Minty lemon and lime syrup

My husband has recently been extolling the virtues of Laimon Fresh, a lemon, lime and mint flavour soft drink. I enjoy fizzy drinks, but have them very infrequently due to the amount of sugar, colourings and flavourings they contain. I invested in a Soda Stream a few months back primarily to have cheaper fizzy water, but one by-product of this is that I have been experimenting with creating flavouring syrups. Using this recipe, you can create a refreshing drink made with fresh ingredients and far less sugar than is found in commercially available soft drinks.

The finished syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped mint

1 cup pale sugar

1 cup water

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice

1. Place the mint in a heat proof container.

2. In a small saucepan heat the sugar and water together, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup boils. I used golden caster sugar, meaning that the resulting syrup was a pale golden colour. If you use granulated or plain caster sugar the syrup will be paler. Do not use dark sugar, as this will overpower the delicate citrus and mint flavours.

3. Pour the sugar syrup onto the mint, making sure it is all below the surface of the liquid. Cover with cling film and leave to cool to room temperature.

4. Once cool, stir in the lemon and lime juice then strain into a jar. The syrup will keep for several weeks if stored in the fridge.

Serve with fizzy water (adjusting the amount of syrup to taste) for a refreshing soft drink. For an alcoholic drink, add white rum for a twist on a mojito or vodka to create a drink similar to a lemon drop.