Apple Lime Ginger Water: Recipe and How to Make It

Apple lime ginger water is a chilled infusion of sliced apple, lime and fresh ginger that takes 2 hours 10 minutes in total and yields about 4 cups (960 mL).

For another combination, try the AI infused water generator.

What is apple lime ginger water?

Apple lime ginger water is plain water flavored by steeping fresh fruit and ginger in the refrigerator. It has a mild apple taste, a tart citrus edge and a gentle ginger warmth. For more fruit combinations, see these apple and pear infused water recipes.

The drink can make water more appealing, but it is not a detox treatment. Your liver and kidneys do most of the body's detoxification; drinking water helps support hydration.

What ingredients and ratio do you need?

Use a clean pitcher large enough to hold the water and sliced ingredients. This ratio makes a lightly flavored infusion without added sweetener.

• Water: 4 cups (960 mL)
• Apple: about 1 cup (150 g), thinly sliced and cored
• Lime: about 1/3 cup (60 g), thinly sliced
• Fresh ginger: about 1 tablespoon (10 g), thinly sliced

Choose an apple you enjoy eating: a sweeter apple gives a softer flavor, while a tart one makes the drink sharper. The lime and ginger are used as slices rather than juice or powder, so the finished water stays relatively subtle. You can peel the ginger if you prefer, but scrub it well either way.

How do you make apple lime ginger water?

Preparation: 10 minutes
Chilling: 2 hours
Yield: About 4 cups (960 mL), or 4 servings

1. Wash the apple, lime and ginger under running water, rubbing their surfaces clean.
2. Slice the apple and remove its core and seeds. Thinly slice the lime and ginger.
3. Add the apple, lime and ginger to a clean pitcher, then pour in the water.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. For a stronger flavor, steep for up to 4 hours.
5. Strain out the ingredients and serve the water chilled. Remove the lime by 4 hours to limit bitterness from the peel and pith.

Taste the water after 2 hours. If you prefer a lighter drink, strain it then; if you want more flavor, give it more time in the refrigerator, up to the 4-hour limit.

Why do apple, lime and ginger pair well?

Apple adds a mellow fruit flavor

Apple softens the sharper ingredients without requiring added sugar. Like other apple infused water recipes, this one gets its flavor from fruit in contact with the water rather than from a blended apple.

Whole apples contain fiber, but strained infused water contains little of it. If you want the fruit's fiber, eat the refrigerated apple slices rather than counting on the water to provide it.

Lime brings tartness

Lime makes the apple taste brighter and helps balance the ginger. As with lime water, the flavor depends on how much citrus you use and how long it sits in the water.

Lime juice contains vitamin C, but the amount transferred from slices into this drink is not known. If citrus irritates your mouth or triggers reflux, use less lime or leave it out.

Ginger adds warmth

Fresh ginger gives the drink a mildly peppery finish. Slicing it thinly exposes more surface to the water; thicker slices make it easier to remove. For a simpler version of that flavor, see ginger water.

This recipe is a flavored water, not a measured dose of ginger. Its health benefit is mainly that it can help you enjoy drinking water.

How should you store apple lime ginger water?

Keep the pitcher covered and refrigerated, and drink the water within 24 hours for the best flavor. Strain out the ingredients after steeping, especially the lime, which can make the water bitter if left in too long.

Discard the drink after 2 days, or sooner if it becomes cloudy or slimy or develops an unexpected sour smell. Return it to the refrigerator promptly after serving rather than leaving it out at room temperature for more than a few hours.

How can you vary apple lime ginger water?

Make it milder

Use fewer ginger slices or strain the pitcher after 2 hours. Removing the lime peel before steeping can also reduce bitterness while keeping the citrus flavor.

Make it fruitier

Add a little more sliced apple or choose a sweeter variety. Keep the water and steeping time the same, then taste before serving.

Add a fresh herbal note

Add a few washed mint leaves to the pitcher with the fruit. Strain them out with the other ingredients so the flavor stays balanced.

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