Apricot Lime Thyme Water: Easy Infused Water Recipe

Apricot lime thyme water is a fruit-and-herb infused water that takes 2 hours 10 minutes to prepare and yields about 1 litre, or 4¼ cups.

What is apricot lime thyme water?

Apricot lime thyme water is made by steeping fresh apricots, sliced lime and thyme in cold water. The apricot gives it a mellow fruit flavor, while lime adds tartness and thyme brings a savory herbal note.

Unlike a blended drink, the fruit is left in pieces and strained out before serving. It is one of many stone fruit infused water recipes that use ripe fruit to flavor water without requiring a sweetener.

What ingredients and ratio do you need?

For approximately four 1-cup servings, use:

Water: 1 litre (4¼ cups), cold
Fresh apricots: 150 g (about 1 cup sliced), pitted
Lime: 1 medium lime, about 100 g (roughly ½ cup sliced)
Fresh thyme leaves: 2 g (about 1 tablespoon, or 1/16 cup, loosely packed)

This ratio gives the apricot enough presence to stand up to the lime and thyme. Choose ripe, fragrant apricots for the best flavor; firm fruit can be sliced neatly, but fruit with little aroma may also give the water less flavor.

Use a clean pitcher large enough to hold the water and fruit with room to stir. A lid or cover helps protect the infusion while it chills.

How do you make apricot lime thyme water?

Allow about 10 minutes for preparation and at least 2 hours for refrigerated steeping.

Rinse the apricots, lime and thyme under running water.
Cut the apricots in half, discard the pits and slice the flesh. Slice the lime into thin rounds.
Place the apricot slices, lime rounds and thyme leaves in the clean pitcher. Gently press the thyme leaves if you want a more noticeable herbal flavor.
Pour in the cold water and stir gently to distribute the ingredients.
Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for 2 hours. Taste the water; for a stronger infusion, continue chilling for up to 4 hours.
Strain out the fruit and thyme by 4 hours, then serve the water cold. Refrigerate any remaining water.

For another combination using a similar method, try the ai infused water generator.

Avoid vigorously crushing the apricots if you prefer a clearer drink. If the lime tastes too sharp for you, remove its slices earlier during steeping and leave the apricot and thyme to infuse.

Why do apricot, lime and thyme work together?

Apricot has a soft, sweet-tasting aroma that rounds out lime’s acidity. In apricot infused water, the fruit is the main flavor; here, lime provides contrast rather than additional sweetness.

Lime also makes the finished drink taste bright without added sugar. If you enjoy that citrus-forward flavor, lime water uses the same idea with fewer ingredients.

Thyme adds an aromatic, slightly earthy finish, but a small amount can be noticeable. The herb is also the focus of thyme water; in this recipe, it complements rather than replaces the fruit flavors.

The practical benefit of the combination is that it can make plain water more appealing to drink. Apricots, lime and thyme contain nutrients, but the amount that transfers into steeped water is not established here; eating the fruit is different from drinking the strained infusion. Hydration supports normal body functions, while the liver and kidneys do most of the body’s detoxification.

How should you store apricot lime thyme water?

Keep the pitcher refrigerated during steeping and after straining. Remove the ingredients by 4 hours because lime peel and pith can make the water bitter with a longer steep.

Drink the water within 24 hours for the best flavor, and discard it after 2 days or sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy or sour-smelling. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than a few hours; return it to the refrigerator promptly after serving.

If you plan to eat the strained fruit, keep it refrigerated too. Discard the apricot pits rather than adding them to the pitcher or serving them with the fruit.

How can you vary apricot lime thyme water?

Make the lime gentler

Peel the lime before slicing it if you prefer less of the peel’s flavor. You can also remove the lime slices before the rest of the ingredients if the water reaches your preferred tartness.

Make the thyme more subtle

Use fewer thyme leaves and taste after 2 hours. The herbal flavor will be lighter, leaving the apricot and lime more prominent.

Make the apricot flavor stronger

Gently press a few apricot slices against the side of the pitcher before refrigerating. This can release some pulp, so the finished water may be less clear and contain more fruit than a simply steeped and strained infusion.