Infusing flavours, rather than blending or juicing fruits and vegetables, elevates your water. Plain water can be boring and by creating a fun combination of fruits and vegetables, you are more likely to drink and stay hydrated.

Fruit infused water is made by adding different combinations of fruits, herbs, and vegetables to water in order to infuse it with their flavours. It is so easy to make at home, and you can experiment with endless combinations to suit you and your family’s preferences.

Why you’ll love fruit infused water:

Gentle sweet taste. If you are reducing your sugar intake, soda and fruit juice will begin to taste uncomfortably sweet. Infused water is much more gentle, and very refreshing.
Nutritional content. Vitamins and minerals from the fruit can be released into the water - eating the fruit will increase nutritional content.
Digestive support. Digestion is better when your body is well hydrated.
Weight-balancing effects. People who drink plenty of water each day tend to lose more weight than those who do not.

Fruit infusions are so easy to prepare!I recommend trying one of these summer combinations:

Cucumber, fresh mint
Cucumber, lime, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary,
Cucumber, jalapeno, orange
Strawberry, fresh basil, lemon
Mango, fresh mint, ginger
Lemon, lime

Fruit Infused Water

Prep time : 15 minutes

“Cook” time : 2-3 hours

Total time : 3-4 hours

Servings : 1-4 people, depending on whether or not you want to share!

INGREDIENTS

Cold or room temperature water
1 litre container (glass jars are ideal)
Fruits and veggies you love (see above for inspiration)

DIRECTIONS

Use cold or room temperature water because using hot water will break down enzymes and vitamins.
Use a 1 litre container that can be refrigerated and does not leak. I like using glass mason jars.
Slice ingredients (tear herbs into large chunks, or mush them with a muddler or wooden spoon) and add to the water. For faster, more flavourful infusions, thinly slice fruits and vegetables. Thinner slices have more surface area to permeate the surrounding water.
Infuse the fruit in the water for 1-2 hours (room temperature) or 3-4 hours (refrigerated). The warmer it is outside, the safer it is to choose the refrigeration method. You can Infuse for up to 8 hours if you prefer strong drinks.

Notes:

Citrus: If allowed to infuse for too long (after 5-6 hours), citrus fruits can impart bitter flavours to the water. The white piths of citrus rinds can be especially strong. Remove citrus slices after two to three hours to avoid this bitterness. You can omit citrus rinds altogether and stick to the fruits’ sweetly pulpy flesh.

Soft fruits: Watermelon, mango, and kiwi infuse quickly so remove them sooner. If left in the water too long, they will be mushy and more difficult to strain.

Heartier fruits: Apples, celery, and carrots can infuse for overnight or even up to 12-18 hours as they are heartier.

Water temperature: Infusing fruit into cold water allows flavours to develop slowly and fully. Hot water can destroy the sweetness of the fruit and the oils of the herbs. Use room temperature water if you need to speed up the infusion process.

Timing and measurement: let your taste preference determine the length of infusion and amount of ingredients. The more of an ingredient you use, and the longer you let it infuse, the stronger the flavours will be. To speed up the process, crush fruits and herbs before adding them to the water.

Frozen Fruit: Frozen fruit can be used if fresh is not available. The infusion will not be as flavourful and will break down more than fresh fruit in the water.

Eating the Ingredients: Keep the finished infusion refrigerated and remove fruit and herbs after no more than 12 hours. Fruit and vegetables begin to break down in the water and get mushy, so if you want to enjoy eating them, or adding them to smoothies then remove them a little earlier.

Learn how your body uses water, signs of dehydration and great tips to keep hydrated by reading my post, Why Summer Hydration is Important.

Do you have a favourite fruit infusion combo? Share it with us, we would love to hear from you!

Krista

xo