Tonic Water #4

I planted lemongrass this year, mainly as an ornamental. Its vigorous stalks and long, wispy leaves have come in so abundantly, that I must find more uses for it. So why not start with tonic water?

You could break pencils with those stalks

My tonic water has always featured citrus. Moving into the wintery months, I decided to jettison the lemon, lime, and grapefruit peel in favor of, yes, lemongrass. Granted, many recipes call for both, but I am becoming more and more the minimalist these days. Why confuse lemongrass with lime peel?

So I cut up a bunch of stalks. Eight total or so. I put them in water for a day. (As an ornamental they give me the same impression as prairie grasses. They sits well in the vase.) Here is the recipe I am using:

3 cups water
1/4 cup cinchona bark
1/4 cup citric acid
8 stalks lemongrass, chopped and lightly crushed under the handle of the knife
20 cardamom pods
1 tsp., circa, coriander
1 tsp salt (three pinches)

boil water, add ingredients, reduce to simmer. Simmer 45 minutes. Steep for an additional hour before removing to fridge for a three day soak. On Tuesday I will transfer to another vessel, pulling out all the big pieces. On Friday I will strain the mixture and add agave. Probably 1 1/2 cups to start, but I will update the post with the proper proportions.

UPDATE:

On Tuesday I filtered the water off of the lemongrass and cinchona. The lemongrass is wonderfully fragrant, but without the citrus pop that usually came with it. Coriander is still strong on the nose. Amazing how dominant coriander can be.

I lost a lot of water on this batch. the net is 2 1/4 cups. So I should start with 1 cup of agave and move upwards. Slowly.