Squash is a non-alcoholic concentrated syrup used in beverage making. It is
usually fruit-flavoured, made from fruit juice, water, and sugar or a sugar
substitute. Modern squashes may also contain food colouring and additional
flavouring. Some traditional squashes contain herbal extracts, most notably
elderflower and ginger. Drinks
Squash is mixed with a certain amount of water or carbonated water before
drinking. As a drink mixer, it may be combined with an alcoholic beverage to
prepare a cocktail. Citrus fruits or a blend of fruits and
berries are commonly used as the base of squash. Popular blends are apple with
blackcurrant, raspberry with pomegranate, and orange or peach with
mango. Less popular single-fruit squashes are also produced, such as
pineapple, pomegranate, raspberry, and strawberry. Barley water is sometimes
considered a type of squash. Traditional squashes are usually
flavoured with ginger, chokeberries, elderflower, and sometimes orange or
lemon. Squash commands a large share of the
fruit juices and soft drinks market. Squash is popular in the United Kingdom,
Argentina, Bangladesh, Malta, Pakistan, Ireland, India, Indonesia, Israel,
Denmark, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Kenya, Australia, Cyprus, New Zealand,
and Hong Kong. It is generally not available in the
United States. When it is available there, it is quite expensive. Some
Americans make it at home. This process involves boiling water and sugar
together on a low heat, then adding fruit juice and lemon juice. Plant
extracts may also be added. Preparation
Squash is prepared by combining one part concentrate with four or five parts
water. Double-strength squash and traditional cordials, which are thicker,
are made with two parts concentrate. Some squash concentrates are quite weak,
and these are sometimes mixed with one part concentrate and two or three parts
water. It is usually made with cold water, but old-fashioned cordials are
often made with warm water. In convenience stores and supermarkets,
ready-diluted squash is sold in cans, cartons, and plastic bottles.
= Serving= When ordering squash in restaurants,
people are often asked by their server whether they would like it "strong" or
"weak". It is commonly served cold, often with ice, but, especially with
traditional cordials, is often served warm in winter, just as tea or coffee
would be. The most common squash to be served warm was spiced berry, a type
that has almost gone out of fashion but is still made by some companies
specialising in traditional cordials. However, the market for spiced berry
cordial has recently been taken over by cheaper companies manufacturing modern
flavours of squash such as lemon, orange & apple and blackcurrant squash. Another
squash served warm would be peppermint, traditionally used as a treatment for an
upset stomach. Diluted squash is often used as a base
for making cocktails, and as a flavouring or sweetener. Gin can be
mixed with diluted squash to make a cocktail similar to a gin and juice.
= Storage= Most cordials and squashes contain
preservatives such as potassium sorbate or sulphites, as they are designed to be
stored on shelves. They keep well because of the preservatives and their
high sugar content. Nonetheless, they are commonly kept in refrigerators.
Ingredients Ingredients in squashes and cordials
have evolved over the years. A traditional cordial contains three
ingredients: sugar, juice or plant extract and some water. Usually it can
contain an acidifier such as citric acid or in very old-fashioned cordials lemon
juice, or even spices such as cinnamon or cloves. Recreations of these
traditional preparations often contain a preservative especially sulphur dioxide,
although sugar alone will keep it fresh for quite a long time. Modern squash
drinks are generally more complex and sugar free squash even more so; the
ingredients are usually water, sweetener such as aspartame or sodium saccharin,
juice in a low quantity, large quantities of flavouring, preservatives
and sometimes a colour such as anthocyanin. In the middle are ordinary
squashes, which contain sugar, water, a larger amount of juice, preservatives,
colouring such as anthocyanin and often a small amount of flavouring. Although
colours such as Allura Red AC and Sunset Yellow FCF are occasionally used in
squash, most modern British companies are gradually aiming to use natural
colours such as beta carotene or anthocyanins, and natural flavourings.
= Flavourings= Traditional squashes may be flavoured
with elderflowers, lemon, pomegranate, apple, strawberry, chokeberry, orange,
pear, or raspberry. Modern squashes usually have simpler
flavours, such as orange, apple, summer fruit, blackcurrant, apple and
blackcurrant, peach, pineapple, mango, lime, or lemon.
Terminology "Cordial", "diluted juice", and "squash"
are similar products, although the products known as cordials tend to be
thicker and stronger, requiring less syrup and more water to be blended.
"High juice" is not a brand of squash but rather a type that contains a larger
amount of juice, around 45%. Squash is often colloquially known as
"juice", especially when talking to young children because they might not
understand the term "squash". But this term is a misnomer; no squash is pure
juice. Squashes are commonly called according to the fruit from which they
are made. More rarely, they may be called "fruit drink", especially if they
are ready-diluted in a plastic bottle or paper carton.
Fruit juice content Squashes are measured by their juice
content, the average being 30%. A variety of squash that contains a larger
amount of fruit juice, up to half or more of the volume in juice, is sold in
markets as "high juice", and squashes are quite often called "juice" when
talking to children, especially these high-juice beverages, although this may
be confusing. However, many squashes contain less than 20% juice, and some as
little as 5-10%. The latter are typically low in nutritional value, and
the high juice versions are reasonably higher in nutrients, although one
downside is that it is high in sugar and does not contain fibre or minor
nutrients. That goes with almost all squashes. A low juice squash may state
"with real fruit juice" on the label. Low-sugar squashes
Squashes labelled "no added sugar" are artificially sweetened, usually with
aspartame, acesulfame K, saccharin or sucralose, which is much cheaper for the
manufacturers than both HFCS and natural sugar. They are very low in calories,
sometimes having as few as 4 per 100ml diluted, and they are marketed towards
families seeking low calorie alternatives. They tend to be very low
in fruit juice, as fruit juice contains natural sugars, so they usually also
contain natural or artificial flavourings to make up for the lack of
fruit juice taste. Squash in British culture
Squashes make up a part of the beverage diets of children in the UK, besides
fizzy drinks, sweetened juice-based drinks such as cranberry drink and
pulp-free fruit juices. At parties, play dates, picnics, day care centres,
preschools and excursions, low-sugar squashes are usually the only options
served to children alongside plain water.
World markets Manufacturers of squash include Britvic,
Hamdard, Nichols, Suntory and Coca-Cola. Australian brands include Cottee's,
Bickford's, P&N Beverages and Golden Circle cordials. Indian brands include
Kissan and Rasna. In Israel, fruit squashes are produced by such companies
as Assis, Prigat and Primor. = Advertising=
Squash companies can use many types of advertising to encourage their products
to appeal to customers. These include pictures, such as children picking fruit
or anthropomorphic fruit, behind-the-label "fruity fun" such as
word searches, crossword puzzles, word scrambling etc., tickets to experiences
such as film tickets, football or other sport match tickets, weekend breaks, new
film releases or theme park trips See also
Elderflower cordial Fruit syrup
Nectar Shrub
Temperance bar References
External links History and scope of the fruit juices
and drinks industry