Julmust: recipe Sweden’s Festive Christmas Soda

Never come across Julmust? If you’ve ever been to Sweden around Christmas or Easter, or had a proper rummage in the IKEA food market, the name might just ring a bell. Julmust is a hugely popular Swedish soft drink, often dubbed Swedish Christmas soda.

It’s an absolute festive fixture. In fact, during December, sales of Julmust actually surpass those of Coca-Cola in Sweden! The Swedes collectively knock back a staggering $\mathbf{40}$ million litres of the stuff every year—that’s an average of about four litres per person!

Julmust offers a unique, slightly spicy, malty flavour. Traditionally, it’s served as part of the Julbord (Christmas buffet). Skip the queues and the pricey imports; with the recipe below, you can serve your very own homemade Julmust this year.

The origins of julmust

The secret original recipe for Julmust was cooked up by father and son, Robert and Harry Roberts, in Örebro at the beginning of the $\mathbf{20^{th}}$ century. It was initially intended to be a non-alcoholic alternative to Julöl (Christmas beer).

To this day, they are the sole manufacturers of the syrup used to make the drink. The actual bottling is then handled by various companies. It’s truly a closely-guarded Swedish secret!

Homemade Julmust Recipe: Brew Your Own Swedish Christmas Soda

Because it can be a real faff to get hold of outside of Sweden (and not everyone fancies a trek to IKEA!), I’ve adapted a fantastic Swedish recipe (originally from land.se) so you can make it yourself.

In Sweden, it’s primarily available at Christmas (and briefly at Easter, albeit with a slightly different label and called Påskmust).

Making your own Julmust isn’t difficult, but it does require a bit of patience and groundwork. Don’t be put off by the initial step of creating a ‘soda starter’. This is similar to the ‘mother dough’ you’d use for a sourdough bread. You can keep your soda starter going indefinitely by adding a teaspoon of grated ginger and a teaspoon of raw cane sugar every other day.

Step 1: Making Your Soda Starter (The ‘Mother’)

You Will Need:

• A clean jar or bottle of about $\mathbf{4}$ litres (sterilise it properly!).
• A thin kitchen towel or muslin cloth.
• A sturdy elastic band to secure the cloth around the opening.

Method:

1. Place 500ml of water together with 2 tablespoons of finely grated ginger, 1 tablespoon of raw cane sugar, and 1.5 tablespoons of granulated sugar into the jar. Mix everything thoroughly.
2. Cover the jar’s opening with the towel/muslin and secure it with the elastic band. This allows your starter to ‘breathe’.
3. Stir this mixture well twice a day and leave it in a warm spot for 4 to 6 days.
4. As soon as you hear or see bubbles when you stir it, your soda starter is ready!

Step 2: Ingredients for Homemade Julmust

Ingredient	Quantity	Notes
Raisins	1dl
Dried Figs	3
Plums (dried)	3 to 4
Ginger	1 dl, finely chopped
Dried Juniper Berries	1 dl, lightly ground	Use a mortar and pestle.
Pomeransskal (Bitter Orange Peel)	2	Can be hard to find; try specialist Nordic or health food stores.
Muskotblomma (Mace)	2	Note: This is not nutmeg!
Cloves	3
Cardamom Pods	10
Star Anise	2
Cinnamon Sticks	4-5
Citric Acid	2 teaspoons	Available at most health food shops or pharmacies.
Water	1 litre + 2.5 litres
Dark Raw Sugar	400 grams
Soda Starter	2 dl	(From the recipe above)

Step 3: Preparation Method

1. Combine the fruit, herbs, citric acid, and $1\text{ litre}$ of water in a large pot.
2. Bring the mixture to the boil and let it simmer for $20\text{ minutes}$.
3. Add the sugar and stir until it has completely melted.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the remaining $2.5\text{ litres}$ of cold water.
5. Put a lid on your pot and let the mixture infuse for about $12\text{ hours}$.
6. Strain $2\text{ dl}$ of your soda starter through a sieve and mix it into the main Julmust mixture. Discard the solids from the starter.
7. Cover the pot again with a kitchen towel and leave it at room temperature for $3$ to $5$ days.
8. When you hear a faint fizzing sound when you move the mixture, your Julmust is ready!
9. Pour the Julmust into well-cleaned and sterilised glass bottles.
10. Leave the filled bottles at room temperature for another $1\text{-}2\text{ days}$ to allow initial carbonation.
11. Finally, place the bottles in the fridge to halt the fermentation process.

Storage: You can store your homemade Julmust in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Remember, if you keep ‘feeding’ your soda starter, you can brew this festive drink again and again!

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