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Mar 31, 2012

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.






52 comments:

  1. Hi Ping, One glass please ....LOL
    It raining heavily in JB since last night but I don't mind to have this refreshing and tempting glass of passion fruit. Slurp....(I drink already)

    Very nice presentation and thanks for the recipe.

    Have a nice weekend.

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    1. Yeah, it rained here last night too, but still as humid as ever! Thanks Amelia! Cheers :)

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  2. My Quay Lo will agree with you on the Diet Coke. He said he rather give up Coke altogether if he had to take that. Well I wish he would. I wonder if this homemade fizzy drink will do the trick. Mmm.. it is worth trying. Wow, I did not know when a lady sweat that she glows. Let me go stand in the hot sun today and walk into the office and see if my Quay Lo notice that I am glowing or would he asked why I look like a "Loke Tong Kai" ( Dead chicken in soup). LOL!

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    1. Yeah, those things are awful :P
      LOL!! I certainly hope the chicken's dead if it's in the soup! :D Anyway, these couple of days, you don't need to stand in the sun and ruin your complexion. Just sitting still will do it. But at least it rained some last night. Better than nothing I guess.

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  3. Now, I'm thirsty... LOL!!!

    Thought it rains a lot over your side. Even the F1 race was stopped for a while.

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    1. Hi Arthur! Have a drink on me :)
      Yeah, when I made this it was boiling hot and dry. Trust it to start raining just when I decided to post it ... sigh. But anyway, in our country, anytime is a good time for a long cool drink. AAaaaahhhhhh .....

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  4. Sounds fun and exciting to do this drink, perfect to have on a hot day! Will give it a go when the sunny weather is here. Thank you very much for this :D

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    1. Yes it is! And even more fun when I'd accidently put in too much yeast and I had a passionfruit geyser right in my kitchen! :D Hope you enjoy this!

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  5. The flavor should be really awesome! Another great recipe! Thanks!

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    1. Yes, considering I am totally in love with passionfruits ... they don't call them that for nothing! :D
      You've tried the ginger ale. So you can just use the basic sugar and yeast and go crazy with flavors. Enjoy!

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  6. i'm getting headache & sweating like crazy here in penang. even though it rains this morning, the heat is unbearable! no pool for me to dip here. have to go cheng beng super early to avoid heat. never liked coke, diet pepsi was my companion during uni days in oz. now it's 100+ when i seriously cannot tahan
    i'll most probably die of thirst if have to wait the drink for 2 days! :P interesting to try with yeast, i just finished my basketful of passionfruit. have to get somemore..

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    1. Oh dear, and I thought Pg would be better. Oh ya, it is cheng beng week ... wow, stifling heat, wet slippery hills to climb ... gosh, better get properly hydrated. Ya, 2 days for this and you'll not survive. I've accidently tried it with 1 tbs of yeast instead of tsp and it was ready within minutes but then I also have a kitchen ceiling with soda stains to prove it .... geyser! Good as a lab experiment for kids :D Try it if you want a nice fizzy shower LOL!!

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  7. This sounds really interesting, never made fizz drinks at home using yeast. Here its snowing when it should be sunny and warmish. If only weather was transportable!
    I didn't know the difference in coke taste was noticable, but then I haven't been doing a global taste test. I wouldn't know the difference between coke and pepsi, so I take your word for it:( Is there a difference between bottled coke and coke sold at fast food outlets?

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    1. I first tried it making ginger ale (an earlier post) and just tweaked it for variations and I'm quite happy that I can have some different flavors from the usual.... you could call this a revamp :)
      Yeah, how I wish we could just push a button and flip weather conditions.
      I've done the taste test with coke and pepsi and have always chosen coke, without fail. A true coke fan :) And yes, there is a big difference between bottled coke and coke sold at fast food chains that come out of a dispenser. Those are a mix of coke flavored syrup and aerated water ... not totally dissimilar to the bottling plants but yeah.

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    2. Wow...cool! Saw a lot of passion fruit in the market buy didnt buy coz not really fond of eating it like that. Maybe i can try to make into drink :)

      Btw, BX in amcorp is my second home hahaha. Each month sure to visit there at least once :)

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    3. I don't think passionfruits are meant to be eaten as is ... waaay too tart. They're good for toppings and jam (earlier post).
      Glad you've found BX. It's such a great place isn't it? I keep spending all my money there! :)

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  8. I love the green hand! What an extraordinary drink recipe! Do you think one could ferment it for some more time and produce alcohol???
    We are still having Spring here, so I'm not suffering from heat (and it's never really super hot here anyway), but yogurt cools down the body. It works miraculously well with me. Maybe try it instead of coke?
    I think I actually have some passion fruits dying in the fridge, so I might try your recipe... I'm a bit worried it might explode. Can it? (I remember someone making beer from beer yeast and saying everything has exploded).

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    1. You must be the only one who noticed the hand! :D
      Yeah, it will explode if left to ferment too long. I was telling Shannon that I'd used too much (same effect if left too long w/o halting the fermentation process) and produced a passionfruit geyser and showered my self with the 1st batch. Not exactly an explosion .. that happened when I unscrewed the cap. You have to keep checking the plastic bottle so that once the sides aren't squeezable anymore, pop it into the fridge. The cold slows down the yeast. And then when you unscrew the cap, do it slowly at first to see if the bubbles rise up real fast. If so, don't unscrew it completely, allow the gas to escape some. I've tried it with a larger amount of yeast and that's when it gets crazy. If you're worried, then try with half tsp of yeast first but it'll take a longer time and be less fizzy.

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    2. Thank you for the answer. (Sorry, I haven't read your answer to Shannon's comment). It sounds a bit scary... The hand was the first thing I have noticed. I think it's very funny in a dark humour way ;-)

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  9. I never like diet coke as well . Oh , your drink sound so refreshing! By the way, I never know yeast can add into drink, I only know to add into bread or kueh making...Can you taste the yeast in the drink?

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    1. Hi Sonia. Thank you! Yeast makes it bubbly. No, there's isn't any taste provided you don't put in too much.

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  10. We're still cold here.This is a lovely drink for the summer to come.

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    1. Oh how I wish I could say the same :(
      It's summer all the time here ... boo. Thanks for coming by.

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  11. What an interesting fizzy drink. It would be nice to add the amount of sugar that you like. I don't like drinks too sweet either. I don't drink coke or any sweet soft drinks anymore all too sweet. When I was a kid my favorite soda pop was Squirt which was grapefruit soda. We also had Vernor's gingeralie which was different from any other kind.

    Our weather has been just perfect in the low to mid 80's F and no rain...we really need the rain. In Florida our summers are hot and the rain come in every afternoon to cool things off :) So our rainy season is yet to come.

    Off to gather some passion fruit! Stay cool!

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    1. Thanks, Lyndsey! Actually, you can't reduce the sugar too much either coz the yeast needs to react with it. I haven't tried it with less sugar than this. I will soon tho, since the weather doesn't seem to be letting up much and we'll definitely need more fizz :) Will keep this updated about the sugar amounts and how it works.
      Have a good weekend!

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  12. Fabulous way to keep cool. Love it!

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  13. Spring has come here in Greece so this drink would definitely be a good way to celelbrate the end of winter!

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    1. Hi Katerina. Spring! Lots of fruits! Imagine all the varieties of fizz to make. Enjoy!

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  14. Hi Ping - I know well how you feel. As soon as summer kicks in our eating-out expenses suddenly increase a LOT, as we find that it's suddenly so much more appealing to sit in a cool restaurant instead of standing next to hot pans for precious hours!

    It's important to have some good go-to drink recipes on hand for warm times - this one looks beautiful, and refreshing as well!

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    1. Thanks, Charles. Yes, I actually find myself quite reluctant to get out of my air-conditioned car at the end of a journey :)
      The one day it rained really hard (very much needed) it caused some floods at some places. Can't win. :(

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  15. I'd like a glass too! Its horribly hot here. Great way to welcome spring!

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    1. Cheers! It's so easy you can go crazy with the flavors. Enjoy!

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  16. Haha... You are absolutely crazy! I was giggling so loud during the first half of your post that I almost woke up my little girl who is napping next to me...!

    I so totally need this drink in our weather, and I have never heard of making fizzy drinks with yeast! How cool - something new I learned today... I just have to try this. Just wondering - doesn't it taste yeast-y? Anyhoo, Thanks for the giggles, this recipe & for the education, Ping! Hugs :D

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    1. Oh, haha! I wouldn't want to rob a little girl of her nap. Otherwise they might get cranky and mommy might have to spike this drink with some stronger stuff! :-)
      So glad to brighten your day!
      Hugs back!

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  17. I could use a glass right now! So refreshing! :D

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  18. I'm so sorry you're glowing so much...LOL...but I'm glad you found something refreshing and delicious to share with us. Plus I miss you when you go to long between posts...so don that ice jacket and get crackin'.

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    1. Wish I'm glowing in a nicer way. I miss having all the comments when I don't post too! Feels so lonely. Ok, locating the local ice supplier soon... gonna get pretty frozen. I'll be back! ... quote and unquote a certain big guy with a funny accent.

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  19. hmmm... I'm trying to be sympathetic towards your warm weather conditions but having just come from 2 hours of freezing rain on the soccer field, it's not happening ;-). I'm luvin' this passionade drink however; the combination of lemon and passion fruit is a winner and the method is really neat and different (at least to me) too. Keep 'glowing' dah'ling :).

    p.s. love the hand cocktail stick!!

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    1. LOL!! I'd swap places with you if I could ... not ;-) ... snow, maybe. Sigh. One can only dream.
      xxoo

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  20. I forecast a hot and passionade summer. LOVE these flavours. The photo looks so refreshing and cool. Yum!

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    1. It's spring over here, but I still need ultra thick blanket at night...this morning the thermometer read -1C...can't believe it.
      The drink looks refreshing and cooling. Ginger ale would be a nice help too.

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    2. Hiya, Hester. Good forecast that, a great time to go wild with more flavors!

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    3. Soon, Angie, soon :)
      How I wish I could be there right now tho.

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  21. Hi Ping or shall I call you the real Lucy. This is my 1st time of visit. Got to know you via another "Lucy," Veron. And I don't just come for a visit, I've also become your latest follower. Glad to know you. I called & spoke to Veron when she went out with you on last Friday! She asked me whether I would have known you & I told her that she has too many followers & I couldn't keep up with everyone, hahaha!

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    1. Hi Jessie! I'm so happy you came by. No, I'm not the original Lucy. I think Veron is more Lucy than I am ... sshhh ... don't tell her I said that :)
      Yes, I was there when you called her but I went off to the ladies to give her some privacy. So sweet of you to give a personal phone call. And yes, she's ever so popular! That's just coz she's so nice!
      Thanks for following. I'm going to be checking you out soon :)

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  22. What an absolute, perfect, and refreshing fizzy drink, Ping! Never tried yeast in a drink to ferment it...it does sound rather interesting and "scientific"...LOL
    Leave it you to come up with something so unique to quench the THIRST!
    Here, in S. Florida, we're having an absolute perfect weather, lots of sunshine, and gorgeous breeze, although it does get up into the mid 80's but cools down at night into the upper sixties which is perfect!
    How, and where do you get the "shwetty glows?" just being outdoors, gardening, shopping enjoying the outdoors? When it gets so hot like the way you describe it, I just stay in the shade outside, or stay in the air condition!
    Just be careful not to get "sunstroke!"
    Take care, my dear friend...stay cool with your yummy fizzy drink!

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    1. Haha! "Scientific" ... I guess ... if you wanted to create a geyser-like experiment with the kids :D It happened to me when I accidently put in too much yeast!
      LOL! I like "shwetty glows"! In Florida, when it's hot, it's dry. Over here in the tropical region, it's sticky and humid and I don't have to be doing anything to get that "glow" :P
      In fact, I don't even feel like moving. Yeah, I tend to get heatstroke, so plenty of liquids it is.
      Thanks Elisabeth!

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  23. Seems like the weather here in KL has been crazy. You know I can never passover the drink that has passion fruit. The name Passionade is already making me want a glass. Have a good week ahead!! Cheers, Jo

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    1. Hasn't it? I've caught the flu because of it :(
      Thanks for coming by, Jo.

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  24. The weather has been crazy for the past few weeks in Melbourne. It was freezing last week and this week is HOT!!! *sign* Just blame the global warming :D

    This drink is simply beautiful! very nice and refreshing :D

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