Fruit in water recipes and infused water recipes are healthy drinks for kids and make refreshing summer drinks. These quick and easy recipes only take a few minutes and are fun recipes to make with kids, too! Here’s how to flavor water with fruit and other fresh items.
FRUIT IN WATER RECIPES & VEGETABLES IN WATER RECIPES
Let’s talk about infused water recipes and benefits! If you and your kids have never tried water with fruit or water with vegetables, you’re in for a refreshing treat (especially if you’re looking for summer drinks!).
What fruit can you put in water to flavor it?
What fruits are good to flavor water:
- Lemons
- Oranges
- Limes
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Pineapple
- Grapefruit
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Kiwi
- Raspberry
- Blackberry
- Pomegranate seeds (here’s how to cut pomegranates!)
- Apples
- Pears
- Coconut
Also include other items like basil, mint, cucumber and more! Try out different combinations to see what your family enjoys. Infused water is only limited by your imagination!
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Benefits of Infused Water Recipes
- Gets kids to hydrate in a fun way
- Healthy alternative to processed juices and sodas
- Easy to make
- Cheap drink source
- Can make ahead of time
- Easily scales from a large drink dispenser for party drinks to individual water bottles
- Engages kids to learn more about nutrition and healthy living
- Easy recipes for kids to make on their own
- Creates a novelty to entice kids to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables (especially if they don’t normally like eating them!
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Can you eat the fruit after infusing water?
Yes! Especially if you plan on eating it within a couple of hours. Just know that fruits and vegetables will be less flavorful after sitting in water because their juices have been released into the water. Also, the consistency will be softer. Also be aware that after a couple of hours at room temperature (without ice), fruit in water can start to form bacteria.
Can you freeze fruit for infused water?
Yes! You can use frozen fruit in infused water. It will keep your water cold and slowly release the flavors into the water. Your infused water won’t be as flavorful as using fresh fruit, so try a mix of frozen and fresh.
What fruits and vegetables should NOT be used for flavored water?
Stay away from naturally soft (mushy) fruits and vegetables like bananas. Also, the peel and rind of citrus will become more bitter the longer that it sits in water. If you are making infused water for a party that will sit out for a couple of hours, peel and cut off the rind of citrus to avoid the bitterness.
Can we drink infused water everyday?
Yes! Your entire family can drink infused water everyday. Just make sure you switch up the fruits and vegetables you are using each day so you get different nutrients and also aren’t getting a high amount of acids from just citrus water, which can affect teeth and also give some people heartburn.
CHECK OUT: Infused water recipes beverage dispenser
How long does it take to infuse water?
How long it takes to infuse water will vary based on the ingredients you use. Strong herbs like mint, and melons or citrus will infuse water more quickly, while blueberries, or other more mild ingredients will take longer, like overnight, to infuse. Fruit water recipes can be made a couple of hours ahead of time in order to have time to create flavored water. If you can, make it the night before and place it in the refrigerator.
How long should infused water sit?
How long infused water will be good will depend on the ingredients you use. Infused water in the refrigerator will last longer, while water infused with fruit or vegetables sitting out (without ice) will only last for around 2 hours before the fruits or vegetables start to get mushy or slimy and may start to form bacteria. Infused herb water will last a lot longer (sometimes up to a week) than fruit water or vegetable water.
According to Ohio State University:
Because you are adding fresh fruits or vegetables, the infused water is perishable. When serving infused water at a party or on a buffet table, treat it like other perishable foods. Add ice to the water and remember that perishable foods should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. After two hours at room temperature, the food can enter the ‘danger zone,’ a range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit at which bacteria grows most rapidly.
So, if you are making infused water recipes for a party or a large amount, make sure you are changing out the water every couple of hours or are adding ice regularly to help prolong the water use.
You can also use individual water bottles and make each serving fresh.
TIP: There are infuser water bottles that keep the fruit and water separate. That way your kids can get the benefits of fruit in water, but then also eat the fruit when the water is gone! CHECK THEM OUT
Summer Fruit Infused Water Recipe
How To Make Strawberry Infused Water
This infused strawberry water is the perfect summer drink for kids, party drink recipes, or just drinks for hot days outside!
Ingredients
- 8 cups of cold filtered water or cold seltzer (carbonated) water
- 1/4 cup fresh mint
- 1 cup strawberries, quartered
- 1 cup of blueberries
- 1 lime, sliced (optional)
- Ice
Instructions
- Add mint to bottom of a glass pitcher. Muddle slightly by mashing down on the mint 3-4 times with a wooden spoon.
- Add strawberries, blueberries, and limes to the pitcher. Mix with mint.
- Pour water into pitcher. Place in refrigerator overnight to infuse or chill for 10 minutes, stir, and serve over ice. If using for a party, reserve some of the lime slices, strawberries, and large mint leaves and garnish glass before serving.
Notes
If you are going to infuse the water for more than 2 hours, peel the limes before adding (or remove them after 2 hours). The peel sometimes makes the water bitter.
Change it up by trying cucumber, lemon, or even jalapeno for a spicy drink!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 23Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 11mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 0g
Nutrition information is estimated. Changes to the recipe and use of different brands may cause changes to the nutritional information to vary slightly from the ones provided here.
Fruit Infused Water Tips
- Use only cold, filtered water
- To change things up, use cold seltzer (carbonated) water for some bubbles!
- Use organic fruits and vegetables to keep the water pure from chemicals and pesticides
- Thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables before using
- Cut the fruits and vegetables in order to help release the juices into the water faster
- Peel citrus to avoid bitterness (or removed citrus with the peel on after a couple of hours)
- Use ice to help avoid bacteria growth while your water is sitting out
- Muddle the herbs before using to help release flavor
- Store unused water in the refrigerator for around 3 days
- Use a melon baller or even small cookie cutters to cut your fruit into shapes or balls for a party
- Don’t throw the fruit out when you’re done! Snack on it or use it for smoothies!
Here are some of the best recipes for infused water! You can use these for infused water recipes for a party or even for individual water bottles for your kids.
How To Make Water Infused With Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs
Infused water is fun to make. Get your kids involved and let them come up with their own recipes to make!
Fruit In Water Recipes Ideas
- Orange Infused Water: 8 cups of cold water, 2 sliced oranges, 1/2 cup of blueberries, ice
- Lemon Infused Water: 8 cups of cold water, 1 sliced lemon, ice (also add 1/2 cup blueberries for lemon-blueberry infused water!)
- Infused Lime Water: 8 cups of cold water, 1 sliced lime, ice
- Infused Pineapple Water: 8 cups of cold water, 1 cup fresh pineapple (peeled and cubed), ice
- Raspberry-Orange Water: 8 cups cold water, 1 sliced orange, 1 pint raspberries, ice
- Strawberry Lemon Water: 8 cups of cold water, 1 cup quartered strawberries, 1 sliced lemon, ice
- Melon Water: 8 cups of cold water, 1 cup cantaloupe balls or cubes, 1 cup honeydew balls or cubes, ice
Vegetable Infused Water Recipes Ideas
- Infused Cucumber Water: 8 cups of cold water, 1 thinly sliced English cucumber, ice (My daughter’s favorite!)
- Strawberry-Cucumber Water: 8 cups of cold water, 1 thinly sliced English cucumber, 1 cup quartered strawberries, ice
- Tomato-Basil Water: 8 cups cold water, 1 cup cube tomato, 1/4 cup fresh basil (muddled), ice
Herb Infused Water Recipes Ideas
- Mint Watermelon Water: 8 cups cold water, 4 cups cubed watermelon, 1/4 cup fresh mint (muddled), ice
- Cucumber Mint Water: 8 cups of cold water, 1 thinly sliced English cucumber, 1/4 cup fresh mint (muddled), ice
- Strawberry-Lavender Infused Water: 8 cups of cold water, 1 cup quartered strawberries, 1/4 cup fresh lavender (muddled), ice
- Mint Ginger Pineapple Water: 8 cups of cold water, 1 cup fresh pineapple (peeled and cubed), 6-8 pieces thinly sliced ginger, 1/4 cup fresh mint (muddled), ice
Let us know your fruit in water recipes or other infused water recipes your kids love!
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