Homemade Mimosa Flower Soda is a beautiful, exquisite probiotic soft drink from the flowers of the Persian silk tree, the tree of happiness.
If you live in the south, no doubt you’ve seen the Persian silk tree, the tree of happiness, with its lovely Mimosa flowers. You can’t get past it without noticing its signature perfume permeating the air. These flowers are also edible and can be used to make a wonderful fragrant infusion. Read on to learn the many benefits of the tree and how to use its flowers to make a delightful syrup and how to turn that into a delicious probiotic soft drink that captures the flower essence beautifully.
If you love homemade beverages, learn how to make a ginger bug, or dandelion bug to create probiotic, fizzy sodas from scratch. Then you can use it to make this lovely mimosa soda, or make ginger beer, hibiscus soda, and probiotic, fizzy lemonade soda. And if you would like to make your own homemade electrolyte sports and hydration drink, make this easy switchel.
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Home-Brewed Mimosa Flower Syrup And Soda
The Persian silk tree (Albizia julibrissin), as the name implies, originates from Persia and other areas of Asia. From there it was brought to Europe by enthusiastic botanists and made its way to America (South Carolina) in 1785, when it was introduced by botanist and explorer André Michaux from France.
The mimosa tree quickly gained a following for many reasons, and it was not shy at duplicating itself readily and spreading within its new territory and beyond. It is now considered an invasive species. But I would find it hard to not love it. And it looks so glamorous with its delicate flower puffs and the shape of its leaves.
Benefits Of The Mimosa Tree
Mimosa trees bloom from late May to July. Let’s explore some of the tree’s benefits:
- The Mimosa, or Persian silk tree is nitrogen fixing, which can help bring nitrogen to the surrounding soil and vegetation, for the benefit of plants that grow near it.
- The mimosa flowers are a pollinator magnet that attracts all sorts of pollinators to wherever it grows
- This tree is a fast grower. It’s a great tree for permaculture if you’re not opposed to non-native species.
- The Persian silk tree also has a tendency to vigorously regrow when pruned, which is an asset if the branches are to be used for ‘chop and drop‘ material, coppicing for firewood, biochar, and as fodder for animals.
- The flowers are edible and the young leaves can be cooked as a vegetable. The seeds are loved by wild birds, however, the seeds and pods are toxic to people, pets, and livestock if eaten in quantity.
- The mimosa flowers have an enchanting, intoxicating scent that you can’t miss when the flowers are blooming. In this recipe we’ll attempt to capture some of the fragrance and flavor of the flowers in a delicious syrup and soda. You could also just steep the flowers in water for a while to extract its essence, which would make a delicious flavored water. Here we’ll go a step further and turn it into a delicious, versatile syrup and into a fizzy soft drink.
Why You’ll Love This Mimosa Flower Soda Recipe
- It’s unlike any other soda that you have tried, the mimosa flowers impart it with a unique and delicious flavor all of its own. I think you’ll be enchanted!
- Mimosa flowers have medicinal benefits that we can extract and use intentionally.
- The flowers and bark, according to traditional medicine, may be calming, may give anxiety relief, may help reduce stress and provide emotional balance. They may help with depression and may relieve insomnia as well as provide restful sleep. They can lift the mood and may induce a calm and peaceful state of mind. They might also help calm nausea and vomiting.
- The mimosa flowers are rich in antioxidants and help impart a feeling of general wellbeing.
- And when you make a home-brewed soda you get the benefits of probiotics, lower sugar content than conventional soft drinks, great flavor and sparkling refreshment. The bacteria produce carbonation by consuming the sugar from the syrup and this is how your soda becomes fizzy and the sugar content becomes less.
- Great for celebrating the summer season or freeze the syrup and make it when you need a pick me up on a drab winter day!
- It’s easy to make, and once you have the syrup prepared, it’s a snap to mix up your soda base.
Tips For Making the best Home-Brewed Mimosa Flower Soda
- Pick your flowers right before making the syrup for best results.
- Use only the freshest, vibrantly colored flowers and avoid any flowers that start to turn limp and begin to brown.
- For highest quality and strongest fragrance pick the flowers after the dew dries, early to mid-morning on a sunny day.
- Add some hibiscus tea to the mix for a deeper pink color and a bit of tang.
- If you like citric acid, you can add half a teaspoon to your tea for a more intense and tangy flavor. Citric acid helps draw out the flavor a little better, but I prefer to make mine without it.
- I like to use 1 ounce (2 tbsp) of the syrup to make my mimosa flower soda, but some people prefer it sweeter and if that’s you, use up to double that amount.
- Be sure to burp the bottle once a day by briefly opening it to let the pressure escape. Careful when you do that as there may be a lot of pressure built up. If it wants to shoot out of the bottle, immediately reseal and refrigerate it before attempting again, this will help calm it a bit. It’s best to do this outside or over a sink.
How to make Home-Brewed Mimosa Flower Soda
Equipment
I have put together a shopping list for you at the end of this post with links to most items found here.
For the Syrup
2-3 quart saucepan – for preparing the simple syrup.
Cheesecloth or floursack towel – For straining the syrup after it cools
Bowl – To strain your syrup into
Pint jar – for storing the syrup. If you want to freeze it, I recommend using an ice cube tray for easier portioning.
For Making The Soda
Measuring Cup
Funnel
Strainer (opt) – You may not need it if you use whey, but for ginger or dandelion but or for water kefir, you’ll want to have this handy.
Pint size flip-top bottle (Grolsch-style) – for incubating the soda. Don’t use a juice bottle or canning jar for this, as they are not made to handle high internal pressure. But a used kombucha bottle would be fine.
Ingredients
I recommend choosing organic ingredients whenever possible. Today’s conventional food is loaded with toxic pesticides, artificial, chemical fertilizers and genetically modified crops. It is my personal desire to stay clear of these toxic ingredients and seek out regeneratively grown foods that are high in nutrient value and left as natural as possible, for the sake of health.
Mimosa flowers – Use the freshest, brightest flowers for this
Hibiscus tea, dried (opt) – Adds color and a bit of tang to the syrup. Loose-leaf or tea bags work fine.
Unrefined cane sugar – I like to use organic sucanat or panela sugar, but you can also use turbinado sugar, unrefined evaporated cane juice crystals, or coconut sugar for this.
Water – do not use tap water with chlorine in it. Filtered or bottled water will work. I use my Berkey Filter for delicious clean water.
Orange slices (opt) – add a nice complementary flavor. You could also use lemon slices.
Citric acid (opt) – citric acid is often used for floral syrups, to draw out more of the flavor from the flowers. I don’t use it, but feel free to add a little if you prefer.
Fermentation starter – Water kefir, whey, ginger bug, or dandelion bug. This is necessary for fermentation to start. Make your own easy ginger bug or dandelion bug or use your water kefir if you have one going. Whey works great too, from drained yogurt with live bacteria, or cheesemaking.
Instructions
Make The Syrup
Pour the water and sugar into the saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for a moment while stirring to completely dissolve the sugar.
Take the pot off the heat. Let sit for just a moment, to calm the water and cool it very slightly, then add the mimosa flowers, and, if desired, the Hibiscus flowers.
Add the orange slices if you’re using them.
Stir and let it steep till completely cool. I like to let it infuse overnight for more flavor.
When cool, pour it through a cheesecloth into a bowl to strain, and gently squeeze it to get all of the goodness.
Reserve an ounce to two ounces of the syrup for each pint of soda you will make. I use one ounce to keep my soda less sweet. But more will give you a sweeter, more active soda.
Pour the remaining syrup into a pint jar and store up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. For longer storage this can be frozen. You can use an ice cube tray to freeze for easy portioning as you need it.
Make The Soda
To make the soda, pour 1 ounce of the syrup into a pint bottle (up to 2 ounces if you like it very sweet), add 1 ounce (2 Tbsp) of starter culture, fill with water to about 1-2 inches from the top and seal the bottle.
If you’re using water kefir, you can just fill the bottle with it and not add water, or use half water kefir and half water. I used water kefir for this batch. I made two pints and split the water kefir between the two, which almost filled the bottles. then I added water to bring the contents to within about two inches from the top. But you can use less water kefir.
Let the bottles sit in a warm spot (68-85℉) out of direct sunlight, for 2-3 days. Burp it once a day or twice a day if it’s very active. Once it has built up enough pressure, you can taste it. If it’s too sweet, let it ferment another day. Otherwise, refrigerate to chill, and enjoy.
Drink it chilled or pour over ice and enjoy the exquisite flavor profile of the soda. It’s really unlike any soda you’ve had before and super delicious.
Storage
The syrup can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and several months in the freezer. Use ice cube trays for freezing to allow for easier portioning later.
Once fermented, the soda can last for months in the refrigerator. Do burp it about once a week if it’s very active. It may become a little less sweet over time even in the refrigerator. While the bacteria become sluggish in the cold environment, they will keep feeding on the sugar, but at a much slower rate.
Enjoy This Delicious Mimosa Flower Soda
I hope you got to make this mimosa flower soda recipe, it’s really delicious, unique and captures the flower essence of the mimosa so beautifully. It will send your senses drifting back to early summer with it’s wonderful fragrances and you’ll get to enjoy the great health benefits of home-brewed soft drinks and the mimosa flowers. I’m certain you’ll fall in love with the flavor of Mimosa flowers and this delicious soda recipe.
Have you made this recipe? I’d love to get your feedback and your ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! And I’d love to hear your favorite ways to use Mimosa Flowers. And please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments if you have any questions!
Join the Food For Life Garden Community for more great recipes and homestead tips and ideas. I’m always adding new content. Don’t miss any new posts and learn more about my off-grid farm life.
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Berkey filter
3 quart sauce pot
Funnel
Grolsch type bottles
Bottle brush
Strainer
Flour sack towels
Organic flour sack towels
Measuring cups
Water kefir grains
Hibiscus flowers
Evaporated cane juice crystals
Panela sugar (sucanat)
Coconut sugar
Citric acid
Recipe Card
Home-Brewed Mimosa Flower Soda
Equipment
- 2-3 quart saucepan
- Cheesecloth or floursack towel
- Bowl
- Pint jar
- Measuring cup
- funnel
- strainer
- Pint size flip-top bottle (Grolsch-style) – for brewing the soda. Don't use a juice bottle or canning jar for this. A soda bottle or kombucha bottle is ok.
Ingredients
For The Syrup
- 1 quart Mimosa flowers
- 2 tbsp Dried hibiscus tea, opt. – or a teabag or two
- 1 cup Unrefined cane sugar – or turbinado or coconut sugar.
- 1 cup Filtered water – do not use tap water with chlorine in it. Filtered or bottled water will work.
- 2-3 Orange slices, opt. – adds a nice complementary flavor. You could also use lemon slices.
- 1/2 tsp Citric acid, opt. – not necessary, may help to draw out more flavor.
Per Pint Of Soda
- 1-2 oz Mimosa flower syrup – use the lesser amount for a less sweet soda.
- 2 oz Fermentation starter (1/4 cup) – you'll need one of the following: Water kefir, whey, ginger bug, or dandelion bug. (These are easy to make but it takes about a week). Use more, 1/2 cup at least, if using water kefir.
- Filtered water – enough to fill the bottle to within 1-2 inches from the top.
Instructions
Make The Syrup
- Pour the water and sugar into the saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for a minute while stirring to completely dissolve the sugar.
- Take the pot off the heat. Let sit for just a moment, to calm the water and cool it slightly, then add the mimosa flowers, and, if desired, the Hibiscus flowers and Orange slices.
- Let it steep till completely cool. I like to let it infuse overnight for more flavor.
- When cool, pour it through a cheesecloth into a bowl to strain, and gently squeeze it to get all of the goodness.
- Reserve 1-2 ounces of the syrup per pint of soda you'll make. More will yield a more active and sweeter soda. I like to use just the one ounce to keep it less sweet.
- Pour the remaining syrup into a pint jar, seal, and store up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. For longer storage this can be frozen. You can use an ice cube tray to freeze small amounts for easy portioning as you need it.
Make The Soda
- To make the soda, pour 1 ounce of the syrup into a pint bottle (up to 2 ounces if you like it sweet), add 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of starter culture, fill with water to about 1-2 inches from the top and seal the bottle. Here are instructions for making a ginger bug, or dandelion bug starter culture.
- When using water kefir, you can just fill the bottle with the kefir or add less, but at least 1/2 cup per pint and fill the rest with water.
- Let the bottle sit in a warm spot (68-85℉) for 2-3 days. Burp it once a day or twice a day if it's very active. More syrup can speed activity. Once it has built up enough pressure, you can taste it. If it's too sweet, let it ferment another day. Otherwise, refrigerate to chill and enjoy.
- Drink it chilled or pour over ice and enjoy the exquisite flavor profile of the soda. It’s really unlike any soda you’ve had before and super delicious.
Storage
- The syrup can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and several months in the freezer. Use icecube-trays for freezing to allow for easier portioning later.
- Once fermented, the soda can last for months in the refrigerator. Do burp it about once a week if it's very active. It may become a little less sweet over time even in the refrigerator. While the bacteria become sluggish in the cold environment, they will keep feeding on the sugar, but at a much slower rate.
Notes
Tips For Making the best Home-Brewed Mimosa Flower Soda
- Pick your flowers fresh right before making the syrup for best results.
- Use only the freshest, vibrantly colored flower, avoid any flowers that start to turn limp and start to brown.
- For highest quality and strongest fragrance pick the flowers after the dew dries, early to mid-morning on a sunny day.
- Add some hibiscus tea to the mix for a deeper pink color and a bit of tang.
- If you like citric acid, you can add half a teaspoon to your tea for a more intense and tangy flavor. Citric acid helps draw out the flavor a little better, but I prefer to make mine without it.
- I like to use 1 ounce (2 tbsp) of the syrup to make my soda, but some people prefer it much sweeter and use double that. So you’ll have to see what you prefer.
- Be sure to burp the bottle once a day by briefly opening it to let the pressure escape. Careful when you do that as there may be a lot of pressure built up. If it wants to shoot out of the bottle, immediately reseal and refrigerate it before attempting again, this will help calm it a bit. Open it outside or over a sink.
