Healthy Green Drinks for Summer
I’ve been making this first drink for about a year now, and will never go back to artificially sweetened diet fruit drinks, but if you’re feeling even more adventurous, skip down to learn about shrub, a colonial-era fruit concentrate made from fresh fruit that can be added to water or soda water for some deliciously different and naturally refreshing drinks.
Stevia Lemonade / Limeade
As I was trying to get rid of my artificial sweetener habit (particularly Crystal Light) I gravitated toward stevia, but it took a few adjustments to find the right drink and preparation to make it just right. Here’s what I’ve learned. If you have other suggestions, please share with us by leaving a comment.
For a long time I thought I had to make whole pitchers because that’s what I was used to, but discovered that it’s just as easy to make stevia lemon/lime -ade by the glass, and the stevia staid suspended much better this way (in a pitcher you have to stir it again each pour, or use liquid stevia). You’ll have to experiment to see what people like, but a good guideline is one whole lemon/lime per large tumbler.
Per-Glass Stevia Lemonade / Limeade
- 1 lemon / lime
- 2 stevia packets
- large glass of water
Dissolve stevia in citrus juice by stirring briskly. Add water and stir again.
Variation: Use liquid stevia for better suspension of stevia. Liquid stevia also works better for making large amounts if you don’t want to have to stir before pouring from the pitcher, but liquid stevia tends to cost more too, so these are the considerations…use what works best for you.
And now for something a little more exciting:
Shrub
Shrub is a wonderful traditional type of naturally made fruit concentrate that is used to flavor water or other liquids. During the colonial era shrub was used to flavor soda water and several other soda fountain concoctions and cocktails. You can make your own using the simplest of ingredients and have full control over the quality. Buying organic and fair trade fruit are ways to make your shrub a truly green drink. Using stevia instead of sugar or replacing some sugar with stevia will also make your shrub healthier.
Berry Shrub
- 2 quarts berries (8 cups)
- Enough cider vinegar to just cover the berries (about 7.5 cups)
- Stevia / Sugar – about 3 tbsp Stevia (dry or liquid), or 7.5 cups sugar
Cover berries with vinegar and cover with towel or lid. Let steep for at least 2 days. You can let it steep for up to a week, but it’s a good idea to keep it in the fridge if you want to let it steep for longer than 2 days.
Drain the vinegar off the berries by straining it into a very large pot. Using a strainer above the pot, add fruit to the strainer (in batches) and mash liquid out through the strainer. Cheesecloth is good for getting all the juice.
Add stevia/sugar to the liquid.
Heat to a rolling boil and keep there for 10 minutes.
Skim off any scum.
Pour into storage containers.
Store in a cool, dry place (refrigeration is not necessary).
Shrub lasts nearly indefinitely as long as it’s kept sealed and in a relatively cool location.
To enjoy:
The general rule is 1 part shrub to 5 parts water or soda water, but many people like to add just a couple of teaspoons to a large glass of water or regular sized bottle of water. A great way to add an interesting flavor to bottled water, or add it to soda water for all-natural, homemade soda pop.
Some notes on ingredients:
If you use strawberries you will need to steep a second batch of fruit to get a strong flavor. Cider vinegar can be used in combination with a wine vinegar for slightly different taste. Also, you may wish to combine a natural sugar and stevia, in which case convert the removed sugar to stevia. See the conversion chart below for more assistance.
In case it comes in handy for those of you who wish to combine sugar and stevia, here is a stevia / sugar conversion chart:
Stevia / Sugar Conversion Chart
| Sugar amount | Equivalent Stevia powdered extract | Equivalent Stevia liquid concentrate |
| 1 cup | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon |
| 1 tablespoon | 1/4 teaspoon | 6 to 9 drops |
| 1 teaspoon | A pinch to 1/16 teaspoon | 2 to 4 drops |
I like berry shrub the best, but sometimes add the juice of 6 lemons or limes to add a citrus flavor to the berries. Have you tried any other shrub variations or have a favorite recipe of your own?
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