Blackberry Cherry Basil Water: Easy Recipe

Blackberry cherry basil water is a fruit-and-herb-infused water that takes 2 hours 10 minutes in total and yields about 1 liter (4¼ cups). For another combination, try the AI infused water generator.

What is blackberry cherry basil water?

Blackberry cherry basil water is plain water steeped with blackberries, pitted cherries and fresh basil. The fruit gives it a mild berry flavor, while the basil adds a fresh herbal note.

Unlike a smoothie or juice, the ingredients are not blended into the water. This recipe is one of many berry infused water recipes you can make in a pitcher and keep chilled until serving.

What ingredients and ratio do you need?

For approximately 4 servings, use:

Water: 1 liter (about 4¼ cups)
Blackberries: 75 g (about ½ cup)
Pitted cherries: 75 g (about ½ cup)
Fresh basil: 5 g (about ¼ cup loosely packed, or 8–12 leaves)

This ratio uses about 1 cup of fruit and a small handful of basil per liter of water. Use fresh fruit and basil for the clearest flavor, and choose either sweet or sour cherries according to your preference. The weights are useful when fruit sizes vary; the cup measures are approximate.

You will also need a clean, covered pitcher large enough to hold the water and fruit. A strainer is useful if you prefer to serve the water without pieces in the glass.

How do you make blackberry cherry basil water?

Rinse the blackberries, cherries and basil under running water.
Pit the cherries and cut them in half. Lightly press the blackberries with a spoon to help release their flavor without turning them into a purée.
Tear the basil leaves once or twice and place them in the pitcher with the fruit.
Pour in the water and stir gently.
Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for 2–4 hours. The shortest steep gives a total preparation time of about 2 hours 10 minutes.
Strain the water if desired, then serve chilled. Keep any remaining water refrigerated.

For a gentler flavor, taste after 2 hours. For a stronger infusion, leave it in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before straining. The water may take on a light pink or purple color, but its appearance will depend on the fruit.

Why do blackberry, cherry and basil pair well?

Blackberries bring a tart berry flavor that balances the rounder taste of cherries. Lightly pressing them gives the water more contact with the fruit, much as it does in blackberry infused water.

Cherries add a mellow fruit flavor without needing juice or sweetener. Halving them exposes the flesh to the water; cherry infused water uses the same idea with fewer ingredients.

Basil makes the combination taste fresher and less like fruit juice. Tearing the leaves releases their aroma, while using a modest amount keeps the herb from overpowering the fruit. See basil water for the herb on its own.

The practical benefit of this drink is hydration, and its flavor may make plain water more appealing. Steeping does not transfer all the fruit’s fiber or nutrients into the water, so it should not be treated as nutritionally equivalent to eating the fruit. The liver and kidneys do most of the body’s detoxification, with help from the lungs and gut; this drink does not cleanse the body.

How should you store blackberry cherry basil water?

Keep the pitcher covered and refrigerated, and drink the water within 24 hours for the best flavor. Straining out the fruit and basil after steeping makes it easier to control the flavor as the water sits.

Discard any remaining water 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. Use a clean glass or utensil when serving rather than drinking directly from the pitcher.

How can you vary blackberry cherry basil water?

Change the fruit balance

Use more blackberries and fewer cherries for a tarter drink, or reverse the proportions for a milder cherry flavor. Keep the total fruit quantity close to 150 g, or about 1 cup, per liter of water.

Use frozen fruit

Unsweetened frozen blackberries or pitted cherries can replace fresh fruit. Add them straight from the freezer, then refrigerate the pitcher for the same 2–4-hour steep. Frozen fruit can soften as it thaws, so strain the finished water if you prefer a clearer drink.

Adjust the basil

Use fewer leaves for a subtle herbal note, or tear all the leaves for a more noticeable aroma. Add them before steeping rather than blending them, which would change the drink’s texture.