How to Make Infused Water
This post is all about infused water ideas.
One of my new year’s resolutions is to drink more water and so far I’ve done a good job sticking to it. I feel more hydrated, my skin looks amazing, and I’ve even dropped a few pounds. I’ve made water a daily habit and I was able to do this by making water less boring for me. My journey to boring-free water began last year when I learned how to make infused water.
Infused water is a great way to drink more water, helps with weight loss efforts, and helps you get more vitamins while also treating yourself with a little bit of sweetness. We all know that sugary drinks aren’t good for us (even when additional sugar is not added). Infused water gives many of the benefits of both fruit and water without some of the potential negatives like sugars and additional calories.
Just What Is Infused Water?
Infused water, sometimes also referred to as detox water or fruit flavored water, refers to water that is filled with fruit, veggies, and maybe even certain types of herbs to infuse strong flavor and antioxidants into the water itself.
Everyone knows they should drink a lot of water, but most people find water so plain that it’s hard to do. Flavoring the water with fruit and veggies is a great way to bring a delicious and lasting flavor to water that will cause you to want more and make getting that daily amount of water an easy task instead of a rough chore.
Is It Okay To Drink Infused Water Everyday? What Are the Benefits?
There are many benefits that infused water brings to the table. Aside from tasting better and having a wide variety of tastes because of all the different fruits and veggies that can be mixed with water, there are multiple benefits to water that’s been infused with herbs, fruits, and vegetables.
One reason is there’s less sugar. Commercially produced “natural flavored water” often has unhealthy chemicals or even has calories from sugar and sugar substitutes. Kind of defeats the whole purpose of drinking water for your health, doesn’t it?
You’ll also notice instant benefits from the improved hydration. This isn’t a water substitute – it’s still fully water which means you get all the benefits to go along with that delicious extra flavor and taste!
Many people claim they can feel the toxins wash out of their system with infused water, and there’s no question the extra antioxidants and hydration mean you will keep food moving through your system during digestion, feel fuller more often to prevent over eating, and being fully hydrated can even help your body release fat cells and improve your overall mood.
Add in all the benefits that simply come from feeling healthier, feeling better, and not suffering from dehydration problems and it quickly becomes clear why this practice has become so popular. You can drink infused water everyday but just note that there are minor risks such as tooth enamel erosion caused by consuming a lot of citrus fruits.
Infused Water Ideas: How to Make Infused Water on Your Own
The best part of all this might be the fact that learning how to make fruit infused water is so relatively easy. Literally anyone can learn how to do it!
Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients
Think about what type of flavor combinations you want. Apple and cinnamon go together really well. So does mint with citrus. Some like strawberries or raspberries and sliced cucumbers taste delicious even alone. Think about what flavors you want to make. Here are some ingredients to choose from:
- Fruits: berries, citrus fruits, kiwi, mango, melon, pears, apples, watermelon,
- Vegetables: cucumbers, fennel, celery
- Herbs: mint, rosemary, basil, thyme, cilantro, black tea, chamomile, sage, dill, lavender
- Spices: ginger, cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean, cardamom pods
Step 2: Slice Or Cut As Needed
The infusion works better with fruits and veggies that are sliced, so plan on creating thin slices of apple, cutting strawberries in half, and making the other cuts necessary to have a solid amount of fruit or veggies ready to add to a pitcher of water.
Generally you want a large jug that has a half gallon or full gallon of water to add the fruit or veggies to. This helps to guarantee you have plenty of flavorful fruit water to drink and that there’s plenty of space for the flavor to soak in. And of course, clean and pure water is the most important ingredient (no tap water!).
Step 3: Let Sit
Many people believe that letting infused water sit overnight gives you the best or strongest flavor the next day, but most combinations are fantastic after 4 hours and some even sooner than that. Citrus fruits, for example, infuses very quickly and can sometimes be ready in minutes.
Step 4: Don’t Forget To Re-Fill!
You’ll enjoy drinking your fruit infused water creations so much you may forget to re-fill them. Don’t make this rookie mistake!
Getting in on this health trend of drinking fruit infused water really is just this easy.
Infused Water Ideas
These infused water ideas are some of my favorites. For example, strawberries alone in water are awesome, as is pineapple if you love tropical fruit and it’s loaded in Vitamin C. However by adding a couple flavors together you can create some amazing infused water flavors that will make you a permanent fan!
1. Citrus Blueberry Mint Combinations
You really can’t go wrong mixing and matching these three. Blueberry lemon mint is a very popular one, but if you prefer a little bit more tartness replace the lemon with lime for an equally delicious effect! There’s just something about blueberry and citrus that mixes so well in water, and throwing in some mint is the perfect touch.
2. Cucumber Lime Mint
Cucumber water has long been a “secret” of many high end restaurants to add that delicious extra flavor, and what isn’t made more refreshing by mint and lime? Make sure to peel the cucumbers before adding the slices as the outer skin can cause some bitterness to seep in that messes up the flavor. See my version of this recipe here.
3. Cherry Lime
Hey, why invent the wheel? There’s a reason this flavor is so popular with juice and it comes together in a beautiful way when you infuse these two sliced fruits with some water for a delicious refreshing flavor.
4. Apple Cinnamon
This is another flavour example that goes under “classic.” While this isn’t the most appealing for some people who want something a little more crisp with their water, it is a definite winner if you love this flavor and can be a great counter if you’ve had a lot of overly crisp options (like a lot of different mint pairings).
5. Citrus & Ginger
Combining ginger with a citrus fruit like lemon or orange (or even grapefruit) creates a nice yin and yang where two very different flavors instead of clashing actually come together to create a great taste. Crush the ginger root with a wooden spoon to get the best results.
3 More Infused Water Ideas
(From left to right) 6. Strawberry Orange Mint // 7. Grapefruit and Basil // 8. Blueberry and Green Tea
These are 3 infused water recipes I created in a separate blog post. You can get the recipes here!
These are just a few favorite infused water ideas you can try out, but of course a lot of the fun is figuring out what flavor combinations you love the most!
How Long Can Infused Water Last?
You should store infused water in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; however, drinking it the same day or the next day is optimal. Always drink un-refrigerated infused water the same day. Another good rule of thumb is to remove the infused fruits from the water after the second day. Doing so will help prevent fruits and vegetables from decomposing in the water and creating flavors that are undesirable.
Loved this post on how to make fruit infused water and the amazing infused water ideas? Try a combination and share your thoughts by commenting below!
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