So, why bother making your own sugar free beverage mix? You look at the stuff in the stores, right? Packed with who-knows-what chemicals, weird aftertastes, and honestly, they cost way too much for what you get. I got tired of it. Trying to cut down sugar but didn’t want to drink plain water all day long. Decided I’d just figure it out myself.
Getting Started – What a Mess
First thing, I needed flavors. I like fruity stuff, lemon, berry, that kind of thing. Started looking into what makes those flavors. Found out you can get these crystallized citrus powders, like lemon and lime. Okay, good start. Then for sweeteners. Aspartame gives me headaches, sucralose tastes funny sometimes. Stevia? Sometimes bitter. Ended up trying erythritol. Seemed like the least offensive option for me, personally. You gotta experiment, see what works for your own taste buds.
Gathering the bits and pieces was the next step. Ordered some stuff online, like the erythritol and some citric acid for tartness. Found crystallized lemon powder at the local big grocery store, surprisingly. Also grabbed some unsweetened dried berry powder I saw. Thought maybe mixing a couple would work.
Putting It Together
Alright, kitchen time. This wasn’t rocket science, but you gotta be a bit careful with amounts. Too much sweetener, it’s sickly. Too much citric acid, it’ll peel the enamel off your teeth. I just started small.
- Got out some small jars. Clean, dry jars are key, otherwise things clump up.
- Measured out the erythritol as a base. Let’s say, half a cup to start.
- Added the flavor powder. Started with lemon. Maybe a tablespoon or two? You gotta eyeball it a bit and remember what you did.
- Added a bit of citric acid. Like, maybe half a teaspoon. Seriously, start small with this stuff.
- Put the lid on the jar. Shook it like crazy. Really gotta mix it well so you don’t get pockets of sour or sweet.
- Did the same for a berry version using the berry powder.
Important bit: I labeled the jars. Sounds dumb, but when you have three test batches, you forget what’s what real quick. Just masking tape and a sharpie.
The Moment of Truth
Mixed a teaspoon of the lemon mix into a glass of cold water. Stirred it up. Took a sip.
Honestly? Not bad. A bit weak maybe. Added another half teaspoon. Better. The taste was clean, actually tasted like lemon, not like lemon-flavored floor cleaner. The berry one needed more flavor powder, definitely. But the concept worked. No weird chemical aftertaste.
So now I just make bigger batches. Keep tweaking the amounts. Sometimes I mix lemon and berry. It’s cheaper in the long run, I know exactly what’s in it, and it actually tastes good. Beats the store-bought powders hands down. Takes a little effort upfront, sure, but worth it to not drink that other junk anymore.
