Tonic Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons cinchona bark powder
- 1 organic lime’s zest
- 3 tablespoons organic lime juice
- 1 organic lemon’s zest
- 6 tablespoons organic lemon juice
- 1 organic grapefruit’s zest
- 1/2 cups organic grapefruit juice
- 3 stalks of lemongrass, minced
- 1 Ceylon cinnamon stick, crushed
- allspice berries, crushed
- 8 coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 small star anise
- sugar or agave nectar
- citric acid
Instructions
- Combine the first 13 ingredients in a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let steep, covered, for an additional 30 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the mixture into a quart-sized measuring cup.
- If time allows, let the mixture sit overnight in the refrigerator to let sediment settle to the bottom.
- Using basket-shaped coffee filters (try securing the filter over a small, round, fine-mesh strainer and placing the strainer over a vessel that will hold it upright), strain the mixture again, in ½-cup increments, with each batch using a new coffee filter (this will take up to two hours, but the process doesn’t need to be carefully or cautiously monitored, just checked on now and again).
- Measure the volume of the completely strained concentrate.
- For every cup of strained concentrate, add ½ cup sugar (or ¼ cup agave) and ½ t. citric acid.
- Stir to incorporate and dissolve any sugar granules.
- Pour the syrup into an airtight jar and refrigerate where it will keep for several months if using sugar, or several weeks if using agave or other sweeteners.
- To make tonic sodas, use 4 parts carbonated water to 1 part syrup—taking care not to shake the bottle of syrup when pouring as it will stir up any cinchona bark residue settled at the bottom of the jar.
