Recipe: Orange and ginger spritzer
Homemade orangina plus bonus candied orange and ginger {gf, pb, nf}
The heat is on! Seriously, that song's been stuck in my head all day as I've been zipping around on the school run. Just this evening, as I pedalled back from the gym, I caught sight of some kids diving off the rocks into the sea. And guess what? The water’s a toasty 12°C—practically a Mediterranean summer by Swedish standards if you can believe it! Our village’s website confirmed it; honestly, it's making me consider a quick dip myself.
This recipe is a handy refresher with the warmer weather, and it’s a fab two-for-one deal. Whip up this zesty sparkling spritzer and transform the ginger and orange peel from the recipe into candied peel. I munch on these delights for a quick pick-me-up, but they’re also perfect for dolling up cakes, adding a splash to cocktails and desserts, or jazzing up a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream.
P.S. PAID subscribers, don’t forget to enter this month’s fabulous giveaway.
ORANGE & GINGER SPRITZER
MAKES APPROX. 200ML
PREP. TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR
THE INGREDIENTS
400g sugar
2 large untreated or organic oranges
1 large piece of ginger (approx. 100g)
Lots of ice
Optional garnish
Sparkling water
Fresh mint or basil leaves
Sprigs of rosemary
THE METHOD
Wash the ginger and orange. Cut the ginger into thin slices (1-2mm thick) and add to a pot. Peel the oranges, trying only to remove the orange part and not the pith (white part).
Juice the oranges into a measuring jug. If the juice is less than 400ml, top up with water to make 400ml.
Add the juice and peel to the pot. Stirring occasionally and bringing to the boil. Once the sugar syrup has come to a boil, simmer gently for about an hour or until you have reduced it by half and have a thick syrup. The ginger and orange peel should be soft and slightly translucent.
Remove the peel and ginger and use them for the garnish or candy (method below).
To serve:
Mix the syrup with sparkling water to your desired sweetness. Top with plenty of ice, orange wedges and sprigs of mint, basil or rosemary.
To make the candied ginger and orange peel:
Remove the ginger and orange peel from the sugar syrup and place on a baking sheet on a tray. Bake at 100c for 1 hour, switch off the oven, and leave in the oven for a couple of hours. The candied peel will keep in an airtight container for a month.
Abreviations:
V- Vegetarian, PB - Plant based, GF - Gluten Free, NF - Nut free.
