 orange, about 1/4 cup
1 oz fresh mint, rough chopped
2 oz fresh ginger, sliced 1/8″ thick
2 Tbsp toasted anise seed
2 cups Sugar
2 cups Water

In a small saute pan toast the anise seed for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Remove from heat.

Cut the skin off an orange with a sharp paring knife and then carefully cut off as much of the white pith from the skin as possible. Cut the same orange in half and squeeze the juice out of it.

Slice the ginger into 1/8 ” pieces and rough chop the mint.

Combine sugar and water in a small heavy bottomed pot. Bring to a low simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Add in the orange peel, orange juice, mint, ginger pieces and toasted anise seed. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let syrup steep as it cools.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer and store in a clean container in the refrigerator.

For the soda I usually combine about 2 Tbsp of the syrup with 12 oz soda water

3rd Recipe
Lime Syrup

2/3 cup lime juice (about 1.25 lbs key limes)
2 tsp. lime zest
2/3 cup water
1 1/3 cups sugar

Combine all ingredients. Simmer for 5 minutes and cool. Serve with sparkling water over ice.

I have not had a chance to try them out but I will be sure to review them as well as photo them (probably not as good as the original) when I get a chance!
Also I found two books Homemade Soda - 200 recipes  & Homemade Rootbeer that I will be getting!
I will share photos, ideas and ingredient lists (not exact amounts as they are copyrighted) but a general feel - enough that you will know if you want to buy the books or not!