Beyond Lemon Water
For the record, there is always a pitcher of lemon water in our refrigerator. I like plain water just fine, but sometimes a little flavor is needed and since giving up soda, my options are limited.
I got the idea to try flavors other than lemon after having a peppermint-infused water. It was different and refreshing, but not something I could justify paying $1.50+ per bottle. My solution was to buy some peppermint extract and make my own. It took some experimenting to get the peppermint drops to water ratio correct, but eventually, I managed a pretty darn close match.
Bolstered by my success I decided to see what other flavor combinations I could come up with. Flavors other than mixed berry and lemon since those are pretty much the only flavored waters out there.
I wanted to try some more savory based flavors. Cucumber was an obvious and safe choice. If it is good enough for spas it is good enough for me. But if I was going to experiment, a simple cucumber water wasn’t going to do it.
HERBS! I NEED HERBS!
The fresh herb section of my local grocery is a little limited, as is my knowledge of what different herbs taste like, but they’ve got basil, mint, and rosemary. Those seemed like a good place to start.
FLAVOR COMBINATIONS
So far I’ve done pretty well with my flavor combinations. I definitely liked some more than others, but I didn’t dislike any of the waters I’ve made so far.
Flavor Pairings I’ve Tried
- Cucumber Rosemary
- Mint Cucumber Lime
- Basil Pear Lime
- Basil Lemon Cucumber
- Basil Red Bell Pepper
- Strawberry Rosemary
THE BASICS
There are water bottles and pitchers/containers that are specifically designed for making infused waters. If you have
one great, but they’re not necessary and depending on what you use for your flavoring, they may not be the best option. The holes in the removable cylinders may let too many particles get through which can cause cloudy water (I’m looking at you pears).
If this does happen to your water you can pour it through a cheesecloth to help separate out the particulates. The other option is to tie up your ingredients in a cheesecloth pouch
Once you have your container, chop up your ingredients and bag them or toss them in. Add water and refrigerate.
Some Notes on the Ingredients
I would love to give you precise amounts of the ingredients I used, but I was a bit haphazard about the whole thing. Part of it really depends on which flavor you want to highlight the most. For the herbs, it was 1 to 2 leaves (or small stem of rosemary). Start with smaller amounts (a couple of slices of lemon, 2 to 3 strawberries, 1/2 pear, 1/4 of a cucumber, etc) and then taste the water after a couple of hours to see if the flavors are going the way you want them too. At this point you can still make adjustments to change the taste.
- Leafy Herbs – In order to get as much flavor out of the leaves as I could, I would lightly chop them with a knife. I didn’t want to chop them into small pieces because then you possible get floaters in your water. You just want to get it enough to break the outside in multiple places. I find twisting or bunching up, the leaf before chopping it helps.
- Lemon – If you are going to use lemon as part of an ingredient mix, then you’ll want to take it out about half-way through the steeping time and add a bit more of the other ingredients; otherwise, it will overpower the other flavors. Sometimes I zest my lemons before adding them so that I can use the zest for other kitchen projects.
- Pear – Pear is a subtle flavor so you will need to use a pear that is very ripe. You will also need cheesecloth or you will be drinking cloudy water.
- Strawberry & Red Bell Pepper – Expect a red/pink tint to your water. The water won’t be cloudy, just tinted.
Steep Time
I like to steep my waters at least overnight. If you are dealing with a subtle flavor such as pear or bell pepper, then you may want to go even longer. It is definitely possible to steep them too long, so be sure to do some test sips. You may find your ratios need some adjusting.
Take-A-Ways and Party Suggestions
Water doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, a few of these flavors were made for a friend’s birthday party, and were a big hit with everyone. Serve them in a tall glass bottle with a stopper (artisan style) or out of pretty pitcher. You could even go the extra mile and make ices cubes with pieces of the herbs or fruit/veggie in them.
Think outside the box when coming up with combinations. When I made the lime/cucumber/mint combo I was thinking of a mojito. Get inspired and experiment.
