Blueberry Orange Infused Water

Infused blueberry and orange infused water is a great way to add some flavor to your everyday water and can help to increase water intake. It also looks really pretty on the dinner table if you are hosting, or in a tall icy glass if you are hydrating by the pool. Infused water comes together in a matter of seconds and requires no skills at all the master.

We love infusing water with different fruits and herbs to keep things interesting and help to reach water goals throughout the day. Why don't you try a Lemon Infused Chia Water or Basil Berry Infused Water next?

Blueberry Orange Infused Water

You know when you get to a nice hotel or a spa, and they have those big pitchers with fruity-infused water everywhere?

This is that.

But at home!

Infusing water with fruits, like we are doing in this blueberry orange water, can be a sure-fire way to increase your water intake throughout the day.

Infused water is easy to make and keeps well in the fridge so it can be made ahead of time.

I like to make mine the night before so I have an icy cold pitcher waiting for me first thing in the morning that can be sipped all day.

It also looks super pretty, so makes for the perfect non-alcoholic drink to serve at a gathering that isn't just plain ol' water.

It can be as easy, or as hard, as you make it.

We like to keep it simple around here, and simply lightly smash or juice the fruit to give the water a subtle fruity flavor.

Blueberry orange water is:

• easy to make;
• naturally cleansing;
• naturally sweet - no added sugar;
• full of vitamins and nutrients;
• has potential weight-loss benefits;
• has potential benenfits for your skin;
• a great non-alcoholic drink to serve at a dinner party or gathering;
• easily packed in a fruit infuser bottle for fruity sipping throughout the day;
• is said to be able to help the body remove toxins;
• a great way to encourage water consumption in kids and adults alike.

But don't let me try to convince you, whip up a batch and get sipping.

Potential Benefits of Drinking Fruit Infused Water

Sneaking more water into your diet can help flush all of the nasties out, so you could be left feeling less sluggish and with more of a pep in your step.

There are lots of other potential health benefits to drinking more water in general, but also orange water.

However, I am not a health professional and do not feel comfortable making these claims, so I will let you do that research yourself (a quick google search will give you lots of reading).

How To Make Blueberry Orange Infused Water

To get the most out of your water you are going to need:

• filtered water;
• fresh fruits, here we are going to use oranges and blueberries.

Water

Here we use filtered water, however, you can also use tap water if that is what you have access to.

Alternatively, if you have been sick with gastro, or a similar bug, you can try using some coconut water.

This can help to increase the electrolytes in your body.

Blueberries

As blueberries are classed as one of the 'dirty dozen' you may want to give them a soak in some apple cider vinegar, or another fruit cleaner, before thoroughly rinsing and using.

This helps to remove any build-up of chemicals on the outside.

Once they are ready to use, we are simply going to gently muddle the blueberries in the jug before adding the other ingredients.

My muddling I mean gently pressing the blueberries with the back of a spoon so that the juices are released.

We do not want to completely smash the blueberries, as this will give us little bits of blueberry floating in the jug, which is not appealing for anyone.

Oranges

Use whatever type of orange is in season.

Some varietals we love using are:

• Cara cara;
• Valencia;
• Mandarin;
• Blood orange.

The sweeter the orange, the better, as it will impart more sweetness and flavor into your infused water.

We are going to squeeze the juice from the orange into the large jug and then throw the whole orange quarters into the jug as well.

This means we are getting the flavors from the juice, the skin, and the flesh.

When it comes to serving up, you might want to remove the squeezed orange quarters and add in some fresh slices to make it pretty.

Once we have 'juiced' our fruits, it is simply a case of popping all of the ingredients into a glass jar or pitcher, giving everything a bit of a stir, and popping the water into the fridge for a couple of hours, or overnight, for the flavors to develop.

How Long Can Infused Water Be Kept

Blueberry and orange infused water can be made up and kept in the fridge for about 4 hours or up to overnight.

Any longer, and I would remove the fruit to prevent a bitter orange flavor seeping into the water, and soggy unappealing fruit.

If you plan to keep this for longer you can always take the extra step of removing the rind from the orange before adding it to the pitcher. This will prevent any bitterness.

Expert Tips and Tricks

The beauty of infused water is that it is super simple.

There are some tips you should follow to make sure you end up with the best flavored water though:

• Make sure your fruit is fresh.
  Fruit that is about to turn can give your water a funny flavor
• Make sure the fruit is well washed and any dirt or debris has been removed before adding it to the water.
  See tips below for giving your fruit a really good clean - especially helpful if they tend to be a fruit treated with a lot of pesticides like blueberries.
• If you don’t plan on drinking the water straight away then you should remove the fruit after letting it sit for a few hours/overnight.
  If you leave the fruit in there you may end up with a bitter taste to the water, this is especially so with fruit like oranges, where the pith can really give off a bitter flavor if left for too long.

How To Make Sure Your Fruit Is Properly Clean

I love infused water, but if I am placing slices of fruit directly into my water I like to make sure that they have been cleaned properly.

You can buy commercial fruit and vegetable scrubs at most stores or you can make your own.

To make your own simply:

• Combine ½ part apple cider vinegar and ½ part water in a spray container;
• Spray your veggies & fruit thoroughly;
• Wait 5-10 minutes, then rub the skin with your hands to remove any vinegar residue;
• Rinse with cold water, rub again, pat dry.

From here you can go on ahead and squish your blueberries and slice your oranges for the orange water in the knowledge that they are squeaky clean!

Fruit Infuser Water Bottle

If you prefer to keep the fruit separate from the water then you might want to invest in a fruit infuser water bottle.

There are plenty on the market to choose from based on your needs. 

I like this one because it is super easy to clean and there is nothing that annoys me more than something I buy to make life easier that ends up taking forever to clean!

If you want to make a bigger batch and still keep the fruit separate so you don't get bits (which becomes especially helpful if you are using herbs), then you might want to go big and invest in a fruit-infused water pitcher.

How To Serve Blueberry Orange Infused Water

This flavored water is super easy to serve.

The water looks so pretty as is, but why not kick it up a notch by serving over ice with some extra fresh orange slices and blueberries.

Why not try serving up with some Dehydrated Orange Slices after squeezing and infusing the water with the whole fresh orange.

Don't forget to nibble on the fruit after you have finished the water!

More Flavored Water Recipes

We are all about fruit-infused water to help keep water intake on the up.

Try some of these blends next:

• Chia Lime and Ginger Pineapple Agua Fresca
• Hydrating Lime Chia Fresca
• Lemon Infused Chia Water
• Infused Minty Orange Water
• Basil Berry Infused Water
• Ginger Lemon and Mint from Slow The Cook Down

Happy Drinking.

xx

Recipe

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.