Homemade Soda (Orange)

Homemade Soda 

~15 min, 8 hours incubation
Making your own soda is very easy, tasty, and healthy.
Here I've made an orange chai cinnamon ginger soda (with whipped cream of course ^.~ )

 Ingredients:
1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup strong brewed chai tea (so use several servings)
juice of 3 oranges
15 thin slices of fresh ginger (I like to make large enough slices so they can be easily removed later)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of yeast
Tightly sealed 2 Liter bottle

First brew the tea and dissolve a few tablespoons of the honey in the warm water. Meanwhile juice your oranges. Simmer the orange juice on low and stir in honey until it just dissolves. Immediately remove from heat and put everything together except for the yeast: tea, orange mixture, cinnamon, and ginger. Wait until the juice has cooled a bit and is only warm (enough to hold your finger in it comfortably) and add the yeast.

Transfer to the 2 liter and try to squeeze some of the air out to make space for all of the carbon dioxide the bacteria will be producing (Don't fret too much about this, just give it a little squeeze). Leave the juice out on the counter for at least 8 hours before consuming.

After 8 hours throw it in the fridge to slow down the function of the yeast. Make sure to release the pressure every now and then. Keeps for about 2 days. If you wait to drink the soda it starts to develop a slight beer like taste. Serve topped with whipped cream :)

See the fizz?

For ginger ale, there is a great recipe from Monika Kotus here: http://www.monikakotus.com/2010/07/homemade-ginger-ale-two-ways.html