Homemade Sprite
Homemade Sprite
Ingredients
For the Citrus Syrup
- 3 lemon, zested and juiced
- 4 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 dash pink salt
- 1 dash citric acid
To Serve
- 1/2 cup citrus syrup
- 2 cups carbonated water
- as needed ice, optional
Instructions
- 1
Zest the lemons and limes using a fine grater directly into a medium-sized bowl. Be careful to only grate the colored part of the peel, avoiding the white pith, which can be bitter.
⏱️ 5 min
- 2
Add 1 cup of granulated sugar to the bowl with the citrus zest. Gently massage the sugar and zest together with your hands for a few minutes until the mixture becomes wet and fragrant. This process extracts the essential oils from the zest, creating an 'oleo-saccharum'.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
Let the oleo-saccharum sit at room temperature for 2 hours. This passive time allows the sugar to draw out more citrus oils, intensifying the flavor.
⏱️ 120 min
- 4
After 2 hours, add 1 cup of boiling water to the oleo-saccharum mixture. Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add a dash of pink salt and a dash of citric acid, then mix again.
⏱️ 2 min
- 5
Let the mixture steep for 20 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld and the citric acid and salt to fully integrate.
⏱️ 20 min
- 6
While the mixture is steeping, juice the zested lemons and limes. Measure out 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of lime juice.
⏱️ 5 min
- 7
Add the measured lemon juice and lime juice to the steeped mixture. Stir everything together thoroughly.
⏱️ 1 min
- 8
Line a fine-mesh sieve with a cheesecloth and place it over a clean container (such as a glass bottle or jar). Carefully pour the entire citrus mixture through the cheesecloth to strain out the zest and any pulp, resulting in a clear citrus syrup.
⏱️ 2 min
- 9
To serve, pour 1/2 cup of the prepared citrus syrup into a glass. Add ice, if desired. Top with 2 cups of carbonated water. Stir gently and enjoy your homemade Sprite.
⏱️ 1 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Homemade Sprite
For the Citrus Syrup
- 3 lemon, zested and juiced
- 4 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 dash pink salt
- 1 dash citric acid
To Serve
- 1/2 cup citrus syrup
- 2 cups carbonated water
- as needed ice, optional
Instructions
- 1
Zest the lemons and limes using a fine grater directly into a medium-sized bowl. Be careful to only grate the colored part of the peel, avoiding the white pith, which can be bitter.
⏱️ 5 min - 2
Add 1 cup of granulated sugar to the bowl with the citrus zest. Gently massage the sugar and zest together with your hands for a few minutes until the mixture becomes wet and fragrant. This process extracts the essential oils from the zest, creating an 'oleo-saccharum'.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
Let the oleo-saccharum sit at room temperature for 2 hours. This passive time allows the sugar to draw out more citrus oils, intensifying the flavor.
⏱️ 120 min - 4
After 2 hours, add 1 cup of boiling water to the oleo-saccharum mixture. Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add a dash of pink salt and a dash of citric acid, then mix again.
⏱️ 2 min - 5
Let the mixture steep for 20 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld and the citric acid and salt to fully integrate.
⏱️ 20 min - 6
While the mixture is steeping, juice the zested lemons and limes. Measure out 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of lime juice.
⏱️ 5 min - 7
Add the measured lemon juice and lime juice to the steeped mixture. Stir everything together thoroughly.
⏱️ 1 min - 8
Line a fine-mesh sieve with a cheesecloth and place it over a clean container (such as a glass bottle or jar). Carefully pour the entire citrus mixture through the cheesecloth to strain out the zest and any pulp, resulting in a clear citrus syrup.
⏱️ 2 min - 9
To serve, pour 1/2 cup of the prepared citrus syrup into a glass. Add ice, if desired. Top with 2 cups of carbonated water. Stir gently and enjoy your homemade Sprite.
⏱️ 1 min