Summertime Soda Substitute

We are a nation of sodaholics, with soft drink consumption doubling in the last thirty years. The proliferation of soda brands, types, and flavors has exploded into a muilti-billion dollar business worldwide, and while soda is accessible just about everywhere, tastes good, and can be refreshing, it's not the healthiest alternative to a glass of water.

The average teenager drinks between 500 and 700 sodas a year, according to a National Health and Nutrition Examination aptly named "Liquid Candy." One 20-ounce soda averages 250 calories and is equal to 17 teaspoons of sugar. The sugar content alone can contribute to diabetes, osteoporosis, and obesity, not to mention every dentist's dream, cavities.

While diet sodas are available, thereby removing calories, the questions and concerns about artificial sweeteners is enough to make you think twice about ingesting aspartame or Splenda on a regular basis. Debates rage about the safety and side effects of artificial sweeteners, and because they are not subject to the same FDA scrutiny and safety trials as pharmaceuticals, there is still a lot we do not know, particularly about long-term side effects.

So what is a person to do? One easy and very cheap alternative is good old-fashioned iced tea. By using a cold-brew process, a pitcher can cost in the neighborhood of 12 cents for a basic black tea, and a bit higher for an herbal or specialty tea. By dropping four teabags into a pitcher of water and putting it in the refrigerator overnight, you have a thirst-quenching alternative to soda. If you want to avoid caffeine, use decaf or herbal tea bags, and if plain old tea over ice isn't your bag, you can dress it up in a variety of ways.

Because I usually have an abundance of lemons and mint in my garden, I might throw in a slice or a sprig to dress up my iced tea. But recently I had company over and wanted something just a little bit fancier. So I made flavored simple syrups. A few ice cubes, some cold tea, and a dash of simple syrup in mint, lemon, or ginger. Kind of like Emeril's Cajun Seasoning, the syrup kicks it up a notch. The syrups are easy to make and the recipe can easily be doubled. We have even used them to flavor plain seltzer or club soda (another good option over soda). If you find yourself with some leftover mint from those mojitos, or grab a nice knob of ginger at the market, you might give it a whirl. It takes very little time to whip up a batch of flavored simple syrup and it keeps in the refrigerator for weeks. Simple syrup cuts down on the calorie count over regular soda and there are no nasty additives to debate.

Here are very easy recipes for mint, lemon or ginger simple syrup:

Mint Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup mint leaves
Toss all in a saucepan, bring to a boil and boil for 3-4 minutes, making sure all sugar is dissolved. Take off heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain out mint leaves and place syrup in jar or cruet and refrigerate.

Lemon Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 whole lemon, zested and then cut into quarters
Toss all in a saucepan, bring to a boil and boil for 3-4 minutes, making sure all sugar is dissolved. Take off heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain out lemon pieces and zest and place syrup in jar or cruet and refrigerate.

Ginger Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and cut into ¼ inch slices
Place water and ginger into saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil lightly for 10 minutes. Add sugar and return to boil for 3-4 minutes, making sure all sugar is dissolved. Take off heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain out ginger pieces and place syrup in jar or cruet and refrigerate. (BONUS: you can take those tender ginger slices and roll them in granulated sugar. Place in a jar in the refrigerator. They make a good snack or remedy for an upset tummy.)