Healthy Infused Water Recipes Anyone Can Make
Make boring water taste amazing by infusing it with your favorite fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. We’ll show you how to make refreshing, naturally flavored water so you can start enjoying the health benefits today! 6 unique recipes means you’ll never get tired of the same old flavors.
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Infused Water Recipes Anyone Can Make
I have always enjoyed drinking water but lately I’ve been craving soda big time! I’ve always kept my soda drinking to a minimum even though I love the stuff! Recently my soda intake has gone way up. If I’m drinking more soda, it usually means I’m drinking less water.
A change needed to happen so I started making infused water to see if it would help me stop drinking soda. It totally did! Fruit infused water is so refreshing on these warm summer days. It’s easy to make. Looks gorgeous in the fridge. Plus, I love the health benefits of drinking more water. Kids love it too so it’s great for the whole family.
What is Infused Water?
Some of you might be wondering what infused water is. Infused water, flavored water, or detox water, as it’s sometimes called, is water that takes on the flavors of something that has been soaking in it. Most people use fruit to make infused water but you can also steep vegetables, herbs, spices or a combo.
The water fusion usually takes a couple of hours. This gives your ingredients enough time to fully permeate the water. Leaving you with a delicious blend of refreshing flavors. Because your only infusing the flavors of fruits with the water, instead of eating the whole fruit, there are very few calories being added.
What Are the Heath Benefits of Infused Water?
Is infused water good for you? Yes! There are some great health benefits to drinking infused water.
- Kick sugary drinks to the curb!
As I mentioned above, I started using fruit infused water to help me kick my soda habit but it’s also an excellent swap for sugary fruit juice too. These drinks are full of added sugars that can effect weight, teeth health, hydration and spikes in blood sugar.
2. Drink more water!
Our bodies are 60 percent water. We need water for our body to function properly. Water helps lubricate joints, regulates body temps, aids the digestive system, helps maintain blood pressure, prevents kidney damage, promotes healthy skin and supports the body in many other ways.
3. Extra vitamins!
Adding fruit, veggies, herbs, and spices to your water gives you a vitamin boost. Not only are those goodies saturating your water with flavor but also with vitamins. Fruits and veggies have there own properties so you’ll get different nutrients depending on which water enhancing ingredients you use.
Need a vitamin C boost? Add citrus fruits to your water. Will you get a huge boost of vitamins? No. You’ll of course get more nutrients if you just eat the fruit but you’ll get a small bonus.
There are other health benefits you might see from drinking infused water such as: clearer skin and shinier hair, more energy through out the day, and a stronger immune system.
How To Make Infused Water
Infused water is really easy to make at home. Using ripe produce will give you the most flavor. There are a couple more things you’ll need to know before getting started on your own infused water journey.
What Type of Water Do I Use?
Filtered water is the best choice for making infused water. Municipal tap water has added chemicals, such as fluoride and chlorine, that are used to cleanse the water. In small doses they aren’t too harmful but the more water you drink and the longer showers you take, the more you’re exposed to them.
Drinking filtered water removes many of the harmful chemicals we get from tap water while preserving the good minerals we need. Filtered water will taste better which will improve the taste of your infused water. Can you use tap water? Sure but it might not be as healthy.
Room temperature water is very important when making infused water. Cold water will preserve the ingredients too much, leaving you with less flavored water. If your water is too hot, your fruits and veggies will break down too fast. You will have less nutrients in your water and your infused water won’t last as long.
What Type of Ingredients Do I Use?
You can use fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices to make infused water. Not all produce is created equal however.
Organic ingredients are the best choice when it comes to infused water. In the U.S., organic crops are grown without bioengineered genes, synthetic pesticides and petroleum or sewage sludge-based fertilizers.
Organic produce usually contains fewer pesticides. Using organic produce to make flavored water means less toxins in our infused water.
Fruits and Vegetables When Organic Really Matters
- Cucumbers
- Celery
- Hot Peppers
- Apples
- Peaches
- Imported Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Grapes
Fruits and Vegetables When Organic Does NOT Matter
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Cantaloupe
- Papaya
- Pineapple
- Grapefruit
Locally grown produce is a great option for infused water. Produce that is shipped from far away has been pick well before they have ripened. This means they have less nutrients and less flavor. Local produce that has been picked right at their peak of ripeness are full of flavor. That flavor is going right into your infused water making it taste better.
When you shop locally, you are buying produce that’s in season. Using in-season produce will save you money and also insure a more flavorful infused water. Shop at your local Farmer’s Market to get the best locally grown produce or grow your own by starting a garden.
What Type of Container Should I Use?
There are a couple of different options when it comes to the type of container you’ll use to make your infused water. Glass is always your best option. The acid in some fruits can breakdown plastic over time. If you are buying a plastic bottle then you need it to be BPA free. Dishwasher safe is also an important option in my opinion.
- A big pitcher is perfect for making a big batch of infused water. You’ll have fresh, flavored water to grab through out your day. It’s also great for big families or larger events like a backyard barbecue.
- Mason Jars are a great option for infused water. Half-gallon Mason Jars can make a bigger batch and smaller 16 oz jars are perfect for individual batches. I love to buy a couple different types of produce and add them to the smaller jars.
I get more variety through out the day that way. The Ball Jars look so pretty in the fridge with all that colorful fruit in them. I use these plastic mason jar lids instead of the metal ones they come with. Not a fan of Mason jars? Buy cute Glass Water Jars or Carafe’s with lids.
- Bring your infused water with you on the go with an infused water bottle. You’ll want to consider the size of the water bottle, insulation, leak free, light and durability.
Make Infused Water in 5 Easy Steps!
Here are the basic steps of making infused water:
- Wash and then chop your fruit and veggies and tear or smash any herbs you might be using. Spices can go in whole or sprinkled in. Harder fruits and veggies like apples or cucumbers should be sliced thin, while softer fruits can be left in bigger chunks.
- Add your ingredients into a glass jar, or infuser water bottle or pitcher.
- Fill container with room-temp, filtered water.
- Leave out on counter to steep for 2-4 hours.
- Next, put your water into fridge to get cold.
- Enjoy your flavored water!
Things You Should Know About Infused Water
- The longer it infuses, the more flavor you’ll get.
- It’s best to drink flavored water the day it’s made but it can last up to 3 days in the fridge. Just make sure to take the produce out after the first 24-48 hours.
- Reuse the produce for another batch. Simply leave the fruit in your container and refill with water. Let it seep again. I like to let it seep in the fridge on the second and third time around since the fruit is already cold. The flavor will be more subtle with each refill.
- You can eat the produce after infusing water but most of the flavor will be depleted. Freeze it for smoothies if you want or just compost it.
- It’s best to infuse water for 2-4 hours at room temperature but you can also steep it overnight in the fridge.
- Use filtered water, sparkling water, or even Kefir water.
- You can use frozen fruit but the flavor won’t be as good.
- Don’t use canned fruit. It’s packed in too much sugar and won’t taste nearly as good as fresh fruit.
Flavored Water Recipes to Make
There are so many flavor combinations when it comes to infused water. A quick search on Pinterest or Google will give you endless recipes. I’m going to start you off with a couple of ideas to try.
Once you get the hang of which fruit brews you like, you’ll be able to more easily come up with your own unique blends. It’s fun to get creative and see what you like. I was quiet surprised at how much I liked watermelon and cucumber in water even though I’m not a fan of eating either of them.
These aren’t really exact recipes. It’s more combinations to try out. I didn’t measure anything but I’ll give you some tips on what works best for each recipe. Remember, you can and should play around with the amount of ingredients. My taste preference is going to be different than yours. This is a starting off point.
Lemon Ginger Mint Water
The lemon is the most powerful flavor in this mix so use it a bit more sparingly. I really thought the ginger would be strong but it wasn’t. I used this combo in my big pitcher. It’s a very refreshing flavor combo.
Add 1/2 of a sliced lemon with rind on. Peel and slice 2-3 inches of ginger. Muddle or tear 8-10 mint leaves. Add them to the pitcher and then fill with filtered water.
The next 5 recipes were made in 16 oz mason jars for individual use. It’s nice for everyone in the family to grab which ever flavored water they prefer. If you want to make a larger batch in a pitcher just triple the amount of produce you use.
Smaller batches will have a stronger flavor while flavored water made in the pitcher is usually more subtle because there’s only so much fruit you can fit in the inner tube.
Mango Pineapple Coconut Water
The tropical flavors in this mix are amazing! Slice mango and chop pineapple into chunks. I used coconut flakes to make things easier but you can use fresh coconut.
For an individual mason jar fusion, add 4-5 mango slices, 5-6 pineapple chunks, and 1/4 cup of coconut flakes. Fill the remaining jar with water and cap.
Watermelon Lime Jalapeño Water
I love the kick that jalapeño brings to water. When I really want a soft drink, I turn to this flavor combo. It’s just spicy enough to really fill in for soda.
Add 6 chunks of watermelon, 3 lime slices, and 3 jalapeño slices to your mason jar and top with water.
I let this sit out for 2-4 hours and then I take out 2 of the 3 jalapeño slices. If you leave all the slices in, your water will get spicer as time goes on. Leaving in one slice gives you just enough heat with out setting your mouth on fire.
Strawberry Basil Peach Water
Strawberries are the strong flavor in this recipe but if you’d rather taste more peach then make sure you have more peach in your water than strawberries.
Slice 6 strawberries in half. I keep the leaves on because It looks prettier but feel free to cut them off. They won’t effect the taste of the water. Add 4 peaches sliced and 2 smashed basil leaves.
Grapefruit Cucumber Cilantro Water
This combo is great for hot summer days or just after a work out. It’s refreshing with a bit of a kick. If you bought organic cucumber then you can leave the skin on otherwise peel it off.
Use 2-3 slices of cucumber, 3-4 pieces of grapefruit (peel and white pulp removed), a couple sprigs of cilantro.
Orange Lime Blueberry Water
Slice one orange and one lime, leaving the peel on. You might need to cut the oranges down even more to fit in your jar.
Throw in 4 orange slices, 2-3 slices of lime, and about 1/3 cup of blueberries. Pour water over the fruit and then, with a spoon or fork, give the blueberries a bit of a mash. If you keep them whole they won’t add much flavor to your water.
It seems everyone is talking about infused water. There are special bottles to take your infused waters on the go and jugs and pitchers that also make it easy and pretty to display at a dinner party. Truth is, from a health perspective infused water is good for you and tasty too! And even better, you don’t need any fancy glasses, jugs or pitchers – a simple mason jar or 2 will do the trick.
Yep. The extra bottles can be fun and can make it easier to drink infused water but you can definitely use mason jars like we did in our photos. I think flavored water in mason jars can be quite pretty.