A Yummy Summer Cooler!
Hi all of my Northern Hemisphere Summer swelterers! It's colder than a brass monkey's ... *ahem* ...nose here, so these will have to wait for me, but I saw this yummy recipe/how to for a combo of flavours for ice blocks (Aussie name for popsicles, freeze pops, icy poles or ice lollies, depending on where you hail from) that had never occurred to
( Read more... )
I just assumed that V8 was an international thing. I actually just looked it up and you can buy it in the UK at Tesco's - although it may not be as popular or well known in the UK as it is here and in the US.
It's made over here by Campbell's and is a blend of eight vegie juices (hence the V8 name), the predominant one being tomato, along with beetroot, celery, spinach, lettuce, watercress, carrot and parsley.
Over here, it has no added sugar or artificial flavours, colours or preservatives, but if you are on a salt restricted diet, it could be a problem. I think they have a lower salt one too. I comes in cans, UHT (long life) packs or glass bottles (what I usually buy).
I know it originated in the US a long time ago and it took off very well here back in the late 50's/early 60's, I think and has remained a constant seller ever since.
It's been around for years and years and while they've added different varieties, the original blend is still the best in my opinion and is really yummy. I love tomato juice, too, but if given the choice, I'd choose V8 as it's more interesting - it's tomato juice with a touch of chutzpah!
As to ginger - I'm right there with you - I love it in pretty much any way, shape or form. We grow some of the best ginger in the world in Australia and it used to be one of our most popular flavours in sweets, cakes, biscuits, drinks etc. It fell off for a while, but if my son and his mates are anything to go by, his generation are rediscovering it again.
It's just as common around our town to see kids drinking a Bundaberg ginger beer or sarsaparilla as it is to see them with a Coke in their hand, which cheers me no end. I never got the taste for Coke, I'm afraid - it tastes like I'd imagine sweetened road tar would.
Alcoholic ginger beer has crossed the Tasman from NZ, too, and is becoming quite popular. Personally, I'm not a fan of the groggy one, as I make my own ginger beer every summer and the alcoholic one tastes like a batch that's "gone over" to me.
I also make a mean non alcoholic rhubarb champagne, a recipe I inherited from my grandfather.
By the way, a watermelon and ginger ice lolly would be nice too - I like that flavour combination. Carrot and ginger vegie juice is lovely as well.
Reply
One of the pub chains over here has got a cider festival on at the moment and two I gave a try to were a rhubarb and a beetroot cider.
Different, but very pleasant on a hot afternoon.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment