Tessa Kiros' Fizzy Orange Drink

J is for June at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week. We are making recipes with ingredients that start with J.  This week I decided J is for Juice! Orange juice to be exact!

I don't drink soda pop or coffee. I only drink tea on occasion. Most of the time I drink water and it gets a little boring. I start to crave something fruity and fizzy, especially when it's hot outside. quenches my thirst.

I love lemonade, but I wanted to try something a little different so when I found Tessa's recipe for Fizzy Orange I had to try it. Tessa says this Fizzy Orange Drink is like a fizzy orangeade and I tend to agree. It is so refreshing and delicious! I love the fizzy bubbles from the sparkling water.

When you buy your oranges chose the ones that are heaviest. This means they are full of juice. Tessa calls for the juice of 4 oranges. I'd suggest buying a few extra oranges because I found I needed 5 oranges to get the required amount of juice. Plus, an extra orange would be nice for garnishing.

A quick simple syrup, the juice of a few oranges and some bubbly sparkling water and you'll have a delicious and refreshing drink that is a delightful summer sipper!

Fizzy Orange

Adapted from Apples For Jam

by Tessa Kiros

Serves 4

4 tablespoons sugar

one long strip orange rind, pith removed

4 tablespoons water

Juice of 4 oranges (about 1-1/3 cups)*

2 cups ice cold sparkling water

*Note: I needed about 5 oranges to yield 1-1/3 cups orange juice

Put the sugar, orange rind, and 4 tablespoons of water into a small pan.  Bring to a boil, stirring so that the sugar dissolves completely, then boil for a few minutes so that the orange rind flavors the syrup. Add the orange juice (I like to leave some fleshy bits that might get through, but no seeds) and let that bubble for about 5 minutes, or until it looks slightly denser. Allow to cool slightly then pour into a pitcher and refrigerate until chilled. When you're ready to serve, pour in the sparkling water, and mix well. Serve chilled over ice.