Hot and Passionade !

If you're looking for something else that's not about food and drink .... you're on the wrong site. Thank you. And no, I didn't spell that wrongly.

Our weather's absolutely horrid this last couple of weeks. I'm sweating buckets ... hang on ... horses sweat, men perspire and ladies glow. Ok, let me rephrase that.

I'm glowing buckets ... that didn't sound quite right. Anyway, I'm "glowing" so much and not in the mood to work in the kitchen over a hot stove or having the oven on... even with the AC switched on full blast (our electric company's going to be very happy this period), hence the lack of activity on Ping's Drippings.... I mean Pickings.

Don't go away. I promise I'll deal with this. Maybe have an ice-jacket on, or jump into the pool every couple of minutes, or stick my head in the freezer ... or something.

I need a fizz fix every now and then.... especially now. My other half needs a fix too, more often than not. He's satisfied with ginger beer and coke. I like ginger ale ... less sweet. I do like coke but it gets a little too cloyingly sweet after awhile.

Interesting fact: Did you know that the taste of coke and sugar content levels differ from country to country? I've made it a point to have a coke everywhere I go, just to prove this point. If you already knew that, good on you. Just thought I'd mention it. I've found the ones in Malaysia to be seriously sweet, altho they've claimed to have lessened the sugar content over the years. I don't like diet coke for the weird aspartame aftertaste. And there's a strange stickiness in the throat after drinking it ... besides, it's not suppose to be good for you ... not that fizzy drinks are anyway.

It's always the usual fizz flavors on the shelves. I'd sometimes just stand there in the aisles and stare at the bottles wondering which I'd get. Nothing too interesting. But I guess it's the regular normal flavors that sell.

I need something a little different. This weather is driving me up the wall! I need something fizzy, something refreshing, not crazy sweet, something fruity (besides me). I thought about making some ginger ale. Then I noticed some passionfruits sitting in the basket looking all wrinkly. Then the old gears in the head started going .....

Oh, sorry about the missing passionfruits in the pic. I realised I'd used them all up in the soda and not left any to shoot. Oh well ...

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 cup passionfruit pulp (about 5 fruits)

juice of 1 small lemon

1/2 tsp active dry yeast

4 - 5 cups water (room temperature)

METHOD

Combine sugar, 1 cup water and passionfruit pulp in a saucepan.

Heat until all sugar has dissolved.

Leave to cool.

Stir together the yeast and lemon juice and top up with water to measure 1 cup.

Strain cooled syrup into a 2L plastic bottle with a screw cap. Add lemon/yeast mixture.

Add in 4 - 5 cups water.

Seal tightly and give the bottle a good shake to mix.

Leave in room temperature until the sides of the bottle isn't squeezable anymore ... about a day or two, depends on the yeast.

Place bottle in the refrigerator to halt the bubbling process.

*Note: There'll be some yeast residue at the bottom. Just discard that when you get to the bottom.

Also please be careful when opening the cap. Excessive fizz has been known to happen ... speaking from experience ... believe me, it ain't fun.