Staying hydrated is important for good health, and water is the number one thirst quencher to keep your body feeling and looking fresh. But when you’re bored of the plainness of the liquid, spiking it with infusion flavors is a great way to make the drink even more enjoyable! 

For those thinking of what to add to water for flavor, there are many options, but fruits are some of the best things you can infuse into H2O because they deliver a variety of flavors, plus a boost of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Fruit-Infused Water Recipe

If you’re looking to know how to make water taste better, fruit is the answer. Just mixing sliced or squeezed fruit into your H2O is enough to pack it with flavor and make the beverage more fun and interesting. Here’s how to infuse water with fruit:

Slice Your Fruits

First, prepare your fruits by slicing them up. This allows them to impart more flavor, plus makes them more manageable.

Fresh fruit is the best to use for fruit-infused water because they provide the most natural flavor, not to mention, they’re inherently healthier for you. You can mix vegetables and herbs in there, too!

Prepare Your Container

Depending on how much you’re making, prepare a glass, jar, or large container that will fit the number of fruits you prepared and the amount of liquid you’ll be using. Make sure that everything is clean!

Let It Steep

Fruit infuses its flavor into water over time, so steeping is the most crucial part of the process. Place your sliced fruit into your chosen container and fill it with water, then let this sit in the fridge for at least one to two hours. If you’d like a more neutral base, opt for filtered water instead of tap water.

Enjoy

Once your fruits are done steeping, enjoy your fruit-infused water! You can strain the fruits before drinking, then use the fruits for other applications such as oatmeal or baked goods, or you can eat it as a snack with your beverage.

Tips for Making Fruit-Infused Water

Making fruit-infused water is very simple–here are some tips to help you make the most delicious H2O ever:

It’s All About the Timing

The longer you steep fruits into the water, the better infused their flavors will be into the liquid. It’s typically recommended to leave them for at least three hours. That said, there is such a thing as leaving it in there for too long. Additionally, some fruits don’t need much time to steep in the first place.

Juicy fruits like citrus, soft fruits like watermelon, or other fruits that have a naturally strong flavor can sit in water for just an hour (or even just thirty minutes!) and already infuse a lot. Meanwhile, denser or more mildly-flavored fruits will do better over time. Be mindful, though, as some fruits may impart a bitter taste if you leave them too long or place them with their rinds intact.

Mind the Temperature

Most recipes recommend steeping your fruits in cold water for a slower infusion, which allows the flavors to develop more robustly. If you’re going this route, you can let your fruits sit up overnight in the fridge. But if you’d like a faster steeping process, you can do the infusion with lukewarm water for a couple of hours, then just serve the drink with ice. Avoid steeping with hot water, as this will compromise the fruits!

Choose the Right Container

Plastic can leach into your drink during infusion, so it’s best to use glass containers when preparing fruit-infused water.

Skinny Mixes Fruit Infusions: An Easier Way to Make Fruit-Infused Water

While infusing water with fruit is easy, using flavorings like Skinny Mixes’ flavor infusions is an even more fuss-free way of adding flavor to your water—and any other drink, from tea to cocktails to champagne! All you have to do is add a few spoonfuls of the flavor infusions into the liquid of your choice, and you have a flavorful beverage that’s sure to delight your tastebuds.