6

I love the flavor of crystal light, but it is expensive, and I don't like the artificial sweeteners. I don't think I would mind the drink without the sweeteners, and would like to try to make my own.

I've googled and googled, but I cannot find any talk about what is actually in crystal light or any of the other drink mixes, or how to make your own.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Malfist
  • 530
  • 3
  • 7
  • 16
  • 2
    I just mixed 1/2 tsp of citric acid, 1 tbls of Xylitol and two cups of water to produce something very similar in taste without the strong aftertaste of aspartame – Malfist Sep 03 '11 at 21:01
  • 1
    Get used to the taste of water. It's the cheapest solution. – chrisjlee Sep 04 '11 at 00:28
  • 2
    I typically drink either water or tea, and have no problem with it. I just like to mix things up every now and again. – Malfist Sep 04 '11 at 02:38
  • 1
    Why does it have to be a powder? It is much easier to cook a sweet concentrated syrup from fruit and sugar, keep it in the fridge, and dilute it for drinks. – rumtscho Sep 11 '11 at 12:06

2 Answers2

8

From Asian supply shops you can often find small packets of powdered fruits. Check the packet but many are made from actual fruit!

I have seen Apple, Cherry, Coconut, Lime, Mango, Pomegranate, Strawberry etc.

Google for powdered fruit and you'll find a variety of online sources

My favourite is Lime powder (99% Lime, made in Malaysia)

Add Aloe Vera powder to make a thickened drink

Add Arrowroot or instant custard powder to make a cloudy "juice"

Add Ascorbic acid powder (Vit. C) as a preservative (be careful not to exceed RDI)

Add Citric acid to make it more citrus like

Add sugar (real or fake) to bulk it out so a simple measure (e.g. one tea spoon) makes a glass of drink

Experiment with the quantities, but you don't need much of anything to get an effective result

TFD
  • 25,107
  • 5
  • 48
  • 90
  • Perfect, powdered fruit was what I was looking for! Can you recommend any websites in specific, or do you always buy local? (I don't have an asian shop that I know of locally) – Malfist Sep 04 '11 at 04:31
  • @Malfist A quick Google for "powdered fruit natural" yields plenty. The somewhat acidic fruits seem to have the strongest flavours, but it looks like you can even get Banana in the USA? – TFD Sep 04 '11 at 06:16
2

Kool-Aid, which goes on sale for as low as $0.10 a packet, makes an inexpensive base for home brew drink mixes. To get something drinkable by non-kids, you have to cut the sugar to about 1/4 cup per 2 quarts liquid, or you can mix with Stevia instead. A little citric acid will give the stuff more of a kick, while adding a little KCl/NaCl stock solution yields a nice Gatorade substitute at about $0.08 a bottle.

Wayfaring Stranger
  • 11,696
  • 1
  • 36
  • 44