By Angharad May

Lets be honest, drinking the recommended daily amount of water can be as much a chore as Harvard referencing, so several years ago I bought myself one of those cheap and cheerful water infuser bottles. It was my most-prized kitchen gadgetuntil it broke. Does this mean one has to go all-out and spend a small fortune on a fandangle bottle? Not at all! All you need is a jug, a sieve, a few ingredients! I love experimenting with flavours; with much trial and error, I have discovered a few of my favourite water infusion recipes to share with you!

Lime and Mint
My all-time favourite which I drink every single day.  You can add as much or as little lime and mint to the water as you like, depending on your tastes, so this recipe is a mere guideline.  I like it very limey with a hint of mint.

Ingredients

• 1 lime
• 1 sprig of mint
• 1 litre of water

Method

Cut the lime into quarters and squeeze into a jug before adding the limes themselves too.  Roughly tear the mint leaves and add to the jug. Top up with water, then leave overnight to infuse. Take the lime quarters out after infusing because the peel can make the water taste bitter after too long. Strain through a sieve before drinking.

Grapefruit and Rosemary

You can substitute the rosemary for mint, equally delicious. I usually use pink grapefruit which is a bit sweeter than yellow.

Ingredients

• ┬¢ grapefruit
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 1 litre of water

Method

Cut the grapefruit in half and squeeze the juice into the jug before adding the grapefruit too.  Bruise the rosemary sprigs and add to the jug. Top with water and leave to infuse overnight.  Strain through a sieve before drinking.

 

Raspberry and Basil

This is refreshing, with or without lime.  You can also substitute the basil with sage for a different option.

Ingredients

• 1 large handful of raspberries
• 1 sprig of basil leaves
• 1 litre of water
• ┬¢ a lime (optional)

Method

Tear or bruise the basil leaves then add to the jug with the raspberries (and lime if using).  Top up with the water and muddle (squash) all the ingredients as much as possible. Leave to infuse overnight and strain through a sieve before serving.

 

Apple and Cinnamon

This could be drunk warm or cold and so is a comforting option for winter months.

Ingredients

• 1 apple
• 1 cinnamon stick, or ┬¢ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2cm chunk of root-ginger (optional)
• 1 litre of water

Method

Cut the apple into thin slices, and pop into the jug.  Add the cinnamon stick/ground cinnamon (and ginger if using) to the jug and top with the water. Leave to infuse overnight and strain through a sieve before drinking.

 

Peach and Cardamom

Ingredients

• 1 large peach or 2 small peaches (or nectarines)
• ┬╝ teaspoon of ground cardamom (use ┬¢ if you want more spice)
• ┬¢ lemon (optional)

Method

Cut the peach into chunks and pop into the jug. Add the ground cardamom (and half a lemon if using) then top up with water. Leave to infuse overnight and strain through a sieve before drinking.

 

Cucumber and Watermelon

Ingredients

• ┬╝ cucumber
• 1 handful watermelon chunks
• 1 sprig of mint
• ┬¢ lemon (optional)

Method

Chop the cucumber and watermelon into small cubes and add to a jug with the torn mint leaves, and lemon juice (if using). Top up with water and infuse overnight. Strain through a sieve before drinking.