DIY Orange Soda Recipe

By
Updated Aug. 30, 2018
Photograph: Marcia Simmons

DIY orange soda delivers the same satisfying combination of sweet and tart you get from the commercial version, but mixed in with the familiar sharpness and prickly joy of orange soda is a new and exciting flavor I wasn't used to tasting in my soda—real oranges.

This recipe suggests 1 part orange soda syrup to 3 parts seltzer, for a sweetness comparable to a commercial orange soda. You can adjust the amount of seltzer to taste. Mix syrup and seltzer on a glass-by-glass basis rather than mixing a large batch and storing it.

Notes: Citric acid powder, also known as sour salt, is easy to find at many markets, but you can order it online from Amazon, too.

Recipe Facts

4.8

(4)

Active: 20 mins
Total: 40 mins
Serves: 6 to 8 servings
Makes: 1 3/4 cups of syrup

Rate & Comment

Ingredients

  • Zest of 2 navel oranges

  • 1/2 cup fresh juice from about 1 navel orange

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/4 teaspoon citric acid

  • Seltzer

Directions

  1. Zest the oranges, making sure not to get any of the white pith. Juice one of the oranges to make 1/2 cup juice, then strain out the pulp.

  2. Add zest and juice to a saucepan along with sugar, water, and citric acid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a bare simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

  3. Bottle and refrigerate the cooled syrup. For each serving, mix 1 part syrup with 3 parts seltzer, adjusting to your personal taste.

Special equipment

zester or peeler, fine-mesh strainer

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
107 Calories
0g Fat
27g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 107
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 26g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 12mg 59%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 38mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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