These infused water recipes give plain cold water a fresh, subtle flavor from fruit, cucumber, citrus, herbs, and spices, with no added sugar. From crisp cucumber lemon mint to strawberry basil and pineapple ginger, each combination is sized for a 2-quart pitcher and meant to taste light and refreshing rather than juice-like.
Most of the combinations need only 1 to 4 hours in the refrigerator. Start tasting at the shorter time and keep infusing until the flavor is where you want it. Cucumber lemon mint is the complete recipe card below, while the other seven combinations use the same basic cold-infusion method with different ingredients.
8 Infused Water Flavor Combinations
Each combination makes about 8 cups of water. Taste at the shortest time listed and keep chilling only if you want a stronger flavor.
1. Cucumber Lemon Mint Water
The crisp classic and the one in the recipe card: 1/2 English cucumber, 1/2 lemon, and 12 mint leaves, chilled 1 to 2 hours. It is the lightest of the eight and the easiest to get right.
2. Strawberry Lemon Basil Water
Use 1 cup sliced strawberries (about 150 g), 1/2 lemon, and 8 torn basil leaves, chilled 2 to 4 hours. Berries need more time than citrus to color and flavor the water, and the basil adds a sweet, peppery note.
3. Orange Blueberry Water
Use 1 thinly sliced orange and 1/2 cup blueberries (about 75 g), pressed gently so the skins split, chilled 2 to 3 hours. The water takes on a faint purple tint and a mellow citrus flavor.
4. Pineapple Ginger Mint Water
Use 2 cups pineapple chunks (about 330 g), 4 thin slices peeled ginger, and 8 mint leaves, chilled 2 to 4 hours. Ginger gets spicier the longer it sits, so strain it out at 4 hours if you want to keep the pitcher longer.
5. Watermelon Lime Mint Water
Use 2 cups cubed watermelon (about 300 g), 1/2 lime, thinly sliced, and 8 mint leaves, chilled 1 to 2 hours. Strain out the watermelon after 2 hours, since it softens quickly and clouds the water.
6. Peach Raspberry Water
Use 1 ripe sliced peach (about 150 g) and 1/2 cup raspberries (about 60 g), chilled 2 to 3 hours. Strain before pouring if you like a clear glass, because ripe peaches break down as they sit.
7. Grapefruit Rosemary Water
Use 1/2 thinly sliced grapefruit and 1 small rosemary sprig (about 3 inches), chilled 1 to 2 hours. Lift out the grapefruit at that point, since its pith turns bitter quickly. Read the medication note in the questions below before serving.
8. Apple Orange Cinnamon Water
Use 1 thinly sliced apple, 1/2 sliced orange, and 1 cinnamon stick, chilled 2 to 4 hours. It tastes lightly spiced and apple-forward, without the sweetness of cider.
How to Get Clean, Balanced Flavor
Slice thin, press herbs gently, and stop the infusion when the flavor is right. Thin slices expose more surface and give up flavor faster, while crushing herbs lightly in your hand releases their aroma without shredding them into the water.
Citrus flavors the water quickly, herbs and berries take longer, so start tasting at the one-hour mark. Rind and the white pith under it turn bitter the longer they sit, so lift out citrus after about 4 hours, or sooner for grapefruit, if you want to keep the pitcher.
Wash a clean pitcher, and rinse all produce under cool running water. Scrub firm skins like cucumber and lemon with a clean produce brush before slicing, and skip soap.
Cucumber Lemon Mint Infused Water
Fresh cucumber, lemon slices, and mint leaves infuse cold water with a crisp, refreshing flavor that's light and naturally citrusy, perfect for serving chilled with no added sugar
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Ingredient quantities change with servings. Metric amounts appear when an equivalent is available. Cooking times, temperatures and method steps do not scale automatically.
Ingredients
Measurement help for this recipe
Metric equivalents use the values entered for this recipe or GUSTANA conversion data when available. Ingredients without an equivalent remain in their original units.
| 8 cups cold drinking water | 1.9 L |
| 1/2 large English cucumber | 170 g |
| 1/2 large lemon | 55 g |
| 12 leaves fresh mint | 3 g |
Instructions
- Wash a clean pitcher that holds at least 2 1/2 quarts, along with its lid. Rinse the cucumber, lemon, and mint under cool running water, scrub the cucumber and lemon with a clean produce brush, and pat everything dry with a clean towel.
Use water only; do not wash produce with soap or detergent.
- Slice the cucumber and lemon thinly, discarding the lemon seeds. Lightly bruise the mint leaves between your fingers.
- Put the cucumber, lemon, and mint in the pitcher. Pour in the cold water, cover, and refrigerate.
- Chill for 1 hour, then taste the water.
- Chill for 1 more hour, then taste again. It is ready when the cucumber and mint come through with a gentle lemon note. For a stronger flavor, chill up to 4 hours total.
After about 4 hours, lift out the lemon slices so the peel does not turn the water bitter.
- Serve cold, over ice if you like. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
Ice cools the glass but does not replace refrigeration for the pitcher.
Recipe Notes
- Use a clean, covered 2-quart pitcher and keep the water refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below.
- Taste after 1 hour. The flavor is light after 2 hours and becomes stronger with up to 4 hours of infusion.
- Remove the lemon slices after about 4 hours to prevent bitterness from the peel and pith.
- For the best flavor, drink within 24 hours. If keeping it longer, strain out the fruit and herbs and finish within 2 days.
- Discard infused water left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
- Serving Size: 1 cup (8 fl oz)
- Calories: 5 kcal
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Dietary Fiber: 0 g
- Added Sugars: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
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How to Serve and Store Infused Water
Serve it cold over ice, or make it sparkling by infusing in still water and topping each pitcher with seltzer just before serving. Adding seltzer earlier lets it go flat while the fruit sits.
Keep the pitcher covered in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. The flavor is best within 24 hours; if you want to keep it longer, strain out the fruit and herbs and finish it within 2 days. That timeframe is a quality guideline, not a guaranteed expiration date.
Ice does not replace refrigeration. Discard any pitcher left out for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F (32°C), which matters at picnics and cookouts. Throw it out too if the water turns cloudy, smells off, or the fruit looks slimy.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
1-Gallon Glass Water Pitcher with Lid and Handle
Infuses water with sliced fruit and fresh herbs in a roomy glass pitcher, ready to chill and serve at the table
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8-Inch Fine-Mesh Stainless Steel Kitchen Strainer
Strains citrus seeds, pulp, and herb pieces from infused water before pouring it into glasses for serving
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long should you infuse water before drinking it?
Most infused water is ready to taste after 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator. Cucumber, citrus, and mint release flavor fairly quickly, while berries, pineapple, apple, and ginger may need 2 to 4 hours. Start tasting early and stop the infusion when the flavor is as strong as you like.
Can you leave fruit in infused water overnight?
Some ingredients, such as cucumber, mint, apple, or berries, can infuse overnight in the refrigerator. Citrus is more likely to become bitter because of the peel and white pith, so remove lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit after about 4 hours if you plan to keep the water longer.
How long does infused water last in the refrigerator?
For the freshest flavor, drink infused water within about 24 hours. If you want to keep it longer, strain out the fruit and herbs, cover the pitcher, and refrigerate the water for up to 2 days. Discard it sooner if it becomes unusually cloudy, develops an off smell, or the fruit turns slimy.
Can I use frozen fruit for infused water?
Yes. Frozen berries, pineapple, and other fruit can be added directly to cold water without thawing. They tend to soften and release color faster than fresh fruit, so start tasting earlier and strain them once the flavor is strong enough.
Can I reuse the fruit in infused water?
You can refill the pitcher once if the fruit and herbs still look fresh and have remained refrigerated, but the second infusion will be noticeably weaker. For the best flavor and appearance, use fresh ingredients for each new pitcher rather than repeatedly topping off the same fruit.
Is grapefruit infused water safe if I take medication?
Not always. Grapefruit can change how certain prescription and over-the-counter medicines work, and the amount that causes an interaction depends on the specific drug. Check the medication label and ask your pharmacist or doctor whether you need to avoid grapefruit before choosing the grapefruit rosemary combination.
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