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HERBAL WORLD REMEDIES

Fruit & Herb Flavored Water

Servings: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

    Fruits -- 2 cups berries, citrus, melons, pineapple...most fruits will work (see recommended amounts in directions)

    Herbs -- a sprig of mint, basil, sage, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, or lavender

    Water (tap or filtered)

    Ice

Directions

Supplies needed: 2 quart pitcher or jar with lid; muddler or wooden spoon

General formula for whatever fruit/herb combo you desire.

1. If using herbs, add a sprig of fresh herbs to jar/pitcher; press and twist with muddler or handle of wooden spoon to bruise leaves and release flavor; don't pulverize the herbs into bits.

2. Add approx. 2 cups of fruit to jar/pitcher; press and twist with muddler or handle of wooden spoon, just enough to release some of the juices

3. Fill jar/pitcher with ice cubes.

4. Add water to top of jar/pitcher.

5. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Suggested flavor combinations:

ALL CITRUS (no herbs) --  Slice 1 orange, 1 lime, 1 lemon into rounds, then cut the rounds in half. Add to jar and proceed with muddling, add ice & water.

RASPBERRY LIME (no herbs)  -- Quarter 2 limes; with your hands, squeeze the juice into the jar, then throw in the squeezed lime quarters. Add 2 cups raspberries. Muddle, add ice & water.

PINEAPPLE MINT -- Add a sprig of mint to the jar (you can throw in the whole sprig; or, remove the leaves from the sprig, if you prefer to have the mint swimming around and distributing in the jar). Muddle the mint. Add 2 cups pineapple pieces, muddle, add ice & water.

BLACKBERRY SAGE -- Add sage sprig to jar and muddle. Add 2 cups blackberries; muddle, add ice & water.

WATERMELON ROSEMARY --  Add rosemary sprig to jar & muddle. Add 2 cups watermelon cubes; muddle, add ice and water. 

You can assemble the ingredients. Choose from these.

• Fruit -- Fresh or frozen. Fresh, flavorful, in season fruit is best; however sometimes you'll get the best flavor and nutrition from frozen fruit that has been picked and frozen at it's peak of flavor. Except for small berries, the fruit needs to be coarsely chopped so that it's flavors and juices saturate the honey as it marinates.
• Citrus zest and juice -- Lemons, limes, or oranges are used in all 8 syrup recipes. They brighten the flavor, even if they aren't the primary flavor ingredient. Citrus (especially lemons) also have natural preservatives that help extend the syrups' fridge storage life.
• Fresh ginger root -- This doesn't have to be peeled if you're using organic ginger. Chop it up to release it's flavor. 
• Fresh herbs -- These should be torn or roughly chopped.Try mint, basil, sage, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, lavender, or any other favorite herb.
• Whole spices -- Cinnamon sticks and cloves are particular good in these sweet syrups. I don't use the ground versions, because they are difficult to strain out of the syrup. 
• Extracts -- Vanilla and almond extract. (I tried using a whole vanilla bean in one syrup batch, but without heat it didn't add much flavor to the syrup. Vanilla extract works better in these no-cook syrups and is much less expensive than using whole beans.)
• Honey -- Unprocessed, local honey is best. There are various degrees of processing available. Raw honey is the least processed and has the most nutrients. It is however more expensive and less widely available. If using regular honey (not raw), look for 100% pure, unfiltered, unheated varieties. I found some at my grocery store. Amazon has a good bulk price, if you'll be using a lot. (Read more tips about honey in my post .)