Sima ~ Finnish Fermented Lemonade
A traditional Finnish fermented honey-and-lemon soda made for Vappu (May Day) celebrations. Naturally carbonated, lightly sweet, family-friendly at less than 0.5% alcohol, and ready to drink in 4 to 6 days from start to finish.
Servings: 4 servings (1 cup each)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey or brown sugar
- 1 large Lemon juice and grated zest, or a thinly sliced whole lemon
- 5 whole raisins unsulfured
- 1 pinch Yeast ideally wine yeast, but bread yeast will do
- water to fill
Instructions
- Add the lemon slices, sweetener, and raisins to a clean quart mason jar.
- Pour near-boiling water over the contents to fill within 1 inch of the top. Stir gently to dissolve the sweetener.
- Allow to cool to between 90 and 100°F. Use a thermometer for the first batch; the water can feel warm to the hand at temperatures still hot enough to kill yeast.
- Add a pinch of yeast (or skip if relying on the wild yeast from unsulfured raisins). Stir to incorporate.
- Cover with a silicone fermentation lid, an airlock, or a clean cloth secured with a rubber band. Allow to ferment at room temperature (65 to 75°F) for 24 to 48 hours, until all 5 raisins have floated to the surface.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer and bottle in flip-top Grolsch bottles or sealed mason jars.
- Refrigerate sealed for 2 to 4 days to carbonate. Open one bottle at the 2-day mark to check; refrigerate longer if more bubbles are needed.
- Drink within 7 days for best flavor and safe pressure. Beyond a week, alcohol content rises and bottles can over-pressurize.
Notes
Water temperature. Yeast dies above 110°F. The water can feel "warm, not hot" at temperatures still too high. Use a thermometer for the first batch.
No commercial yeast needed. Unsulfured raisins carry enough wild yeast on their skins to ferment the entire batch; just expect a day longer. Honey also carries wild yeast, so a sima made with raw honey + unsulfured raisins is genuinely yeast-free.
Pressure safety. Sima continues to ferment slowly in the fridge. Use thick-walled bottles designed for pressure (Grolsch flip-tops or pressure-rated mason jars), drink within 7 days, and don't extend refrigerator carbonation past 4 days without burping.
Kahm yeast vs. mold. A flat white film on the surface during fermentation is kahm yeast and is harmless. Fuzzy or colored growth (green, blue, black, pink) is mold; throw the batch out and start over.
Alcohol content. Finished sima typically contains 0.05 to 0.5% alcohol, comparable to kombucha and traditionally suitable for children at Vappu. Longer ferments (5 to 7 days at room temperature) raise the alcohol content into adult-only territory.
Nutrition
Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.2mg