Blueberry Orange Lavender Water Recipe

Blueberry orange lavender water is a chilled fruit-and-herb infusion that takes 2 hours 10 minutes to prepare and yields about 4 cups (950 ml).

What is blueberry orange lavender water?

Blueberry orange lavender water combines fresh blueberries, orange slices and a small amount of culinary lavender with plain water. The ingredients steep in the refrigerator, giving the water a subtle berry, citrus and floral flavor without blending the fruit.

It is one of many berry infused water recipes you can make in a pitcher. Serve it strained over ice or chilled on its own.

What ingredients and ratio do you need?

For approximately 4 servings of 1 cup (240 ml) each, use:

Water: 950 ml (4 cups)
Fresh blueberries: 150 g (1 cup)
Orange: about 100 g (about 2/3 cup sliced), approximately 1 small orange
Dried culinary lavender buds: about 0.25 g (1/4 teaspoon, or about 1/192 cup)

Use lavender labeled for culinary use, not potpourri, essential oil or flowers treated with pesticides. The small amount keeps its floral flavor from overpowering the fruit. You will also need a pitcher, a strainer and, if you have one, a small tea infuser for the lavender.

How do you make blueberry orange lavender water?

Active prep: about 10 minutes. Refrigerator steep: 2 hours. Total: 2 hours 10 minutes.

Rinse the blueberries and orange under running water.
Slice the orange into thin rounds or half-moons, removing any seeds.
Press a few blueberries gently with the back of a spoon to break their skins, leaving the rest whole.
Place the blueberries and orange in a clean pitcher. Put the lavender in a tea infuser and add it to the pitcher, or add the buds loose if you plan to strain the water.
Pour in the water and stir gently.
Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Remove the infuser and strain out the fruit and any loose lavender. Serve chilled, with ice if desired.

For another combination with the same method, try the ai infused water generator.

Why do blueberry, orange and lavender pair well?

Blueberries provide a mild, rounded fruit flavor, while orange adds a brighter citrus note. Breaking a few berries helps expose their flesh to the water; keeping most whole avoids turning the infusion into a purée. For a simpler berry flavor, see blueberry infused water.

Orange peel contributes aroma, though its pith can make the water bitter if left in too long. Straining the pitcher after 2 hours keeps the citrus subtle; orange infused water uses the same idea with fewer flavors.

Lavender adds a floral note, so start with the measured amount rather than a large handful. If you prefer a more noticeable herb flavor, lavender water focuses on that ingredient.

The main benefit of this drink is hydration. Blueberries and oranges contain nutrients, but the amount that transfers into steeped water is uncertain; eating the fruit provides more of the fruit itself, including its fiber. The liver and kidneys do most of the body's detoxification, with the lungs and gut also helping eliminate waste. This drink supports hydration rather than cleansing the body.

How should you store blueberry orange lavender water?

Keep the pitcher covered and refrigerated while it steeps and after straining. Drink the water within 24 hours for the best flavor, and discard any remaining water after 2 days or sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy or sour-smelling.

If you prefer a stronger infusion, refrigerate it for up to 4 hours before straining. Citrus pith can turn bitter after about 4 hours, so remove the orange by then. Do not leave the drink at room temperature for more than a few hours.

How can you vary blueberry orange lavender water?

Make the floral note lighter

Use fewer lavender buds if you want the berry and orange flavors to stand out. You can also keep the buds in an infuser so they are easy to remove before serving.

Adjust the citrus flavor

Remove the orange peel before slicing if you prefer less peel flavor. For a brighter taste, add a little extra orange; this may also change the flavor and nutrient content of the finished drink.

Serve it differently

Pour the strained water into glasses over ice, or serve it straight from the chilled pitcher. If you eat the infused fruit, its calories and nutrients count separately from those of the water.