Icy Fruity “Saft” Sodas
by Erin Fletter
Photo by Food Shop/Shutterstock.com
prep time
5 minutes
cook time
makes
4-6 servings
Equipment Checklist
- Blender (or pitcher + immersion blender)
- Liquid measuring cup
- Wooden spoon
scale
1X
2X
3X
4X
5X
6X
7X
Ingredients
Icy Fruity “Saft” Sodas
- 1 1/2 C frozen mixed berries
- 1 1/2 C apple juice
- 1 C sparkling water
- sugar to taste (about 1 to 2 T)
Instructions
Icy Fruity “Saft” Sodas
1.
add + blend
Add 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries and 1 1/2 cups apple juice to your blender (or pitcher for use with an immersion blender). Blend until smooth, adding more apple juice if needed to thin. Add 1 cup of sparkling water and stir to mix. Taste and add sugar if you want your soda sweeter! Enjoy!
Photo by Ana Hollan/Shutterstock.com (girl eating wild elderberries)
Hi! I'm a Berry!
"To be specific, I'm an edible berry. We might be sweet or sour, colorful, juicy, and delicious! People around the world eat us alone, with other foods, and in jams, preserves, and pies! Yum! Did you know that bananas, pumpkins, tomatoes, and watermelons are technically berries!"
- Thousands of years ago, before crops were domesticated, hunter-gatherers picked wild berries, an activity people still enjoy doing today.
- Berry cultivation may have begun as early as the 10th century in Japan, the 14th century in Europe, and the 18th century in the United States.
- The word "berry" comes from the Old English "berie," from the German "beere."
- Globally, strawberries are grown twice the amount of any other berry, although strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are not actual berries, botanically speaking—they are aggregate fruits.
- Botanical berries include blueberries, cranberries, elderberries, gooseberries, lingonberries, and persimmons.
- Berries are a wonderful snack eaten by themselves or added to cold and hot cereal. But they are equally delightful when made into preserves, jams, and sauces. In addition, berries are often used in baked goods like cakes, cobblers, muffins, and pies.
- Berries are often called a "superfood" and are recommended by doctors and nutritionists for a healthy diet. They are high in antioxidants and fiber, and many have essential nutrients like vitamin C, helping to protect against cancer and chronic disease.
What is Saft?
Photo by Madeleine Steinbach/Shutterstock.com (elderberry syrup)
- Saft is a Scandinavian sweetened juice concentrate or syrup made from fresh fruits, traditionally lingonberry and elderberry. You can drizzle saft over pancakes, waffles, or ice cream. You can also add it to flat or carbonated water for a refreshing alternative to commercial sodas like Coke or Sprite.
Let's Learn About Sweden!
Photo by Lucky Business/Shutterstock.com
- Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, and its official name is the Kingdom of Sweden.
- Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, encompasses 14 islands and more than 50 bridges. Half of Sweden is covered with forests, and it contains around 100,000 lakes and 24,000 islands.
- Sweden has one of the highest life expectancies in the world!
- Sweden has remained neutral in all wars since 1814, including World Wars I and II.
- Though Sweden is a member of the European Union, they use their own currency, the Swedish krona, rather than the euro.
- Sweden publishes every adult's yearly tax returns. This demonstrates the Swedish tradition of "jantelagen," or the "law of Jante," which is the belief that "no one is better than anyone else." Followed in Sweden and Norway, it is praised as a reason for harmony in society.
- Swedish blood donors get a thank you note when they donate blood and a text message when patients receive their blood!
- Ice hockey and football (soccer) are Sweden’s major sports.
- There are so many moose roaming around in forests in Sweden that they could form a very large city if they all gathered together!
- Sweden has one of the most sophisticated recycling systems in the world. They even import waste from Norway to recycle it.
- IKEA is a Swedish-founded company and has been the world’s largest furniture retailer since 2008.
- A common Swedish tradition is "fika" (fee-kuh), where Swedes enjoy a relaxed coffee break with friends. "Fika" is the word for the noun "coffee" and the verb "have coffee." The emphasis in the custom, though, is spending time with friends.
- Besides Kladdkaka, a popular Swedish chocolate cake, another well-known Swedish dish is Swedish meatballs, which is served with gravy, boiled potatoes, and lingonberry jam.
- Sweden is one of the biggest consumers of Mexican food in Europe!
- Swedish for, "It was delicious," is “Det var utsökt!” (DET-Var-OOT-Sik).
What's It Like to Be a Kid in Sweden?
- Swedish kids go to daycare (dagis), which feed into schools, so they often make at least one or two friends they will keep for the rest of their lives.
- At the end of February, schools have a week-long holiday across the country. It's called "sportlov" or "sports law," designed to engage families in sports during the winter.
- Kids get a second yearly celebration in addition to their birthdays. What do they celebrate? It's called "Namnsdag" or "Name Day." A Name Day calendar lists one or two names on almost every date, and a child might get cake and a present or money to celebrate their name day.
- Swedish kids love books by Astrid Lindgren, a Swedish author. You might have read some of them, too, since she wrote the Pippi Longstocking books.
- On most Fridays, families stay home together to watch TV or movies and eat food that's easy to prepare, like tacos, pizza, chips, and other snack foods. Swedes call this "fredagsmys," which means "Friday coziness."
