Wash the citrus and strawberries thoroughly under cold running water
Bring to the boil 250g water and 250g sugar until dissolved. Zest as much citrus as the recipe calls for and add it into the hot sugary water along with a few sprigs of fresh mint and basil.
Add 1750g of cold water to cool the liquid down along with the citrus juice. Let it infuse for 30 minutes to an hour.
When infused strain through a sieve into a suitable 3-Litre container.
Cut 500g strawberries in half and add to the "lemonade".
Cover the container with a loosely fitting lid, plastic glove or lid with an airlock.
Ferment it
Let the mix ferment at a temperature between 21°C or 77°F and 30°C or 86°F. The time it takes will depend on the temperature. Colder slower and hotter quicker. Mine fermented in 4 days with a day temperature of 27°C or 80°F and night temperature of 18°C or 64°F. You might see some calm yeast form on the top of the surface. It's a white layer that looks almost like mold but it's harmless. If you're not sure then send me a pic on Instagram and I will tell you if it's ok or not.
Once fermented it should taste less sweet as the yeast consumed most of the sugars. It should have a slight fizz and fragrant ripe almost wine-like strawberry aroma.
Bottle it
Strain the fermented strawberry liquid through a sieve and pour into 500ml swing-top bottles along with a teaspoon of sugar. This is so that the yeast has enough sugar to ferment in order to produce carbon dioxide as a by-product which in turn carbonates the soda. Add in a few sprigs of tarragon too.
Close the bottles and leave at room temperature for another 3-4 days.
Test one bottle by opening it to see if it's nice and fizzy. If not close and let it go for longer. If it's nice and bubbly then chill it well for a few hours in the fridge before drinking.
To serve
Fill a few well-chilled glasses with ice and add some cherries and strawberries along with more fresh tarragon. Pour and enjoy straight away.
Notes
You can change the fruit used in this recipe to any other fruit like apricots, peaches, other berries or plums.
Do not let it over ferment or forget about it at room temperature as the bottles could explode if the pressure builds up too much. This happens extremely rarely but I have to say it.