Herbal Honey Soda

There is something really fun about turning fresh herbs, fruit, honey, and water into a naturally fermented soda.

This is a simple wild-fermented beverage that allows naturally occurring microorganisms to transform the sugars in honey and fruit into a lightly bubbly drink.

The beautiful thing about this recipe is that you can change the herbs and fruit depending on what you have available. Think berries and mint, peaches and lavender, apples and cinnamon, or whatever combination sounds good to you.

Strawberries & Mint

Ingredients

• 2½–3 cups coarsely chopped fresh herbs and fruit of your choice (I chose strawberries and mint for this one)

• ½ gallon pure spring water, divided

• ½ cup raw honey

Making Your Herbal Honey Soda

Step One: Prepare the Herbs and Fruit

Place your coarsely chopped fresh herbs and fruit into a clean ½-gallon glass container.

Bring 1 quart of spring water to a boil.

Pour the hot water over the herbs and fruit until they are just covered.

Cover the container loosely and allow the mixture to steep until the water has cooled back to room temperature.

Using hot water helps extract flavor and aroma from the fresh plant material while giving you a flavorful base for fermentation.

Step Two: Add the Honey

Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, add ½ cup raw honey.

Stir well until the honey is completely incorporated.

Add enough of the remaining spring water to fill the container, leaving approximately 1 inch of headspace at the top.

Stir everything together thoroughly.

Step Three: Begin Fermentation

Cover the opening of the container with butter muslin, a clean tea towel, or a coffee filter and secure it with a rubber band.

This allows the mixture to breathe while helping keep dust and debris out.

Leave the container at room temperature.

Stir the mixture 3–4 times each day.

Over the next few days, you should begin to notice bubbles forming.

Depending on the temperature, ingredients, and activity of the natural microorganisms present, this may take approximately 2–4 days.

Step Four: Bottle Your Soda

Once your soda is actively bubbling, strain out the herbs and fruit.

Transfer the liquid into clean, fermentation-safe bottles, leaving appropriate headspace according to the bottle manufacturer’s guidance.

Allow the bottled soda to ferment at room temperature for another 12–24 hours.

This second stage allows additional carbonation to develop.

Then transfer the bottles to the refrigerator to slow fermentation and chill the soda.

Enjoy!

Beautiful mixture

Once your herbal honey soda is cold, it’s ready to enjoy.

The final flavor will depend entirely on the herbs and fruit you choose, which is part of the fun.

Every batch can be a little different.

A Note About Fermentation

Wild fermentation is a living process, and conditions can vary from batch to batch. Use clean equipment, keep the ferment protected from contamination, and pay attention to how it looks and smells.

Because carbonation continues to build in a sealed bottle, do not leave bottled soda at room temperature longer than necessary. Excess pressure can cause bottles to burst. Use bottles designed for carbonated beverages, refrigerate once adequately carbonated, and open carefully.

If you see visible mold or notice an unpleasant rotten or otherwise abnormal odor, discard the batch rather than tasting it.

For the water, use a source that is appropriate for fermentation. Chlorine and chloramine in treated municipal water can interfere with the microorganisms responsible for fermentation. If using tap water, check with your local water utility or use a suitable filtered/dechlorinated or spring-water source.

Drink within approximately 9 months and keep refrigerated.

Bottled Herbal Honey Soda