Homemade Orange Soda

That was Omnia, who you'll hear more about when I do my next post on pagan music, For now, it's potion brewing time!

You'll need the following tools:

• Microplane grater
• Juicer
• Knife
• Ladle
• Large bowl
• Small bowl
• Wire mesh strainer
• Large pot
• 1 gallon jug
• 1 quart bottle
• 8 16-ounce fliptop bottles, clear if possible (available at any home brewing supply store - I recommend Paradise Brewing Supplies if you're in the Anderson Township area)
• Cooking thermometer
• Funnel
• 1/4 cup measuring cup
• 2 cup measuring cup
  

You will need the following ingredients:

• 8-10 oranges
• Brewers or baker's yeast
• Water
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar
  

Now, let us begin!

First, put two quarts of water on to boil. While you wait for the water to boil, juice the oranges (save the peels). I usually pour off the juice into the quart bottle, as I have a hand juicer and it holds perhaps a pint of liquid at any one time. Then, use the microplane grater to zest the oranges. I prefer to zest them into a small bowl.

Next, bloom your yeast. Put 1/4 cup warm (not hot) water in a small bowl. Add 1/16 teaspoon dry yeast and a pinch of sugar (call it about 1/16 teaspoon, if you prefer measurements).

When the water has come to a boil, remove it from the heat. Add the zest to the water, and let it steep for one to two hours (the water will turn yellow-orange). Strain the water into the large bowl, rinse the large pot, and return the orange water to the pot. Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sugar (as desired; my preference is for 1 1/2 cups for a tarter beverage), and wisk untill fully dissolved.

Once the sugar is dissolved into the water, pour it into the gallon jug. Add the orange juice, and enough water to bring it up to a full gallon (less 1/4 cup). Allow the mixture to sit on the counter or in the refrigerator until it is below 80 degrees F - warmer than that runs the risk of killing the yeast.

Once the water is cool enough, add the bloomed yeast water. Shake the jug thoroughly to mix, and allow to sit for 10 - 15 minutes. Pour two cups into each fliptop bottle, and seal.

The bottles will need to sit for 3-4 days, depending on temperature. You can tell when the carbonation is right by looking for a ring of bubbles and brownish "scum" around the top of the soda (pictures when I get them), or you can simply open one of the bottles to check. I recommend doing this over the sink, as the yeast can get quite active and you can end up with a "gusher".

When the carbonation is right, store the bottles in the refrigerator; this both chills the soda and keeps the yeast from working any further.

Obviously, this is brewing. But where is the "potion" part of this? Well, Scott Cunningham tells us in Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen that oranges are good for love (spiritual love or the love between family members, as taking the juice internally can actually hinder lust) and purification magic. So, if you want to use it to make a tasty and safe to drink potion, brew it under the full moon - ideally on the first night of the full moon - while focusing your energies on the soda (and on the purpose of the potion).

If it's a potion to promote love, drink it while thinking of the person (or people) you want to feel greater love for. If possible, share the soda with that person (or persons).

If it's a potion for cleansing, drink it during or afer a cleansing bath. Or drink it as part of your grounding after a cleansing ritual.

Or just enjoy the taste of homemade orange soda. It's nothing like store-bought, and I promise you that you'll never want to go back.