Fresh Cherry Hibiscus Soda w/ Lime & Ginger

​Fresh Cherry Soda Made Right! Cherry Hibiscus Soda w/ Lime & Ginger

​Cherry season is such a joy around here with organic farms offering picked and pick your own. I grew up among Cherry trees. One amazing fact is they are the only plant known to provide melatonin for sleep support.

I do managed to freeze a few pounds of pitted cherries but it’s hard with how fast they disappear once landing in our kitchen!

It’s sad and damn disturbing how the soda industry's story went sideways, right? Now it’s a beast with chemicals and things far from nature. But we can remember where it all began with simple ingredients and recipes and a determination to seek farmers who tend the trees and land well.

With cherry soda made right (stomping my foot), I stand with all Cherry trees. Yes, I need humor too.

Seriously though, this is delicious!

Once you make yourself a syrup - and it’s so easy - the syrup lives in your frig and you add by the tablespoon to bubbly water or warm water to the taste you like.

Fruit juice and seltzers are a favorite and are where soda came from. But we get to bring so many other favors together with homemade, garden and farm inspired, aromatic combinations add to enhance the flavor, nutrition, and medicine.

And it tastes so good. It brings pleasure in.

FIRST... The Recipe: Cherry Hibiscus Soda with Lime & Ginger

​INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup fresh cherries, washed - pits are fine - I did prop a few extras in there.
• 1 1/2 cups agave, maple or rice syrup, or honey
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3-4 fresh ginger slices, or more if you like
• 1 lime zested + juice
• 2 tablespoons dried hibiscus flowers

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rinse and remove the stems from the cherries. Frozen or canned black cherries work too.
2. Add the filtered water and cherries to a medium saucepan and smash the cherries up a bit to release the juices.
3. Add the ginger and bring to a simmer and stir occasionally for 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add hibiscus and lime zest, cover and allow to sit for 30-40 minutes.
5. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discard solids, and stir in sweetener and lime juice.
6. Store in a glass bottle, labeled and dated - good for 2 weeks refrigerated.

Serving Suggestions: Add by the tablespoon to seltzer / bubbly water with ice and fresh lime slices. Create new mocktails and cocktails. Or add to warm water for a gentle tea before bed. Children LOVE it too. It is a gentle sleep aid for all ages.

Now A Ramble On Cherries

​I love cherry trees. I grew up among them.

We lived in fruit orchards on every side of our property. No, we were not farmers but many around us were. My first job at 13 years old was picking cherries for another farmer on the other side of town. I wanted to work and buy my own clothes because I was tired of the arguments with my mom on what I was "expected" to wear. Remember the fake turtle necks? Ugh. Where did they go anyway? My mom struggled with her four daughters who were strong willed and impossible for her to manage the old way as new ways of being were riding hard on our young backs. Clothing was the least of it.

So this was our solution. A job. It felt great to me. We agreed I would start to work and she offered to match what I made so I could buy my own clothes. It was a good truce and we were both pretty happy and satisfied to move beyond the battles. This was one of many agreements to come and it was good to feel heard.

I was small sized compared to the men I was working with so they arranged the huge ladders for me to scramble through the tops of the trees. I loved my job. I loved scurrying up the huge limbs to the smaller ones only I could reach due my size, all the while swaying on the breezes with the birds. It was a familiar safe thing for me. This work with the Cherry trees gave me a real sense of freedom and some independence too.

Back then the trees were massive but I see modern farming has sculpted trees to much smaller sizes so picking is a bit easier with a small ladder.  We all got paid per pound picked so I felt fine with eating a belly full every work day along with the birds up there.

It was so good to walk among the Cherry trees this week with their limbs heavy with cherries and birds doing as birds do and filling their bellies. I filled mine with them while picking, as if it was an agreement I made with the trees and the birds long ago. It is. No ladders or limb scurrying was needed. Just leaning against them and listening with feet solid on the ground was good. These relationships we make live within us.
I promised to visit again and listen deeply with a full belly of sweet cherries like the birds.

​CHERRY  SCIENCE & WHAT WE KNOW

Studies show that cherries are one of the few foods that are a natural source of melatonin, the chemical that controls our body’s internal clock and regulates sleep cycles. Research indicates you should eat cherries — or drink some tart or sweet cherry juice — about an hour before bed to improve sleep. They also are a strong antioxidant, kidney protective, helps relieve gouty issues, are full of vitamins and minerals, gut protective and soothing, are anti-inflammatory, and strengthen the walls of our blood vessels thus supporting a strong cardiovascular system.

I like to add some cherry juice to an evening cup of Tulsi tea. I find all basils pair well with cherries if we’re just talking flavor profiles.

Travel to the end of this ramble and you will also find my CHERRY TULSI CLAFOUTIS RECIPE - delicious!

HIBISCUS FLOWER MEDICINE

So now let’s remember all the reasons why the world loves Hibiscus flower.

​It’s starts with the sour flavor that sometimes invites sweetness to balance things. The body loves sour and it’s particularly good for the gut and kidneys, plus for balancing sweetness in the body too. Here in the states this sour flavor is less than popular, unless you’re an herbalist or plant person through and through.

Hibiscus flower infusions - medicinal actions include:
Ant-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, cardiotonic, cholesterol lowering, diuretic, blood pressure lowering, astringent yet demulcent.

Every body system and all vital organs benefit.

Hibiscus makes all medicine brilliantly red in color. There are cultures that add hibiscus flowers to all medicine brews given because all medicine must be red. Love this. Your finished syrup is dark burgundy and will give all shades of red to pink when served in drinks.

May you find a way to try this recipe, tweak it and make it yours to share freely among us. Here's another idea for weaving cherries into your world to share with others.

Enjoy! Keep moving forward my friend with one eye on the horizon that pulls us all and surely has an eye on you as well.

​Much Love & Safe Journey Always, Jen 

RECIPE: FRESH CHERRY & TULSI BASIL CLAFOUTIS

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups fresh sweet cherries, pitted or canned cherries, drained (about 1 can)
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup AP flour (or 1/2c almond flour + 1/4 tsp baking powder + 1 tsp arrowroot powder)
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus extra for top (or 1/4c maple syrup (the original recipe has 1/2c sugar but it doesn’t need it)
• 1 cup whole milk, or 1/2 and 1/2
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 2 teaspoon minced fresh tulsi or basil leaves + more for serving chiffonade
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Serving: Powdered sugar for dusting on top or whipped cream with generous pinches of fresh tulsi / basil chiffonade
​
INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Generously butter the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch round or oval baking dish (quiche or pie dish).
3. Arrange cherries evenly around on bottom of dish and sprinkle with the tulsi or basil leaves.
4. In a blender, add all remaining ingredients: eggs, sugar, milk, flour, vanilla, almond extract, cardamom, baking powder and salt. Blend low until smooth.
5. Pour the batter over the cherries and sprinkle lightly with the sugar
6. Bake just until custard is set, about 35-45 minutes.

NOTES: Clafoutis contains eggs and has a lovely custard consistency and so it should be refrigerated once cooled.

Variations: Clafoutis can also be made with plums, prunes, apples, pears, cranberries, peaches, or any berry you love. Shavings of lemon zest go well with this too.
Clafoutis is delicious served warm, room temp or cold sprinkled with powdered sugar or whipped cream.
​
Enjoy 💚 Thank you for the wandering here. 💚 Jen