Don’t Dump It: Smart Ways To Use Up Flat Soda

Every now and then, a bottle of soda gets shoved to the back of the fridge and loses its fizz. It happens. But before you pour it down the drain, there are plenty of ways to squeeze a little value out of it.

A reader shared several creative uses, and I’ve added a few more that can help you stretch that last inch of cola, root beer or lemon-lime.

Sweet Treats and Desserts

Flat soda still has plenty of sweetness and flavor, which makes it surprisingly useful in simple desserts.

Make soda popsicles: Pour flat soda into popsicle molds and freeze. Kids won’t care that it lost its fizz.

Swap it into cake mix: Use flat soda in place of water or milk in a white or yellow cake mix. Lemon-lime works well in vanilla cake. Cola adds a subtle caramel flavor to chocolate cake.

Flavor Jell-O or jigglers: Use soda in place of part of the cold water when making gelatin. Lemon-lime with lime gelatin is a good match.

Freeze into flavor cubes: Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Drop cubes into fresh soda so you don’t dilute the flavor.

Make quick snow cone syrup: Add extra sugar and simmer until slightly thickened. Cool and pour over crushed ice.

Sweet glaze for baked goods: Simmer cola or orange soda until reduced by half and drizzle over pound cake or quick breads.

Stretch Other Drinks

If you’re making a pitcher of something anyway, flat soda can help stretch the ingredients you already have.

Boost powdered drinks or tea: Replace part of the water and sugar in lemonade, iced tea or fruit drink mix with a coordinating soda. Orange soda with fruit punch works well.

Mix into smoothies: A splash of fruit-flavored soda can replace part of the juice in a smoothie if you’re short on ingredients.

Savory Cooking Ideas

The sugar and flavor in soda can add tenderness and a touch of sweetness to meats and sauces.

Slow cooker pork or ham: Root beer, cola or ginger ale poured over pork roast or ham adds sweetness and helps tenderize as it cooks.

Marinades: Use cola or ginger ale as part of a marinade for beef or chicken. The sugars caramelize nicely when grilled.

Barbecue sauce starter: Simmer cola with ketchup, vinegar and spices for a quick homemade sauce.

Pan deglazer: Add a splash of cola to a skillet after browning meat to loosen the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.

Homemade baked beans: Stir a little cola into baked beans for extra sweetness instead of adding brown sugar.

Sweet glaze for meats: Reduce soda on the stove and brush over ribs or chicken in the last few minutes of cooking.

Around the House

Some sodas, especially cola, have mild acidity that can make them useful for a few small cleaning jobs.

Loosen rust: Soak small rusty items, such as screws or tools, in cola for a few hours, then scrub.

Clean greasy spots: Pour over grease stains in the garage or driveway, let sit, then scrub and rinse.

Toilet bowl cleaner: Pour into the bowl, let sit for an hour, then scrub and flush.

Is it as strong as a commercial cleaner? No. But if the soda is already flat and headed for the sink, you might as well try it first.