Indigo Pear, Elderflower & Cardamom Soda Recipe
Make Indigo Pear, Elderflower & Cardamom Soda Recipe in just 1h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Syrup
Assembly
Method
Syrup
- 1
Prepare fruit and aromatics
Place the chopped pear, crushed cardamom pods and dried (or fresh) elderflowers into a small saucepan. Add 60 ml water and 3 tablespoons sugar.
- 2
Simmer to extract flavor
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally and simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the pear is very soft and the liquid is fragrant and slightly reduced.
- 3
Macerate and infuse
Remove the pan from heat. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes so the elderflower and cardamom fully infuse the pear.
- 4
Strain and press
Line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth (or use a fine sieve) over a bowl. Strain the pear mixture, pressing on solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard solids (or reserve for another use). You should obtain about 3–4 tablespoons of concentrated syrup.
- 5
Finish syrup
Stir 1 teaspoon lemon juice into the warm syrup. If using indigo or butterfly pea powder for color, whisk in up to 1/4 teaspoon now until fully dissolved and color is even. Taste and, if needed, add up to 1 tablespoon more sugar to balance acidity. Cool syrup to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator until cold (about 20–30 minutes).
Assembly
- 6
Prepare glasses
Fill two tall serving glasses with ice cubes (or crushed ice if preferred). Place two thin pear slices into each glass against the inner wall for presentation.
- 7
Measure syrup
Divide the chilled pear-elderflower-cardamom syrup evenly between the two glasses (about 1.5–2 tablespoons per glass, depending on sweetness preference). Adjust to taste: less for a lighter drink, more for stronger flavor.
- 8
Add sparkling water
Slowly pour 300 ml chilled sparkling water into each glass over the back of a spoon to retain some fizz and avoid excessive foaming. Gently stir once with a bar spoon to combine syrup and soda without losing too much carbonation.
- 9
- 10
Notes on color and storage
If using butterfly pea powder instead of indigo, the drink may shift color slightly with the lemon juice (a subtle purple/indigo). Leftover syrup keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Mix syrup-to-soda ratio to taste when using stored syrup.