Okay, I've done well with the jalapeno, now I'd like to try onion. I'm
sure a straight up yellow onion would be difficult. So I'm considering
a way to either use leeks or a sweet onion. I want the onion flavor
but I don't want it aromatic and mild, rather than harsh and bold.

Any ideas on how best to treat it.

I picked up some leeks today at a Japanese market before I realized
they were "Korean Onions". So I'm not sure what the heck I got.
They're almost 3 feet long with the greens. So now I'm pondering
whether to try using the greens alone for infusion.

Any brainstorming appreciated.

On 10/11/2015 9:23 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> I would never try this myself,


Try drinking Drano, soon.

On 2015-10-12 03:23:05 +0000, Sqwertz said:

> On Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:43:56 -0700, gtr wrote:
>
>> Okay, I've done well with the jalapeno, now I'd like to try onion. I'm
>> sure a straight up yellow onion would be difficult. So I'm considering
>> a way to either use leeks or a sweet onion. I want the onion flavor
>> but I don't want it aromatic and mild, rather than harsh and bold.
>>
>> Any ideas on how best to treat it.
>
> I would never try this myself, but shallots would probably be a good
> bet. They have less astringency, sweet, with a hint of garlic. I
> guess for that same reason, leeks and ramps would also be good.

In snooping on the net I find that some folks have carmelized and
heavily seasoned slices of red onions, and few have used pearl onions.
Neither seem like the best fit.

But with shallots or leeks, do you think giving them some sautee first
would be suitable? I think with this project I'm likely going to have
to do a lot more experimentation that with the jalapenos...

On 10/12/2015 11:48 AM, gtr wrote:
> On 2015-10-12 03:23:05 +0000, Sqwertz said:
>
>> On Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:43:56 -0700, gtr wrote:
>>
>>> Okay, I've done well with the jalapeno, now I'd like to try onion. I'm
>>> sure a straight up yellow onion would be difficult. So I'm considering
>>> a way to either use leeks or a sweet onion. I want the onion flavor
>>> but I don't want it aromatic and mild, rather than harsh and bold.
>>>
>>> Any ideas on how best to treat it.
>>
>> I would never try this myself, but shallots would probably be a good
>> bet. They have less astringency, sweet, with a hint of garlic. I
>> guess for that same reason, leeks and ramps would also be good.
>
> In snooping on the net I find that some folks have carmelized and
> heavily seasoned slices of red onions, and few have used pearl onions.
> Neither seem like the best fit.
>
> But with shallots or leeks, do you think giving them some sautee first
> would be suitable? I think with this project I'm likely going to have to
> do a lot more experimentation that with the jalapenos...

Perhaps par-boil the onions first, instead?? Should the onions be
sliced, chopped or maybe whole (the very small ones, that is)? If the
"alliums" are first caramelized before infusing in vodka, wouldn't that
discolor the vodka? Maybe that's an idea? A 'dark' vodka

Sky

--

================================
Kitchen Rule #1 - Use the timer!
Kitchen Rule #2 - Cook's choice!
================================

On 10/12/2015 1:24 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> If I'm
> drinking vodka my goal is to get it down quick, with as little taste
> as possible,


How long have you been an alky?

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

gtr wrote:
> On 2015-10-12 03:23:05 +0000, Sqwertz said:
>
>> On Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:43:56 -0700, gtr wrote:
>>
>>> Okay, I've done well with the jalapeno, now I'd like to try onion. I'm
>>> sure a straight up yellow onion would be difficult. So I'm considering
>>> a way to either use leeks or a sweet onion. I want the onion flavor
>>> but I don't want it aromatic and mild, rather than harsh and bold.
>>>
>>> Any ideas on how best to treat it.
>>
>> I would never try this myself, but shallots would probably be a good
>> bet. They have less astringency, sweet, with a hint of garlic. I
>> guess for that same reason, leeks and ramps would also be good.
>
> In snooping on the net I find

KNOCK IT THE **** OFF!!!!

\|||/
(o o)
,---ooO--(_)--------.
| |
| Please don't |
|feed the Sqwerty & |
| Marty TROLLS! |
| |
`-------------ooO---'
|__|__|
|| ||
ooO Ooo

On 2015-10-12 19:24:29 +0000, Sqwertz said:

> On Mon, 12 Oct 2015 09:48:30 -0700, gtr wrote:
>
>> But with shallots or leeks, do you think giving them some sautee first
>> would be suitable? I think with this project I'm likely going to have
>> to do a lot more experimentation that with the jalapenos...
>
> I can't really visualize any onion vodka, sauteed or not. If I'm
> drinking vodka my goal is to get it down quick, with as little taste
> as possible, and no rot-gut feeling the next day!

I don't drink vodka other than one situation: aquavit and creating my
own aquavits, or infusions (for those who quibble about terms). It's
my way of something I'm not eager to get down quickly.

I'll give it a few shots and see what I get...

On 2015-10-12 19:50:24 +0000, Sky said:

>> But with shallots or leeks, do you think giving them some sautee first
>> would be suitable? I think with this project I'm likely going to have to
>> do a lot more experimentation that with the jalapenos...
>
> Perhaps par-boil the onions first, instead??

Seems feasible.

> Should the onions be sliced, chopped or maybe whole (the very small
> ones, that is)?

I'm reluctant to provide to much surface space; with pearl onions I'd
slice in half. With the sweet onions, probably 1-inch slices.
Shallots, maybe just a few slices that hang together.

> If the "alliums" are first caramelized before infusing in vodka,
> wouldn't that discolor the vodka? Maybe that's an idea? A 'dark'
> vodka

Sure; I won't know until I try it. If one assumes "infused vodka" is
just one of many aquavit/akvavit; I've certainly seen a number of brown
ones. There's classics like O.P. Anderson and Jubilieum, neither
currently distributed in the US. The last ones we can get are Aalborg
(a clear one), and Linie (also a brown one), and American clones of
same. I like both varieties. I guess the brown ones used to be easier
to find.

There's a new one being imported from Iceland called Brennivin, similar
to the word for akvavit in Swedish, "branvin". A "branvinbord" is
essentially the "booze table" at a smorgasbord. An old custom featured
3 or 4 little kegs or ornate porcelain pots with spigots for parties,
and sometimes in old inns. That's why I'm fiddling with this; making
interesting options for the branvinbord.

On 2015-10-15 04:02:01 +0000, Sqwertz said:

> On Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:43:56 -0700, gtr wrote:
>
>> Okay, I've done well with the jalapeno, now I'd like to try onion.
>
> I just had an Epiphany: Horseradish vodka.

I did that one a few years back. This, after trying a horseradish
aquavit at Aquavit in Manhattan. Me and one friend at the smorgasbord
loved it, everybody else didn't care for it--but they don't care for
horseradish either. I pity them.

On 10/14/2015 10:02 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> I just had an Epiphany: Horseradish vodka.
>
> -sw

Alky dreams eh....

On 10/14/2015 11:06 PM, gtr wrote:
> On 2015-10-15 04:02:01 +0000, Sqwertz said:
>
>> On Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:43:56 -0700, gtr wrote:
>>
>>> Okay, I've done well with the jalapeno, now I'd like to try onion.
>>
>> I just had an Epiphany: Horseradish vodka.
>
> I did that one a few years back.

STOP feeding the misogynist troll!

Sqwertz wrote:
> I just had an Epiphany: Horseradish vodka.
>
> -sw

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>> Omelet wrote:
>
>> He hates me 'cause I never slept with him...
>
> He hates himself because he is all he has to sleep with
> I don't know, sometimes he used to seem normal, then he went petty
> trough vindictive and now I just shun contact. I have enough crazies to
> deal with in my world without encouraging those who refuse to take their
> meds.

For the record, I never once even considered sleeping with you. And
you know that. You're the one who somehow got the idea that I was
going to move in with you - and you posted that to RFC just out of the
total blue.

After having met you twice at casual austin.food gatherings 2 or 3
years ago and not giving you any indication that there was any sort of
romantic interest in the least, you somehow twisted that into MY
MOVING IN WITH YOU?

That was just way too Psycho for me. I sat there at stared at the
screen for at least 15 minutes wondering, WTF? That was just way too
spooky. I've met weird, semi-psycho women before but you win, hands
down. Mapi of austin.general still holds the male title, but at least
he announced his psychosis right there lying on the floor of the bar
at B.D. Reilly's rather than romantically obsessing over me for 2
years.

Needless to say, you need to come to terms with what happened and why
your mind works that way and stop making up excuses for your fixation
and disappointment before we become the next Yoli and Michael. I'd
prefer you use a sniper rifle on me from a few hundred yards away.
There you go - a reason for you to buy yet another gun and ammo.

And Jeremy, I was just tired of your decade of bullshit and visions of
grandeur about all these things you're "working on" or have not done
in the past. Even posting a call for meetings with imaginary people
about imaginary projects of yours at "the normal time and place", as
if you are somebody important with a life. I'm pretty sure you're
manic depressive mixed with habitual liar.

Sorry I don't fit either of your Ideal Psycho Pal Profiles.

-sw
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Sunday, October 11, 2015 at 3:44:00 PM UTC-7, gtr wrote:
> Okay, I've done well with the jalapeno, now I'd like to try onion. I'm
> sure a straight up yellow onion would be difficult. So I'm considering
> a way to either use leeks or a sweet onion. I want the onion flavor
> but I don't want it aromatic and mild, rather than harsh and bold.
>
> Any ideas on how best to treat it.
>
> I picked up some leeks today at a Japanese market before I realized
> they were "Korean Onions". So I'm not sure what the heck I got.
> They're almost 3 feet long with the greens. So now I'm pondering
> whether to try using the greens alone for infusion.
>
> Any brainstorming appreciated.

Have you googled it. I did and found this in under a minute.
http://www.thekitchn.com/cocktail-in...ow-to-in-52064

On Wed, 14 Oct 2015 23:02:01 -0500, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>On Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:43:56 -0700, gtr wrote:
>
>> Okay, I've done well with the jalapeno, now I'd like to try onion.
>
>I just had an Epiphany: Horseradish vodka.

Bloody hell...

On Wed, 14 Oct 2015 22:06:40 -0700, gtr > wrote:

>On 2015-10-15 04:02:01 +0000, Sqwertz said:
>
>> On Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:43:56 -0700, gtr wrote:
>>
>>> Okay, I've done well with the jalapeno, now I'd like to try onion.
>>
>> I just had an Epiphany: Horseradish vodka.
>
>I did that one a few years back. This, after trying a horseradish
>aquavit at Aquavit in Manhattan. Me and one friend at the smorgasbord
>loved it, everybody else didn't care for it--but they don't care for
>horseradish either. I pity them.

I love horseradish... not so sure I want it in my drink though.

On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 13:01:24 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> wrote:

>On Sunday, October 11, 2015 at 3:44:00 PM UTC-7, gtr wrote:
>> Okay, I've done well with the jalapeno, now I'd like to try onion. I'm
>> sure a straight up yellow onion would be difficult. So I'm considering
>> a way to either use leeks or a sweet onion. I want the onion flavor
>> but I don't want it aromatic and mild, rather than harsh and bold.
>>
>> Any ideas on how best to treat it.
>>
>> I picked up some leeks today at a Japanese market before I realized
>> they were "Korean Onions". So I'm not sure what the heck I got.
>> They're almost 3 feet long with the greens. So now I'm pondering
>> whether to try using the greens alone for infusion.
>>
>> Any brainstorming appreciated.
>
>Have you googled it. I did and found this in under a minute.
>http://www.thekitchn.com/cocktail-in...ow-to-in-52064

You just 3.5 hours earlier:
"not everyone has the experience or the years of cooking that most do
here. cut people some slack, they are asking questions and learning"

Sorry, but I couldn't help but notice that.

On 2015-10-15 21:43:06 +0000, Jeßus said:

> On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 13:01:24 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> > wrote:
>
>>> Any brainstorming appreciated.
>>
>> Have you googled it.

Yes, quite a bit.

>> I did and found this in under a minute.
>> http://www.thekitchn.com/cocktail-in...ow-to-in-52064

I didn't see that, but I'm not surprised since there is no mention of
onions in it, just generic information about what an infusion is. I
already know since I've made many of them over the years. Dealing with
berries, ginger or lemon isn't quite as easy as onions. Additionally,
there are many kinds of onions.

> You just 3.5 hours earlier:
> "not everyone has the experience or the years of cooking that most do
> here. cut people some slack, they are asking questions and learning"
>
> Sorry, but I couldn't help but notice that.

I missed seeing the "helpful" google advice above, but had already
reviewed 8 or 10 of them specifically with onion; many of them
contradictory and some seem to have been put together without any real
experience of actually doing it. And a number of them are all about
prepping the vodka for a bloody mary, in which I have no interest.

I picked up a bag of cippolini onions and a Peruvian sweet onion and
will put them each in a pint of vodka later today. I'm going to peel
and slice the cippolini's in half, maybe quarters. The sweet onion I'm
going to just cut a few slices of. We'll see. I can't imagine it will
taste good as is, but the idea of carmelizing them is a little
difficult to imagine too. If these fail with no particularly
educational take-away, it will the sauté pan for the next guess.

On Friday, October 16, 2015 at 10:05:17 AM UTC-7, gtr wrote:
> On 2015-10-15 21:43:06 +0000, Jeßus said:
>
> > On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 13:01:24 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>> Any brainstorming appreciated.
> >>
> >> Have you googled it.
>
> Yes, quite a bit.
>
> >> I did and found this in under a minute.
> >> http://www.thekitchn.com/cocktail-in...ow-to-in-52064
>
> I didn't see that, but I'm not surprised since there is no mention of
> onions in it, just generic information about what an infusion is. I
> already know since I've made many of them over the years. Dealing with
> berries, ginger or lemon isn't quite as easy as onions. Additionally,
> there are many kinds of onions.
>
> > You just 3.5 hours earlier:
> > "not everyone has the experience or the years of cooking that most do
> > here. cut people some slack, they are asking questions and learning"
> >
> > Sorry, but I couldn't help but notice that.
>
> I missed seeing the "helpful" google advice above, but had already
> reviewed 8 or 10 of them specifically with onion; many of them
> contradictory and some seem to have been put together without any real
> experience of actually doing it. And a number of them are all about
> prepping the vodka for a bloody mary, in which I have no interest.
>
> I picked up a bag of cippolini onions and a Peruvian sweet onion and
> will put them each in a pint of vodka later today. I'm going to peel
> and slice the cippolini's in half, maybe quarters. The sweet onion I'm
> going to just cut a few slices of. We'll see. I can't imagine it will
> taste good as is, but the idea of carmelizing them is a little
> difficult to imagine too. If these fail with no particularly
> educational take-away, it will the sauté pan for the next guess.

Well, good luck, i hope you can come up with something you find appealing. I'd like t hear about your results.

On Friday, October 16, 2015 at 10:05:17 AM UTC-7, gtr wrote:
> On 2015-10-15 21:43:06 +0000, Jeßus said:
>
> > On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 13:01:24 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>> Any brainstorming appreciated.
> >>
> >> Have you googled it.
>
> Yes, quite a bit.
>
> >> I did and found this in under a minute.
> >> http://www.thekitchn.com/cocktail-in...ow-to-in-52064
>
> I didn't see that, but I'm not surprised since there is no mention of
> onions in it, just generic information about what an infusion is. I
> already know since I've made many of them over the years. Dealing with
> berries, ginger or lemon isn't quite as easy as onions. Additionally,
> there are many kinds of onions.
>
> > You just 3.5 hours earlier:
> > "not everyone has the experience or the years of cooking that most do
> > here. cut people some slack, they are asking questions and learning"
> >
> > Sorry, but I couldn't help but notice that.
>
> I missed seeing the "helpful" google advice above, but had already
> reviewed 8 or 10 of them specifically with onion; many of them
> contradictory and some seem to have been put together without any real
> experience of actually doing it. And a number of them are all about
> prepping the vodka for a bloody mary, in which I have no interest.
>
> I picked up a bag of cippolini onions and a Peruvian sweet onion and
> will put them each in a pint of vodka later today. I'm going to peel
> and slice the cippolini's in half, maybe quarters. The sweet onion I'm
> going to just cut a few slices of. We'll see. I can't imagine it will
> taste good as is, but the idea of carmelizing them is a little
> difficult to imagine too. If these fail with no particularly
> educational take-away, it will the sauté pan for the next guess.

I'm in the process of learning to make my own tonic syrup. I'm getting ingredients this weekend. Have you made any of the coctail syrups?

On 2015-10-16 19:23:33 +0000, ImStillMags said:

>> I picked up a bag of cippolini onions and a Peruvian sweet onion and
>> will put them each in a pint of vodka later today. I'm going to peel
>> and slice the cippolini's in half, maybe quarters. The sweet onion I'm
>> going to just cut a few slices of. We'll see. I can't imagine it will
>> taste good as is, but the idea of carmelizing them is a little
>> difficult to imagine too. If these fail with no particularly
>> educational take-away, it will the sauté pan for the next guess.
>
> Well, good luck, i hope you can come up with something you find
> appealing. I'd like t hear about your results.

I'll be reporting my failures as they occur. Failure #1: Doing it
today instead of tomorrow...

On 2015-10-16 19:25:35 +0000, ImStillMags said:

> OI'm in the process of learning to make my own tonic syrup. I'm
> getting ingredients this weekend. Have you made any of the coctail
> syrups?

No experience at all. I think the science that's going into the
bitters and such that are being experimented with is vastly beyond the
scope of the simple infusions I'm doing.

I was fiddling with (commercial) bitters of all kinds a few years back.
Went to the biggest and most well stocked store in the area (Costa
Mesa, Hi-Time Liquor). They had 10-12 of them. Flash forward 8 years
or so, and they have 3 shelves of them, probably over 40.

It's booming.

When you say "cocktail syrups", you mean something you add to liquor
and soda and make something fun and entertaining?

On Friday, October 16, 2015 at 11:33:25 PM UTC-7, gtr wrote:
> On 2015-10-16 19:25:35 +0000, ImStillMags said:
>
> > OI'm in the process of learning to make my own tonic syrup. I'm
> > getting ingredients this weekend. Have you made any of the coctail
> > syrups?
>
> No experience at all. I think the science that's going into the
> bitters and such that are being experimented with is vastly beyond the
> scope of the simple infusions I'm doing.
>
> I was fiddling with (commercial) bitters of all kinds a few years back.
> Went to the biggest and most well stocked store in the area (Costa
> Mesa, Hi-Time Liquor). They had 10-12 of them. Flash forward 8 years
> or so, and they have 3 shelves of them, probably over 40.
>
> It's booming.
>
> When you say "cocktail syrups", you mean something you add to liquor
> and soda and make something fun and entertaining?

Yes, bars today are making their own syrups, tonics, and bitters and you can customize to your own imagination. There are a lot of ideas out there. I googled around and put together my own cobbled up recipe for the tonic syrup I'm going to make. I have a soda stream and using that and making my own syrup saves a ton of money plus it's fun to do.

On 2015-10-17 20:00:13 +0000, ImStillMags said:

>> When you say "cocktail syrups", you mean something you add to liquor>
>> and soda and make something fun and entertaining?
>
> Yes, bars today are making their own syrups, tonics, and bitters and
> you can customize to your own imagination. There are a lot of ideas
> out there. I googled around and put together my own cobbled up recipe
> for the tonic syrup I'm going to make. I have a soda stream and using
> that and making my own syrup saves a ton of money plus it's fun to do.

I'll be interested in hearing your recipe as you refine it. I actually
saw a book somewhere (in what they call a "book store" if you remember
those) on the topic of making bitters. They didn't look to complex but
a number of them had long slow "cook down" periods with ingredients.

On Saturday, October 17, 2015 at 2:38:10 PM UTC-7, gtr wrote:
> On 2015-10-17 20:00:13 +0000, ImStillMags said:
>
> >> When you say "cocktail syrups", you mean something you add to liquor>
> >> and soda and make something fun and entertaining?
> >
> > Yes, bars today are making their own syrups, tonics, and bitters and
> > you can customize to your own imagination. There are a lot of ideas
> > out there. I googled around and put together my own cobbled up recipe
> > for the tonic syrup I'm going to make. I have a soda stream and using
> > that and making my own syrup saves a ton of money plus it's fun to do.
>
> I'll be interested in hearing your recipe as you refine it. I actually
> saw a book somewhere (in what they call a "book store" if you remember
> those) on the topic of making bitters. They didn't look to complex but
> a number of them had long slow "cook down" periods with ingredients.

I'm making tonic syrup for making tonic water with the soda stream or gin/vodka tonics with the syrup, spirit and carbonated water.

I have the first batch cooling right now. I'll post the recipe and methodology when It's finished which will be in a day or two....it has to sit, cool, settle, strain, etc.

On 2015-10-17 23:41:07 +0000, ImStillMags said:

> I'm making tonic syrup for making tonic water with the soda stream or
> gin/vodka tonics with the syrup, spirit and carbonated water.
>
> I have the first batch cooling right now. I'll post the recipe and
> methodology when It's finished which will be in a day or two....it has
> to sit, cool, settle, strain, etc.

I'm interested. I've been having leg cramps at night. My doctor
recommended tonic water before going to bed. "Really?" I asked.
"Yeah," he said, "My wife gets leg cramps when she plays tennis during
the day and she plays a lot. So she downs a pint or so at night before
bedtime."

Later I looked at the list of chatter he always gives me at the end of
a checkup. One item listed was "Tonic water before bedtime. Vodka
optional."

I've discarded my cippolinis today while making the first batch of
infusion. They were rotted out and dated 8/11/15. I bought them
10/15/15. I took them back and informed them of the issue and helped
them ID and throw the other 12 bags in the trash and most of another
small onion type. The only one remaining that was good he gave me two
bags for free. They were pearl. Their in the juice now.

On Saturday, October 17, 2015 at 4:49:08 PM UTC-7, gtr wrote:
> On 2015-10-17 23:41:07 +0000, ImStillMags said:
>
> > I'm making tonic syrup for making tonic water with the soda stream or
> > gin/vodka tonics with the syrup, spirit and carbonated water.
> >
> > I have the first batch cooling right now. I'll post the recipe and
> > methodology when It's finished which will be in a day or two....it has
> > to sit, cool, settle, strain, etc.
>
> I'm interested. I've been having leg cramps at night. My doctor
> recommended tonic water before going to bed. "Really?" I asked.
> "Yeah," he said, "My wife gets leg cramps when she plays tennis during
> the day and she plays a lot. So she downs a pint or so at night before
> bedtime."
>
> Later I looked at the list of chatter he always gives me at the end of
> a checkup. One item listed was "Tonic water before bedtime. Vodka
> optional."
>
> I've discarded my cippolinis today while making the first batch of
> infusion. They were rotted out and dated 8/11/15. I bought them
> 10/15/15. I took them back and informed them of the issue and helped
> them ID and throw the other 12 bags in the trash and most of another
> small onion type. The only one remaining that was good he gave me two
> bags for free. They were pearl. Their in the juice now.


The quinine in tonic water is what is good for leg cramps. The problem with tonic water that you buy is that they use mostly chemicals instead of infusions. Store bought tonic water is completely clear. Real infusion tonic water has a lot of color and even some sediment and is hard to get to look anything like clear because the cinchona root that is used for quinine extract turns it quite orange.

You will have to purchase the cinchona root, I got mine on Amazon. I bought the ground root. It is quite powdery.

Next time I'll buy the chipped bark ( you can get that on Amazon as well) and grind it a bit further in my coffee grinder to cut back on the sediment a bit. The ground does give you a really good infusion, I think I would boil the chipped bark by itself first so it could boil longer and get a stronger infusion.

I had purchased an "artisan" tonic syrup and it was orange and fairly opaque, so I'm not perturbed with my results. It looks very much the same and I like the flavor of mine better because the quinine bitterness and unique flavor is more pronounced. I'm pretty proud of this first batch.

So here is my recipe and methodology and a picture of the bottle of finished product.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...t=d irectlink

The drink in the glass is just tonic syrup and carbonated water, no gin in this one.

Tonic Syrup

Recipe:
۬4 c. water
۬3-4 lemongrass stalks chopped
1/4 c. cinchona bark
zest and juice of one grapefruit
۬zest & juice of 1 orange
۬zest & juice of 1 lemon
۬zest & juice of 1 lime۬
5 allspice berries
1 tsp dried lavender
5 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
2 small star anise۬
1/4 c. citric acid۬
1/4 t. kosher salt

1 1/2 cups simple syrup to be added at the end of the process.

Put everything EXCEPT THE CITRUS JUICES into a stainless steel pot and boil slowly 20 min. Then add the citrus juices and boil one minute more. (The reason I did this is so that the juice does not taste so cooked and tastes fresher and more tangy)

Let sit on the stove top till completely cooled. Overnight is good.

Strain through a fine sieve to remove all stems etc.

Strain the mixture again, this time through aÂ*strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth, muslin, or a coffee filter. (If using a coffee filter, itll remove most traces of the spice powder but itll take a bit of time, so be patient.)

If you have a French Press or an AccuPress coffee maker, this is the easiest way to filter the mixture.
If you don't have a French press or AccuPress, filter with coffee filters or paper towels.
This takes a while because of the sediment. The sediment is a bitch.

Add 1 1/2 cups simple syrup after filtering and bottle. If you prefer your tonic water less sweet use less simple syrup, if you prefer it more sweet, add more simple syrup.

For a gin and tonic use about 1-2 tsp of the syrup in a glass, 2 ounces gin and top off with carbonated water, add a lime wedge and squeeze it a little. Yum.

For just tonic water to sip, add tonic syrup to your taste to carbonated water.
This is where I really like having my SodaStream.

On 2015-10-18 21:38:33 +0000, ImStillMags said:

> The quinine in tonic water is what is good for leg cramps. The
> problem with tonic water that you buy is that they use mostly chemicals
> instead of infusions. Store bought tonic water is completely clear.
> Real infusion tonic water has a lot of color and even some sediment and
> is hard to get to look anything like clear because the cinchona root
> that is used for quinine extract turns it quite orange.
> You will have to purchase the cinchona root, I got mine on Amazon. I
> bought the ground root. It is quite powdery.

Worthy of consideration, particularly since the tonic water does
nothing for me. For any folks monitoring this chat for this issue: Two
tablets at bedtime of SloMag„¢, a magnesium supplement, eliminated that
issue for the time-being.

> Next time I'll buy the chipped bark ( you can get that on Amazon as
> well) and grind it a bit further in my coffee grinder to cut back on
> the sediment a bit. The ground does give you a really good infusion,
> I think I would boil the chipped bark by itself first so it could boil
> longer and get a stronger infusion.
>
> I had purchased an "artisan" tonic syrup and it was orange and fairly
> opaque, so I'm not perturbed with my results.

It does look a bit creepy, I noted the FB post and asked about how much
you actually put in the demo drink.

> It looks very much the same and I like the flavor of mine better
> because the quinine bitterness and unique flavor is more pronounced.
> I'm pretty proud of this first batch.
> So here is my recipe and methodology and a picture of the bottle of
> finished product.
>
> https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...t=d irectlink
>
>
> The drink in the glass is just tonic syrup and carbonated water, no gin
> in this one.
>
> Tonic Syrup
>
> Recipe:
>
> 4 c. water
>
> 3-4 lemongrass stalks chopped
> 1/4 c. cinchona bark
> zest and juice of one grapefruit

[snip]

Duly snatched for future consideration. I certainly like the whole
concept of this process, and I can see it's easily modifiable for one's
own interests.

> Let sit on the stove top till completely cooled. Overnight is good.
>
> Strain through a fine sieve to remove all stems etc.
> Strain the mixture again, this time through aÂ*strainer lined with
> several layers of cheesecloth, muslin, or a coffee filter. (If using a
> coffee filter, itll remove most traces of the spice powder but itll
> take a bit of time, so be patient.)

Logically the coffee filter reduces much in the way of oils that would
have made it through the other filter systems. I'm not sure how much
that is better or worser relative to intent. I'm using coffee filters
with some of my vodka infusions because I specifically don't want the
possibility of oil floats or separations.

> For a gin and tonic use about 1-2 tsp of the syrup in a glass, 2 ounces
> gin and top off with carbonated water, add a lime wedge and squeeze it
> a little. Yum.

Ah--there's the proportions!

I still do my soda the old fashioned way with a soda bottle and a c02
cartridge, but then I don't use it all the time; only during certain
phases of the moon.

On Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 5:28:10 PM UTC-7, gtr wrote:

> [snip]
>
> Duly snatched for future consideration. I certainly like the whole
> concept of this process, and I can see it's easily modifiable for one's
> own interests.
>

while Googling I found replies to posts on cooking blogs where the recipe were posted and lots of people played with the spices according to the type of liquor they liked. Some wanted more citrus, some wanted more clove, etc. So you can certainly modify the recipe to your own tastes.

On 2015-10-16 17:05:13 +0000, gtr said:

> I picked up a bag of [pearl onions] onions and a Peruvian sweet onion
> and will put them each in a pint of vodka later today. I'm going to
> peel and slice the cippolini's in half, maybe quarters. The sweet
> onion I'm going to just cut a few slices of. We'll see. I can't
> imagine it will taste good as is, but the idea of carmelizing them is a
> little difficult to imagine too. If these fail with no particularly
> educational take-away, it will the sauté pan for the next guess.

Update:

Okay the pearl onions, blanched enough to peel, about 8 in a pint.
Gave them 72 hours. It sucks. They have that slightly nasty
oxidized/BO smell, and a mild but somewhat unpleasant taste. Normally
I would chill it to see how it works--it's always different when froze
up, but in this case I don't care. Down the drain.

The sweet onion worked better. In fact I think it does make a fairly
good infusion. The problem is that it tastes like an onion, and an
onion flavor alone is kind of useless; it's just columns in front of no
building. I'm straining it and holding on to it today.

People who are bloody Mary fans (I am not), apparently use this in a
larger concoction, and might consider this a glowing success.

I might try to infuse it with tomato for two reasons: 1) It might be
drinkable, chilled, as is. 2) I'd like to see if another flavor can
leverage the onions in a good way since as a solo act it simply doesn't
work.

Failing all this, I may well try to slice and slightly carmelize an
onion, perhaps a sweet onion, perhaps not, and start anew. At this
point I'm fairly secure than a predominant onion taste (even if padded
with caraway seeds, dill seeds, etc.), is pretty much useless.

I have 3 more 1.7 liter bottles of Luksusowa, and without some zazz
don't really care for vodka, so I have plenty more running room.

On 10/23/2015 11:13 AM, gtr wrote:
> On 2015-10-16 17:05:13 +0000, gtr said:
>
>> I picked up a bag of [pearl onions] onions and a Peruvian sweet onion
>> and will put them each in a pint of vodka later today. I'm going to
>> peel and slice the cippolini's in half, maybe quarters. The sweet
>> onion I'm going to just cut a few slices of. We'll see. I can't
>> imagine it will taste good as is, but the idea of carmelizing them is
>> a little difficult to imagine too. If these fail with no particularly
>> educational take-away, it will the sauté pan for the next guess.
>
> Update:
>
> Okay the pearl onions, blanched enough to peel, about 8 in a pint. Gave
> them 72 hours. It sucks. They have that slightly nasty oxidized/BO
> smell, and a mild but somewhat unpleasant taste. Normally I would chill
> it to see how it works--it's always different when froze up, but in this
> case I don't care. Down the drain.
>
> The sweet onion worked better. In fact I think it does make a fairly
> good infusion. The problem is that it tastes like an onion, and an
> onion flavor alone is kind of useless; it's just columns in front of no
> building. I'm straining it and holding on to it today.
>
> People who are bloody Mary fans (I am not), apparently use this in a
> larger concoction, and might consider this a glowing success.
>
> I might try to infuse it with tomato for two reasons: 1) It might be
> drinkable, chilled, as is. 2) I'd like to see if another flavor can
> leverage the onions in a good way since as a solo act it simply doesn't
> work.
>
> Failing all this, I may well try to slice and slightly carmelize an
> onion, perhaps a sweet onion, perhaps not, and start anew. At this point
> I'm fairly secure than a predominant onion taste (even if padded with
> caraway seeds, dill seeds, etc.), is pretty much useless.
>
> I have 3 more 1.7 liter bottles of Luksusowa, and without some zazz
> don't really care for vodka, so I have plenty more running room.
>
I'd like to know how/why people keep dredging up really old posts to
respond to. The dumber the better, it seems. Unfortunately, given
the current situation in rfc even an old and stupid post like the one
about rfc is better than half the posts here.
--
Barbara J Llorente

In article >,
says...
>
> On Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 5:28:10 PM UTC-7, gtr wrote:
>
> > [snip]
> >
> > Duly snatched for future consideration. I certainly like the whole
> > concept of this process, and I can see it's easily modifiable for one's
> > own interests.
> >
>
> while Googling I found replies to posts on cooking blogs where the recipe were posted and lots of people played with the spices according to the type of liquor they liked. Some wanted more citrus, some wanted more clove, etc. So you can certainly modify the recipe to your own tastes.

+1