Here's The Key To The Absolute Best Infused Water

It's quite easy to make infused water with your favorite fruits and maybe even some fresh herbs like mint to stay hydrated without sacrificing flavor. It's even easier if you buy one of those specialized pitchers with a tube in the center so the fruit flavors the water without getting lost at the bottom. But no matter if lemons, strawberries, or blueberries are your go-to fruits for your infused water, there's one crucial step that really boosts the flavor factor. 

Muddling the fruits before adding them to the pitcher of water is the key, and it works similarly to how it does when making a homemade cocktail. When you muddle fruits like your favorite types of berries, it will release all of those delicious flavors much faster. The juices, natural oils, and sugars will be present for an even stronger flavor, so you don't have to be thirsty for too long. You still will want the fruits to soak in the water for at least an hour, but it's still a faster process compared to using whole or sliced fruits sans muddling. 

Before you start muddling your favorite fruits, be sure to wash them thoroughly, like you normally would. Nobody wants bits of dirt floating in their expertly infused water, after all. Smaller fruits like blackberries or blueberries and herbs like mint don't need to be cut when it comes to muddling. When it comes to larger fruits like lemons or oranges, thinly slice them for the infused water accordingly. Then muddle away with a fruit muddler or a potato masher if that's what's in your kitchen. Let those fruits soak for 30 minutes to an hour, strain the water, then add more fruits (that aren't muddled) to continue to flavor the water or as a garnish for serving.

If you're new to the infused water game, you might want some pairings to muddle together. Obviously, you can pair fruits and herbs together based on your own taste, but certain ones pair well together. The sweetness of strawberries is balanced with the citrus acidity of lemons, and mint can offer a nice touch, too. To lean into the citrus of it all, pair lemons or limes with fresh oranges. Other pink fruits like watermelon and raspberries also pair well with strawberries in infused water.

For a punch of flavor, consider cinnamon sticks, ginger, lemongrass, and even cloves with your muddled fruits in the pitcher. As a last resort, you can even use bottled fruit juice to make infused water even quicker.