An easy formula for making your own quick, healthy fruit and herb infused waters in endless varieties.
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By Monica Matheny
Say goodbye to soda, juice, and bottled water with these refreshing,
healthy flavors! I'm keeping 2-3 flavors of this "spa water" in my
fridge now, so I have a variety to motivate me to drink more water.
I was a hardcore Dr. Pepper girl for years. Then I gave up regular
soda because of the high sugar content and switched to diet soda. Next
we were warned to avoid the chemicals in diet soda; and more recently
studies have indicated that diet soda actually
causes rather than prevents weight gain (
source).
Geez. Lots of us moved on to bottled water, but that has landfill and
environmental consequences and can be less healthy than regular tap
water (
source). Juice has more nutrition than soda, but is comparable in sugar, carb, and calories content (
source). Dang. It's hard to keep up.
Simply water
At the end of the day, regular old
tap water--or at least a filtered version of it--seems to be the way to
go. I'm fortunate that St. Louis is considered to have some of the best
tasting tap water in the U.S. I still prefer the taste of it filtered
through a Brita Water Filter Pitcher--we've been using one for years.
But, I still don't drink enough water.
Aside from my morning coffee, I honestly forget to drink fluids
throughout the day. I know that it's important for my health. I don't
dislike water, but I do get kind of bored with it. That was the
motivation for starting to make flavored waters.
Subtle flavor without sweetness
These aren't
sweet waters, so they'll be disappointing if that's what you're
expecting. This is water with subtle flavors infused into it. Water with
a little something extra. A touch of flavor--not an explosion of
flavor--with little or no sweetness. You've probably had pitchers of ice
water with lemon served at restaurants. This is the same idea, but with
more variety. Many spas serve fancy waters like these, and it turns out
that they couldn't be simpler to make. And, they are oh-so-refreshing.
The KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach to Flavored Waters
My
natural tendency is to go overboard and overcomplicate things, so I
really have to fight that when I'm developing recipes. I read about and
was tempted to try all kinds of methods for flavoring water that involve
blenders, boiling, specialty infuser pitchers, and lots of different
ingredients. But, I know myself. If I truly want to transition
completely away from soda & juice and drink more water throughout
the day, I have to make this simple so it can be an easy routine for me
to maintain. When I read celebrity chef
Jamie Oliver's
quick and uncomplicated approach to making flavored waters, I was
inspired to follow his lead and keep it simple. My easy formula for
making KISS flavored waters is to use only fruit and herbs, water, ice,
and a jar or pitcher. This is something I can make in a minute or two so
I can always have flavored waters on hand in my fridge.
How to make
Naturally Flavored Water
Supplies Needed:
- fruit -- whatever kind you like (except no bananas); make sure it's
good and ripe for maximum sweetness and flavor. I like to use all kinds
of citrus and berries. I also found pineapple and watermelon to work
well for flavoring water. If you don't want to buy whole ones, many
grocery stores sell small containers of pre-cut fruit.
- herbs -- these are optional, but many herbs are a surprising
complement to fruit flavors; almost any herb will work depending on your
personal preference
- jars or pitchers -- I use 2 quart mason jars primarily, but any 2 quart pitcher will do.
(click here to view 2 quart mason jars on Amazon)
- muddler or wooden spoon for mashing fruit and herbs
(click here to view muddler on Amazon)
- ice
- water -- I use filtered water, but regular tap water is fine if yours tastes good to you
(click here to view Brita Water Filter Pitcher on Amazon)
Fresh vs. frozen fruit.
When in season, I prefer to
use fresh fruit. However, when fruit is out of season, the fresh version
can be tart or flavorless. Because fruit that is to be frozen is picked
at the peak of ripeness, it is often the better option for the best
flavor, sweetness, and nutrients. I find this to especially to be the
case with berries and peaches.
A variety of fresh herbs.
Use whatever herbs you
like or happen to have on hand. I picked all of these from my herb
garden and have tried them in flavored waters. It's surprising how well
they blend with most fruit flavors, and they amp up the refreshing
factor of the water. Mint is the most obvious herb choice. I also have
tried basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, lavender, and tarragon. All good.
I'll share some of the fruit and herb combos that I've recently tried
for flavoring water. But, honestly, you can combine most fruits and
herbs according to your favorite flavors and what you have on hand in
your fridge. I'll show you how to make 5 flavor combos. You can take it
from there, creating endless flavor combos of your own.
Quantities: The quantities in my flavored water
recipes are all for 2 quart jars or pitchers. However, I ran out of the 2
quart jars and used a few 1 quart jars, halving the recipe ingredients.
So, don't be confused by the different jar sizes. It's easy to make a
full or half batch depending on your jar or pitcher size.
The first 2 waters are
flavored with fruit only (no herbs)
WASH
FRUIT THOROUGHLY! The citrus and berries need to be really, really
clean to keep contaminants and bacteria out of your flavored water. I
recommend organic fruit, if it isn't going to be peeled.
1. All Citrus Flavored Water
(adds refreshing tartness to water) -- slice 1 orange, 1 lime, 1 lemon
into rounds, then cut the rounds in half. Add to jar, press and twist
with a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon. Press enough to release
some of the juices, but don't pulverize the fruit into pieces. Fill the
jar with ice. Pour in water to the top. Stir it with the handle of a
wooden spoon or a chopstick. Put a lid on it, put it in the fridge, and
chill.
- click here
to view plastic lids for mason jars on Amazon -- these are long-lasting
and easier to screw on and off than the metal rings and lids that come
with the jars; they fit all wide-mouth mason jars
You can drink it right away, but the flavor intensifies if it's made
an hour or two ahead. It's even better the next day. 24 hours later
straight from the fridge, the ice still hasn't melted completely in
mine. The ice at the top serves as a sieve so that you can pour the
flavored water without getting fruit bits in your glass.
2. Raspberry Lime Flavored Water
(beautiful color and mildly tart) -- Quarter 2 limes; with your hands,
squeeze the juice into the jar, then throw in the squeezed lime
quarters. Add raspberries. Press and twist with a muddler to release
some of the juices (don't pulverize the fruit). Fill the jar with ice,
then add water to the top. Stir, cover, and refrigerate.
The next 3 waters are
flavored with fruit and herb combos
3. Pineapple Mint Flavored Water (a
hint of minty sweetness). Add a sprig of mint to the jar--you can throw
in the whole sprig; or, remove the leaves from the sprig, if you prefer
to have the mint swimming around and distributing in the jar. Muddle
the mint--the goal is to bruise the leaves and release their
flavor--don't pulverize them into bits. Add pineapple pieces, press and
twist with the muddler to release juices. Add ice to the top and then
water. Stir, cover, and refrigerate.
4. Blackberry Sage Flavored Water
(subtle, refreshing flavor). Add sage leaves to jar and bruise with a
muddler. Add blackberries; press and twist with muddler to release their
juices. Fill jar with ice cubes, add water to the top, stir, cover and
refrigerate.
5. Watermelon Rosemary Flavored Water (lovely
flavor combo). Add a sprig of rosemary to jar and muddle gently
(rosemary releases a strong flavor without much muddling). Add
watermelon cubes; twist and press gently to release juices. Fill jar
with ice cubes, add water to the top, stir, cover and refrigerate.
Here's the whole gang. It's hard to pick a favorite,
because they all have a different, distinctive flavor. The all citrus
and raspberry lime are both quite tart (and refreshing!), the watermelon
rosemary and pineapple mint are the sweetest, and the blackberry sage
has the mildest flavor (that may be because my out-of-season
blackberries weren't very flavorful). I enjoyed all of these and love
having a variety in my fridge. You can get creative and use this same
simple method for combining all kinds of fruits and herbs.
How long will they keep? Put a lid on them, put them
in fridge, and they will keep for up to 3 days. It only takes a few
minutes to make several varieties to keep on hand. No more boring water
for me!
Pour a glass. When there's still ice left in the jar
(my ice lasts up to 24 hours in the fridge), it will filter out the
fruit/herb bits as you pour the water into a glass. After the ice melts,
if you don't want to drink fruit bits along with the water, use a small
wire strainer to remove them as you pour the water into your drinking
glass.
Sweeten it up, if you must. If you have a sweet tooth and find these flavored waters undrinkable without some sweetener, go ahead and stir in some
simple sugar syrup,
honey, agave syrup, or whatever sweetener you prefer. 1 teaspoon of
sugar only has 15 calories, so go ahead and add one to your glass. Given
that a single can of soda or juice has the equivalent of 10 teaspoons
of sugar, you are still way better off drinking slightly sweetened
water. If you are hooked on sweet tasting drinks and want to reduce or
eliminate sugar or artificial sweeteners, you may need to wean yourself
gradually. Unsweetened beverages are an acquired taste. I prefer them
now, but it took me awhile to get there.
Great for entertaining! Flavored waters are very
popular now, as more people are avoiding soda and juice. Make a variety
of flavored waters to offer at your next party. Look how gorgeous they
are! Refreshing, healthy, inexpensive, and beautiful. Plus you can make
and refrigerate them well in advance of the party.
KISS Flavored Waters. My new beverage of choice. How about you?
Let me know if you have other flavored water combos to recommend.
Make it Yummy day!
(keep scrolling to get to the printable recipe for Flavored Water)
You might also enjoy my easy refrigerator iced teas:
If printing recipe, choose FULL PAGE option; recipe is too long to fit on a card.
Easy Fruit & Herb Flavored Water
By Monica
Servings: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
- fruit -- 2 cups berries, citrus, melons, pineapple...most fruits will work (see recommended amounts in directions)
- herbs -- a sprig of mint, basil, sage, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, or lavender
- water (tap or filtered)
- ice
Directions
Supplies needed: 2 quart pitcher or jar with lid; muddler or wooden spoon
General formula for whatever fruit/herb combo you desire.
1.
If using herbs, add a sprig of fresh herbs to jar/pitcher; press and
twist with muddler or handle of wooden spoon to bruise leaves and
release flavor; don't pulverize the herbs into bits.
2. Add approx. 2
cups of fruit to jar/pitcher; press and twist with muddler or handle of
wooden spoon, just enough to release some of the juices
3. Fill jar/pitcher with ice cubes.
4. Add water to top of jar/pitcher.
5. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Suggested flavor combinations:
ALL
CITRUS (no herbs) -- Slice 1 orange, 1 lime, 1 lemon into rounds, then
cut the rounds in half. Add to jar and proceed with muddling, add ice
& water.
RASPBERRY LIME (no herbs) -- Quarter 2 limes; with your
hands, squeeze the juice into the jar, then throw in the squeezed lime
quarters. Add 2 cups raspberries. Muddle, add ice & water.
PINEAPPLE
MINT -- Add a sprig of mint to the jar (you can throw in the whole
sprig; or, remove the leaves from the sprig, if you prefer to have the
mint swimming around and distributing in the jar). Muddle the mint. Add 2
cups pineapple pieces, muddle, add ice & water.
BLACKBERRY SAGE -- Add sage sprig to jar and muddle. Add 2 cups blackberries; muddle, add ice & water.
WATERMELON ROSEMARY -- Add rosemary sprig to jar & muddle. Add 2 cups watermelon cubes; muddle, add ice and water.
Source:
The Yummy Life