How People Are Using Sodastreams To Make Fruit 10X Better

Snacks don't get much better than fruit. With endless varieties offering everything from sweetness and tartness to creaminess and tanginess, there's a flavor for just about everyone. All of that and it's good for you — how could fruit possibly be improved?

With bubbles. That's right, a trend is sweeping social media, showing people carbonating fruit with Sodastreams and similar devices. Grapes, watermelon, orange slices — all kinds of fruit work with this hack, and it's so easy. Essentially, you just add fruit right into the Sodastream bottle as you would water. The result is already delicious fruit, made exciting and novel with a snazzy fizz. As TikTok user vidsbyjuan remarks upon biting into carbonated watermelon, "it tastes like soda, but I'm eating it."

Here's exactly how to give your fruit the soda treatment. First, you'll want clean, chilled fruit because carbon dioxide dissolves more easily into cold liquids — the same reason using warm water is one of the biggest mistakes you can make with a SodaStream. So with fruit, you're essentially carbonating its water content. Just make sure to chop fruit small enough to put into your bottle, keeping below the fill line. Here's where things get a little different: Give the Sodastream a few pumps, then let it sit, bottle-on, for about 15 minutes. Then repeat this for about an hour. This gives the pressure time to settle into the fruit and lets CO2 pass through the fruit's cell walls to really carbonate each bite.

Carbonated fruit isn't a brand-new concept. On platforms like TikTok, some commenters reminisce about "fizzy fruit" growing up. In fact, there are other ways to make effervescent fruit, if you don't already have a Sodastream. You can line the bottom of a cooler with dry ice, place a towel over it — since dry ice should never come into direct contact with food — and then layer your fruit on top. Seal the cooler, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it hang out for 12 to 24 hours; and tada, bubbly fruit.

As with dry ice, there are some considerations when carbonating fruit with your Sodastream. Technically, you're not supposed to use anything but water with these devices. Different things will pressurize and react differently, and if something gets into the machine's valve or other hard-to-reach places, it can clog. If this happens because you used a non-water substance, Sodastream doesn't honor your warranty. Fruit chunks are unlikely to get sucked into crevices, and those who have experimented on social media so far seem to have avoided any issues, but it's good to be aware. For added precaution, add water to your fruit when carbonating and strain off. Either way, you'll have dazzling, tasty fruit to eat as is, or as a serious upgrade to any fruit salad. Fizzy fruit also makes a delightful garnish and adds an instant burst of fresh flavor to hard seltzer.