Blueberry Cherry Lavender Water: Recipe & How to Make It

Blueberry cherry lavender water is a chilled fruit-and-flower infusion that takes 2 hours 10 minutes total and yields about 4 cups, or 4 servings.

What is blueberry cherry lavender water?

Blueberry cherry lavender water combines blueberries, pitted cherries and culinary lavender with cold drinking water. The ingredients steep in the refrigerator, giving the water a gently fruity, floral flavor without blending the fruit.

It is one of many berry infused water recipes you can make in a pitcher. This version has no added sugar, though some natural fruit sugar may pass into the water. The flavor is lighter than juice, and its color may vary with the fruit and steeping time.

What ingredients and ratio do you need?

For approximately 4 servings, use:

Cold drinking water: 1 liter (about 4¼ US cups)
Blueberries: 75 g (about ½ cup)
Cherries: 75 g, pitted and halved (about ½ cup)
Dried culinary lavender flowers: about 0.5 g (½ teaspoon)

The fruit adds up to about 150 g, or 1 cup, per liter of water. Sweet or sour cherries work; sour cherries give the water a more tart edge. Measure the cherries after removing their pits, and use a little more or less fruit if needed to reach the approximate quantity.

Choose lavender sold for culinary use, not decorative flowers or lavender essential oil. A small amount is enough to introduce the floral flavor without overwhelming the berries.

How do you make blueberry cherry lavender water?

Allow about 10 minutes of active preparation and 2 hours of refrigerated steeping.

Rinse the blueberries and cherries under running water. Remove the cherry pits, then halve the cherries.
Add the blueberries and cherries to a clean pitcher. Gently press a few blueberries with the back of a spoon if you want a little more fruit flavor.
Place the culinary lavender in a small food-safe infuser or mesh bag, then add it to the pitcher. Keeping it contained makes the water easier to strain.
Pour in the cold water and stir gently. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for 2 hours; steep for up to 4 hours for a fuller flavor.
Remove the lavender and strain out the fruit if you prefer. Serve the blueberry cherry lavender water cold, and refrigerate any remainder.

For another custom combination, try the ai infused water generator.

Why do blueberry, cherry and lavender pair well?

Blueberries contribute a mild berry flavor that gives the other ingredients room to stand out. In blueberry infused water, that subtle flavor is often the focus; here, it provides a soft background for the cherries.

Cherries bring a stronger fruity note, with sweetness or tartness depending on the variety. Like cherry infused water, this recipe lets their flavor develop gradually in cold water rather than turning the fruit into juice.

Lavender adds a floral finish. Use it lightly: as with lavender water, too much can make the flavor taste soapy. The recipe is primarily a way to make water enjoyable to drink; the amount of fruit compounds that transfer into the water is uncertain.

Drinking it can help with hydration. The liver and kidneys do most of the body's detoxification, while the lungs and gut help eliminate waste; no infused water is needed to cleanse them.

How should you store blueberry cherry lavender water?

Keep the pitcher covered and refrigerated, and drink the water within 24 hours for the best flavor. Discard it after 2 days, or sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy or sour-smelling. Straining out the fruit does not restart the storage time.

Do not leave the pitcher at room temperature for more than a few hours. If serving it over a longer gathering, keep the main pitcher refrigerated and pour individual glasses as needed.

How can you vary blueberry cherry lavender water?

For a more blueberry-forward pitcher, use about 100 g (⅔ cup) blueberries and 50 g (⅓ cup) pitted cherries. Reverse those approximate amounts for a stronger cherry flavor, keeping the same amount of water.

For a gentler floral note, reduce the culinary lavender to about 0.25 g (¼ teaspoon). You can also remove the lavender after the first 2 hours while leaving the fruit in the refrigerator to steep for up to 4 hours.

Frozen unsweetened blueberries or pitted cherries can stand in for fresh fruit. Add them directly to the pitcher and keep the mixture refrigerated while it steeps; check the cherry packaging to make sure the fruit is pitted.