The Carbonator!

Hmmmm... So if you didn't know cardamom, anise, and ginger all taste great together. I may have found a replacement for my beloved Dr. Pepper. If you know me at all, you can testify to the fact that I have a very unhealthy addiction to Dr. Pepper! Replacing it with something more healthy has been a hard road.

We figured out that making our own sodas would be better. I've made ginger ale with brewers yeast, and those little soda streams looked so perfect, but cost $80-$100 and you have to buy parts and refills. I did pay more money to make my gadget, but I'll only have to fill the tank every year or so. Plus, Scott may be able to use it for brewing if we add a few little parts.

To make the carbonator I followed this How Tuesday from an Etsy member. It was so easy! I made it myself with no manly muscle needed. The tank and regulator are the hardest to come by. There was a welding supply store next to a gourmet foods shop we went to for duck eggs, how perfect is that!

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After assembly and a few test runs, I wasn't real happy with the feeble amounts of bubbles. I posted on the end of the Seltzer Maker post as well as read a few other comments. The author of the post messaged me! Bestill my beating heart! He directed me to this page filled with a comprehensive compendium of carbonation knowledge.

What I found out was that the colder the water the more carbonation it holds! Which I did know, but hadn't applied the extremes to. It works best if you freeze 1/4 bottle of water and then add all the ingredients to the icy bottle and squeeze to purge air out before capping the bottle, then... KABAM! More bubbles!

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Getting back to the spices... I found this recipe from Former Chef (who uses the soda stream) and made it a little more simple. His variation must be far superior to mine given all the extra yummy tasty stuff he adds. But mine went down something like this:

2 Cups Organic Florida Crystals Sugar
2 Cups Water
One big hunk of Ginger (peeled and sliced)
1 tsp Cardamom Seeds
1 tsp Anise Seeds

It's much simplified. I use the seeds instead of pods so if I want to add cardamom to a baked good I can just grind the seeds and toss them in. The pods are a hassle to deal with, and the powder versions loose their intensity very quickly. Win win!

I looked up the herbal benefits to Cardamom and Anise. They seem to have aphrodisiac qualities along with help relieving bloating, flatulence, constipation, and leave you with sweet breath! I think my new motto will be out with the old, in with the new! Add that to the goodness of ginger and you have one super tasty health tonic soda. Yum!