How to Make Your Own Fruit-Infused Waters

But the truth is, I don’t love the taste of plain water. As a child, I grew up drinking cherry Kool-Aid, and though I avoid most sugary drinks now, I just never acquired a taste for straight-up H20. If I have plain water, I end up abandoning my glass halfway through. But if it has some flavor (even just a little bit) I’m more likely to drink it—and more likely to stay hydrated.

That’s the beauty of fruit-infused water. You get all of the benefits of drinking water, by far the best thirst-quenching and hydrating beverage. And you also get flavor without any added sugar or extra calories. Though you can buy bottled water already infused with fruit, making your own is easy and inexpensive.

And it goes without saying, but homemade fruit-infused waters are also beautiful.

To infuse water, you can use simple mason jars loaded with fresh fruits, veggies, and herbs. There are also products that make it easy, with built-in infusers that add flavor while filtering out the seeds and large pieces of pulp. You can even add fresh fruit to ice cubes molds then pop them into water bottles and glasses.

The combinations are limitless. Some to try:

• Watermelon + mint
• Blueberry + mango
• Cucumber + orange
• Raspberry + lime
• Grapefruit + rosemary
• Strawberry + lemon + basil

Some important tips before you get started:

• Wash all your produce well before infusing, even if you’re going to peel them. Dirt from the skin can get dragged into the flesh when you cut it.
• Cut up your fruit and veggies, since they will add more flavor more quickly that way.
• Don’t keep infused waters unrefrigerated for more than an hour or two. Fruit, like any fresh food, will start to spoil quicker when left unrefrigerated
• Refill your infused drink with additional water as you drink it to maintain good flavor.
• Keep fruit in your infused waters for up to 24 hours. After that, strain out the fruit and keep the infused water refrigerated for up to two days.