I really wanted to do a pumpkin soda this season but was worried the pumpkin juice would come off too flat, vegetal, and tannic once it was carbonated. Also, I'd have to throw in a bunch of sugar to make it sweet and some form of acid to bring out all the flavors of pumpkin. hmm...
Then came the caramel apple soda idea but it quickly fizzled with the thought of adding caramel to something that was already naturally sweet. But the tartness....
The final idea was a soda with some of the best stuff this season has to offer! After all, who doesn't enjoy the nice warm, nutty, and spicy notes of a sweet pumpkin pie? Can you think of a better way of enjoying the season with a hot cup of spiced cider and a crispy, crunchy, and tart caramel apple?
Nope.
And for good measure, I decided to throw in some carrot juice!
Hooray vegetables!!!
Now for the ingredients...I was able to get my hands on a whole gallon of pure apple cider for $6.50. Not too shabby considering the unfortunate shortage of apples this season due to the early blossom and then immediate frost. Sadness : (
Tons of pumpkins though! Picked up some pie pumpkins at the farmers market on a busy and bustling Saturday! I could have juiced my own carrots, but I decided to use Bolthouse Farms 100% carrot juice. It saved me a step.
Here is the recipe:
1 gallon apple cider
3 cinnamon sticks; 3-5 inches each
1tsp. ground cinnamon
Nutmeg
Some allspice berries
3 star anise
2 cups carrot juice
1 inch ginger root sliced
3 cubes of ginger (I used Ginger People)
Juice of 2 pie pumpkins (or 7 cups pumpkin juice)
* I took what was left of the pulp and further strained that. probably got another cup out of it)
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| Not too much waste from 2 pumpkins. I'm sure I could have used it for a pie or beer but I don't feel too bad about it going to the compost! |
I threw all of the ingredients in a stainless steel pot and let it simmer away for about 20-30 minutes. I added a sliced vanilla bean at some point. Then, I turned off the heat and added a nice splash of homemade vanilla extract.
At this stage it looked like a nice orange brown slurry of frothy goodness. It was sweet enough where I didn't have to add any other sugars. There was also a nice balance between the tartness of the apples and the nutty and vegetable-like flavors of the pumpkin. To be honest, I wouldn't mind seeing more pumpkin in this but I didn't feel like chopping, seeding, and grinding down another squash.
After that, I just strained as much of the spices as I could and dumped it in a nice clean Corny keg where it will be carbonated!
If you don't have access to CO2 and a Corny keg, there is always the yeast method. Don't worry, it's purely just for carbonating a soda, there will hardly be any alcohol!
I'll be posting updates on this soda to see how well it goes. I may even bottle it...
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