Stop wasting your hard-earned cash on expensive bottles of flavored water. My super simple No-Waste Fruit Infused Water recipe turns kitchen scraps that would otherwise be bound for the compost bin into flavorful sips that’ll evoke all the spa-like vibes for free.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re not a big fan of regular ol’ H20, there are a TON of infused water recipes out there. Heck, there are even special bottles made specifically to help you add a little fresh flavor to your daily sips.
And, while these recipes are all perfectly healthy and quite tasty, almost all of them ask you to cut up perfectly whole fruits, herbs, and veggies. Flavored water sure seems like an expensive endeavor, no?
Well, what many of these recipes fail to mention is that kitchen scraps can help you flavor your water just as effectively as whole fruits and veggies, but allows you to use the “good stuff” for other purposes first.
This post is a basic how-to on creating deliciously flavored infused waters using nothing more than what you’d otherwise chuck in your compost bin.
My “recipe” for fruit-flavored water is:
- Budget-Friendly. You can literally use nothing more than tap water (preferably filtered) and literal scraps like orange peels, strawberry tops, apple cores, or melon rind.
- Wholesome & Nutritious. You’re using real food to flavor water, and in the process are imparting vitamins and minerals. What could be better for you?
- Quick & Easy. Fill a container with water, drop in some tasty kitchen scraps, and stick it in the fridge. It’s literally that simple.
- Super Versatile. The number of possible flavor combos is practically endless!
Why This Method Works
Have you ever kept a bag of veggie scraps, chicken bones, corn cobs, or shrimp tails for turning into flavorful stock for soups? This no-waste flavor-infused water follows the same principle, except there’s no cooking involved. Think of it like fruit-flavored sun tea!
From spent citrus that you’ve already squeezed to strawberry tops, melon rinds, apple peels, and herb stems, there are a heck of a lot of flavors lingering in the less desirable parts of many edible plants.
Ingredients & Equipment
You don’t need much to make a passable dupe for those $1+ bottles of Hint. This no-waste fruit-infused water only requires:
- A container for the water to steep in. I use a giant mason jar, but a drink dispenser, pitcher, or even just a plain glass that is large enough for however much fruit water you want to make will work.
- Water. While I usually just use filtered tap water, this method will also work for coconut water or sparkling water (so long as you have an airtight, twist-top container for it to steep in so it doesn't go flat).
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The kitchen scraps of your choice. Obviously, this is going to depend on what's in season and what you're using for other recipes, but any of the following will work:
- Herb stems: basil, mint, rosemary, thyme
- Spent citrus or leftover rinds: lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange, mandarin, pomelo
- Melon rinds: watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe
- Other fruit skins or cores: apple, pear, plum, peach, kiwi, mango, papaya
- Fruit tops: strawberry, jalapeño
- Veggie bits: cucumber skin, carrot tops & skin, fennel ends, rhubarb ends, celery ends
- Fresh spice rinds: ginger, turmeric
- Spice cabinet picks: whole spices like cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, whole cloves, star anise
How To Make Infused Water
Y'all, this couldn't be easier if it tried. Here's how you make the tastiest flavored water around, using nothing but kitchen scraps and tap water:
Step 1: Mix. Add fruit, veggie, and/or herb scraps to a large container or pitcher. Top with cool, filtered water.
Step 2: Steep. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Strain into glasses, serve, and enjoy!
Various Flavored Water Combinations
Taste is totally subjective, and there are a LOT of tasty kitchen scraps you can choose from. Here are my favorite fruits to put in water (and ideas of what to pair them with):
- Strawberry goes with citrus, jalapeño, herbs, cucumber, & rhubarb
- Citrus goes with berries, jalapeño, & herbs
- Apple & Pear go with spices & citrus
- Stone Fruit goes with berries & herbs
- Cucumber goes with citrus, jalapeño, & berries
- Melon goes with herbs, cucumber, & jalapeño/chile peppers
What is your favorite fruit-infused water combo? Let me know in the comments below!
Optional Variations
- Go to sparkle city. Use your SodaStream (or any other carbonator) to turn it into homemade La Croix or Spindrift.
- Make it boozy. You can also use kitchen scraps to infuse your favorite spirits. My preference is vodka because the flavor is neutral and lets the fruit and herbs shine through. Feel free to swap in whisky, rum, tequila, or gin if you prefer!
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Scale the recipe as needed. If I'm just making enough for myself (or only have, say, a few strawberry tops to work with), I'll make just a single cup or pint.
- Serve chilled for the best flavor.
- Let steep for a minimum of an hour and a max of 24 hours. Some ingredients like citrus will infuse their flavor much more quickly, while others take some time. Play it safe and give your drink an hour in the fridge to chill and get super flavorful. If you leave the scraps in the water for more than about a day, they'll start looking pretty weird and water-logged.
- Strain after 24 hours and keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- You can also extend the shelf life of your fruit water by freezing it into ice cubes.
- If you want your water infusions to look pro, keep a few whole sprigs of herbs or a few slices/wedges of fruit to garnish your glass. This is entirely optional!
Frequently Asked Questions
Fruit water is simply plain water that has been gussied up with fruit for added flavor. Here we use leftover scraps from kitchen prep and cooking so the "good" parts of the fruit can be used for their best and highest purposes!
I suggest removing any solid matter from the water after no more than 24 hours so it doesn't start to decompose. Decomposition doesn't taste good.
Primarily, hydration and flavor! If you're someone who doesn't love drinking plain water, adding fruit and herbs to the mix can make your beverage much more interesting. This, in turn, leads to a more hydrated you!
I also love this "recipe" for scrap-infused water because it ekes out every last bit of usefulness from your groceries before tossing them in the compost. Hooray for saving $$$ (and tasting good while you do it 😎).
More Cheap & Easy Recipes
- Spicy Pineapple Watermelon Salad
- Watermelon Salad With Feta and Herbs
- Spicy Avocado Tuna Salad
- Strawberry Tartine with Balsamic Reduction
No-Waste Fruit-Infused Water
Ingredients
- 1-2 Cups Kitchen Scraps see notes
- ½ Gallon Water
Instructions
- Add fruit, veggie, and/or herb scraps to a large container or pitcher. Top with cool, filtered water.
- Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Strain, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Herb stems: basil, mint, rosemary, thyme
- Spent citrus or leftover rinds: lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange, mandarin, pomelo
- Melon rinds: watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe
- Other fruit skins or cores: apple, pear, plum, peach, kiwi, mango, papaya
-
Fruit tops: strawberry, jalapeño
- Veggie bits: cucumber skin, carrot tops & skin, fennel ends
- Fresh spice rinds: ginger, turmeric
- Spice cabinet picks: whole spices like cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, whole cloves, star anise
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