Do you enjoy drinking water? Staying hydrated is vital to our overall health, and yet, many of us struggle to drink the amount of water that is recommended. You’re supposed to be drinking enough water to match half of your body weight in ounces, every single day? Yeah, let that sink in.
One of my August goals was to increase my water intake to match my body weight ratio. The result has been more energy, mental clarity, glowing skin, and gently detoxifying my body by using the bathroom more frequently. My favorite way to drink more water? Creating delicious fruit and herb infusions! Adding fruits and herbs to our water not only elevates the taste factor but also provides key nutrients, making your glass of water more nutritious. Creating water infusions can help to curb your appetite, boost your immune system, and provide beneficial antioxidants. Infused water also looks pretty (that counts for something!) and tastes amazingly refreshing. If you’re a fan of fruit juice or soda, consider replacing at least one glass a day with fruit infused water to give your body a gentle detox from sugar and additives. Every time you reach for a glass of fruit infused water instead of juice, or soda, you are participating in an act of self-care. Water is life, and fruit infusions are the “ah-ha” moment your water has been waiting for.
Now that I’ve convinced you to give water infusions a try, let’s talk recipes! Creating your own water infusion combinations is as easy as rinsing, slicing, and dropping fruit into a jar of filtered water. There is no right or wrong combination, it’s all about what tastes good to you! I’m sharing my favorite water infusions as inspiration. Try them out, then experiment with your own recipes.
Each of these recipes can be scaled down to a single glass of water, or scaled up to create a large pitcher to offer guests at a party. Always remember to start with fresh, organic fruits and herbs whenever possible, and rinse your produce before adding to your water.
If you create more than one infused water at a time using different combinations, be sure to rinse your cutting board in between batches to keep the flavors fresh. Now let’s get to the recipes!
This water infusion has citrus and woodsy elements that will transition well into the winter months when citrus is at its best. Consider making a big batch of this grapefruit infused water to serve at Thanksgiving!
Ingredients:
1/2 Organic grapefruit
2 Rosemary sprigs
Rinse and slice your grapefruit in half, then into rings. Next cut triangular shapes so that you have several smaller pieces. Reserve the end of your grapefruit and squeeze in its juice before discarding or composting.
Place your grapefruit slices gently into a large jar full of filtered water.
Next, rinse your rosemary sprigs. Place the sprigs in your palm and clap your other hand over them. This helps release the herbs’ aroma. Place the sprigs into the jar of water.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to three days. Enjoy chilled.
Chocolate mint is the unexpected star of this infusion. Find it at farmer’s markets, or grow your own! I got a starter plant from Home Depot that is now growing wild in my garden. If you can’t find chocolate mint, regular mint will work just fine.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Organic Strawberries
3 sprigs Chocolate mint
Rinse your strawberries and slice them in half lengthwise. There is no need to remove the tops. Drop each half into a  jar of filtered water.
Rinse your chocolate mint and smack between your hands to release the oils. It will smell amazing too! Gently drop the mint into your water.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours up to overnight. This water infusion is best enjoyed within one day. Enjoy chilled.
Nothing says summer like watermelon. Since watermelon is already 90% water, adding it to your infusion is like giving your water a superpower! Don’t worry about the watermelon becoming mushy and floating around everywhere, it doesn’t. This is my favorite combo of them all.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced watermelon
1 Organic lemon
1 Small cucumber or 1/2 large
Note: Only fill your glass halfway with water for this recipe. There is a lot of fruit (yes, cucumber is a fruit) packed in which could cause your water to spill if you fill it all the way. Top off the water once you’re finished.
Rinse the lemon, then place it on the cutting board and roll it against the palm of your hand to release its juices. Next, slice the lemon into rings. Remove seeds if you wish.
Squeeze the juice out of the ends of the lemon before discarding or composting.
Place the lemon slices into the water.
Next, rinse the cucumber and slice it into rings. Gently add the cucumber slices to the jar of water.
Finally, rinse your watermelon, then slice it in half. Use one of the halves to cut a few slices. Cut the melon away from the rind and make smaller pieces. Add these trimmed pieces to your water.
Refrigerate the remaining watermelon for later use. Perhaps try out one of the watermelon recipes from this post.
Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours and up to three days. Enjoy chilled.
There you have it! Three delicious fruit and herb water infusions to get you started. Once you try these combinations, I urge you to trust your intuition and create your own deliciously infused water. Fill up a large pitcher to wow your guest at your next party! Or enjoy them as a post-work out drink. Or do as I do and drink them just because. I hope you enjoyed these recipes. I’d love to hear your feedback so don’t hesitate to leave a comment or drop me a line.
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Thanks for reading! Until next time,
Photography by Morgan Pirkle, to see more of her work visit keptrecord.com.
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