Fruit flavored water is healthy and tasty. Prepare a couple of jugs and keep them in the fridge - you'll see that this will make it much easier to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Simple Fruit-based Recipes
Step 1. Flavor the water with citrus fruits
Calculate 1-3 fruits for every liter of water. Wash them, cut them into thin slices and let them rest in cold water for at least 3 hours. If you want to let them sit longer to intensify the flavor of the water, peel them first to prevent them from souring.
- Here you will find a detailed guide to various recipes based on fruit and herbs.
- Try adding 5 grams of mint or basil leaves.
Step 2. Flavor the water with strawberries or raspberries
Use about 1 cup of fruit for every quart of water. Fresh berries should be reduced to a pulp with a wooden spoon, otherwise it will be difficult to obtain a good infusion. The frozen ones are already chopped, but it is better to chop them further to speed up the procedure. Leave the fruit to infuse for at least 3 hours, then drain the liquid.
This recipe goes well with the juice of half a lemon
Step 3. Prepare the cucumber water
Slice a cucumber into thin slices and place them in a pitcher of water. Leave them to infuse overnight. Try to finish the drink within a couple of days.
- You can also cut the whole cucumber in half lengthwise and remove the pulp with a spoon before slicing.
- Having a mild taste, you can intensify it with 3 or 4 lemon slices or pineapple cubes.
Step 4. Mix blackberries and sage
It is a sophisticated, delicate and delicious combination. Calculate 1 cup of blackberries for every quart of water, then add a handful of sage leaves.
Step 5. Flavor the water with an apple
Apples and other hard-textured fruits do not release their flavor as quickly as those with soft flesh. Finely slice the apple and leave it to infuse for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. An hour before serving the water, keep it at room temperature to intensify its flavor.
Part 2 of 3: Flavoring Water with Fruit
Step 1. Select the fruit
Follow one of the recipes outlined in the previous section or choose your favorite fruit. You can experiment with different amounts, but start by calculating a handful of small fruits for every liter of water or a couple of cups of berries or cubed fruit for every liter of water.
Fresh seasonal fruit is the tastiest of all. Frozen fruit doesn't look quite as inviting, but it can be better than off-season fresh fruit
Step 2. Wash the fruit thoroughly with tap water
Since the peel will be left to infuse in water, it is very important to remove contaminants by carefully rubbing the surface.
- If the fruit isn't organic, try peeling it to get rid of pesticides from the surface.
- This step is not necessary for frozen fruit.
Step 3. Cut it into wedges or washers
If they are pushed to the bottom of the carafe by a handful of ice cubes, the washers allow you to speed up the infusion. The wedges do not allow to obtain an infusion with a particularly intense flavor, unless the fruit is crushed in the manner described below.
- Cut the washers in half in case the jug is tight.
- Berries and diced fruit should not be sliced.
Step 4. Place the fruit in a jug that you have filled with cold or room temperature water
If you don't like the taste of tap water, treat it with a filter before adding fruit.
Hot water speeds up the infusion, the problem is that it makes the fruit soggy and may drain some nutrients
Step 5. Gently pound the ingredients (optional)
This method substantially speeds up the infusion, but you risk finding yourself with a cloudy, pulpy mixture. For a more pleasing result from an aesthetic point of view, squeeze some juice from the fruit using the handle of a wooden spoon: press and rotate it, but do not crush the fruit completely. If you have time, let it sit for a few hours.
- Alternatively, leave the slices whole to create a more beautiful effect, but squeeze the juice of a fruit to flavor the water.
- To flavor a single glass of water for immediate drinking, mash the fruit with a cocktail pestle.
Step 6. Add a handful of herbs (optional)
Mint and basil are some of the most popular, but you can also opt for rosemary, sage, or any other plant you like. Wash the leaves, then rub them between your hands to bruise them slightly before adding them to the water.
You can use dried herbs, but place them in a tea infuser to prevent them from leaving residues in the drink
Step 7. Add ice (optional)
In addition to cooling the water, it pushes the fruit that would otherwise rise to the surface to the bottom of the jug and filters out a few pieces while you pour the drink.
Step 8. Let the water steep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours
To fully intensify the flavor, you can also wait up to 12 hours. After 12 hours, filter the ingredients to avoid contact with bacteria and unpleasant flavors. Consume the drink within 3 days. Stir it before serving.
Infusion occurs faster at room temperature, but this also accelerates the decomposition of fruit. Leave it to infuse for a couple of hours and drink it within 4 or 5 hours of preparation
Part 3 of 3: Original Variants
Step 1. Mix the fruit with the tea
Infuse the fruit in the pitcher along with a tea bag or tea infuser. Keep the water at room temperature so that the tea infusion takes place without overpowering the other flavors. Wait 1 to 3 hours, then remove the sachet or infuser and drink immediately. Try the following recipes (the ingredients should be mixed with a liter of water):
- Black tea in sachet, 3 mandarins and 4 basil leaves;
- 2 green tea bags, half a mango (sliced) and 50 g of strawberries.
Step 2. Make a spice infusion
Make a cinnamon stick, a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger and / or a few drops of vanilla extract. It is a combination particularly suitable for recipes with a sour taste. Try the following:
- Half a cup of diced pineapple, half a sliced orange and 1 tablespoon of grated ginger;
- A cup of blueberries and a few drops of vanilla extract.
Step 3. Replace still water with carbonated water to make a low-sugar, fizzy drink with no artificial sweeteners
Step 4. Replace 60ml of plain water with coconut water
Try making an infusion by adding peaches or green melon.
You can also use coconut milk. However, being a denser and richer drink, it can be difficult to create a good balance with fruit
Advice
- Large glass jars are cheaper than pitchers. If you want to make different types of drinks, buy more than one.
- The fruit that remains will have given up most of its flavor to the water, but it is still edible.
