Homemade Apple Soda With Fresh Apple Juice

Prep:20 mins
Cook:35 mins
Cool:20 mins
Total:75 mins
Servings:5 servings
Yields:2 cups syrup

The fresh taste of autumn comes to life in homemade apple soda. This refreshing sparkling beverage is bright and slightly sweet. When made with fresh apple juice, apple soda is a brilliant way to take advantage of the fall apple harvest and preserve the fruit's sweet taste for months to come.

The apple soda recipe begins with fresh apple juice. Using an electric juicer is the quickest method. However, the stovetop method of simmering chunks of apple in water, processing to a pulp and straining out the juice adds just a little more time. A simple and a fun project, especially after a visit to a local orchard, allows you to make as much fresh apple juice as you like.

Once you have the juice, it's time to make the syrup base for the soda. White granulated sugar is fine but raw sugar adds a darker sweetness, pairing perfectly with apples. The secret ingredient for any soda (homemade or commercial) is citric acid. The organic powder gives the syrup's flavor a necessary sour boost and doubles as a preservative for a longer shelf life than most homemade syrups. With the syrup in the fridge, you simply have to add club soda when you're ready to enjoy a tall glass of apple soda.

Ingredients
For the Apple Juice:
4 to 5 large apples
2 cups water
For the Apple Syrup:
2 cups apple juice
1 cup raw granulated sugar
1 teaspoon citric acid

For the Apple Soda:
3 ounces apple syrup
6 to 8 ounces club soda (to taste)
Garnish: apple wedge
Steps to Make It

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, the apple soda is broken down into workable categories to help you plan for preparation and assembly.

Make the Apple Juice
Gather the ingredients.

Wash the apples well. Cut them into quarters (or smaller chunks, depending on the apples' size), removing the stem, blossom end, and seeds.

In a medium saucepan, combine the apples and water. Bring to a rolling boil.

Reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. As the apples soften, mash them slightly with a potato masher or wooden spoon. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Process the apples in a food mill or blender to create a juicy pulp.

Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and strain the apple juice from the majority of the pulp. Use a spatula to shuffle the pulp to remove more of the juice.

Line the strainer with two layers of cheesecloth and strain the apple juice a second time to remove the remaining pulp.

Use the apple juice right away for the syrup or let cool and transfer it to a jar with a tight seal. Refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks or freeze as cubes for up to 6 months.