Infused Waters

Yum! Infused water tastes so different and can be a wonderful summertime drink for you or to serve to your guests!  I am talking about cookouts, showers or just for backyard enjoyment.

I never thought about putting herbs, flowers and fruits (except for lemons) into my plain water till my organic farm tour years ago.  Now I love it and love to experiments with all kinds of variations!

Anyone can make this delicious infused water and changing up the ingredients is kind of fun too.  I would make sure that any of the flowers, herbs or fruit (lemon included) would be organic.  Obviously, any fertilizer or pesticide sprayed on them would take away from the purity and taste of the drink.   So I definitely say use filtered water to clean them and put them in.  I wrote on the best water filters here if you are interested.

[ To purchase an Edible Flower Kit ]

You need to know that not every flower…

Plant or plant part is edible so before consuming anything, consult a professional first!  Some people can also have allergies to certain plants, so please consider this as well.  And I would not recommend harvesting a flower or plant from a place you are not familiar with because who know what could be on it?! Also, good to know is that you should not eat flowers from florists, garden centers or nurseries because these flowers usually have been treated with pesticides and are not labeled for consumption. And wash all flowers or herbs with filtered water before use.

In my infused water that I created recently, I used a basil leaf, a couple of sprigs of mint, three marigolds, some snap dragons and a lemon cut up into slices.  Then I let it set a bit in my refrigerator to allow the herbs and flowers to blend.  When I want a refreshing drink, I just pull it out!  Talk about delicious! 

So now it’s your turn to make your own infused water…

Here is the short list on edible flowers:

• begonia, calendula, carnation, chrysanthemum, clover, cornflower, Dame’s Rocket, Dandelions, day lilies, English daisy, fuchsia, garden sorrel, geraniums (scented), gladiolus, hibiscus, hollyhock, honeysuckle (berries highly poisonous), impatiens, Johnny-Jump ups, lilac, linden, mariold, nasturtiums, pansy, phlox, pineapple guave, primrose, roses, snap dragon, sunflower, sweet woodruff, tulip petals, violets, yucca petals.

And here is a shorter list of herbs that you may want to add to your infused water to make it delicious depending on your taste:

• anise, basil, cilantro, jasmine, fennel, ginger, lavender, lemon verbena, mint rosemary, sage and thyme.

Additional infused water ingredients

I highly recommend the honey for those of us who love it a bit sweeter.  I typically avoid the sugar.  If you do use the cinnamon, know that it can tend to be harder to mix.  Other than that, I would say “go for it” now and just enjoy!

• honey, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, any kind of fruit such as lemon or limes and cucumbers.

Summertime is a great time to experiment with creating  your own infused water recipes.  It’s not only simple to create and delicious to drink, but they are healthy as well!  So I say drink up and salud!