Cantaloupe Cherry Ginger Water: Easy Recipe

Cantaloupe cherry ginger water is a fruit-and-ginger-infused drink that takes 2 hours 10 minutes to prepare, including chilling, and yields about 4 cups (950 mL). Try the ai infused water generator for another combination.

What is cantaloupe cherry ginger water?

Cantaloupe cherry ginger water is plain water chilled with pieces of cantaloupe, cherries, and fresh ginger. The fruit adds a delicate melon-and-cherry flavor, while the ginger brings a little warmth without making the drink spicy.

It is one of many melon infused water recipes you can make without a blender or added sweetener. The fruit is steeped rather than blended, so the finished water is lighter in flavor and texture than a smoothie.

What ingredients and ratio do you need?

For about 4 cups (950 mL), use:

Water: 950 mL (4 cups), cold
Cantaloupe: 100 g (about 2/3 cup), peeled and cubed
Cherries: 50 g (about 1/3 cup), pitted and halved
Fresh ginger: 10 g (about 2 tablespoons), thinly sliced

This ratio uses about 150 g of prepared fruit for 950 mL of water. It makes a gently flavored drink; use the variation below if you prefer the cherry flavor to stand out more.

Choose ripe cantaloupe for its aroma and either sweet or sour cherries, depending on the flavor you like. The measurements are for the edible fruit after removing the melon rind and cherry pits. Fresh ginger is preferable here because slices are easy to strain out.

How do you make cantaloupe cherry ginger water?

Wash the whole cantaloupe under running water, scrubbing the rind with a clean produce brush. Rinse the cherries and ginger under running water, too.
Prepare the fruit by cutting away the cantaloupe rind and cubing the flesh. Remove the cherry pits and halve the cherries, then thinly slice the ginger.
Combine the cantaloupe, cherries, and ginger in a clean pitcher. Pour in the cold water and cover the pitcher.
Refrigerate for 2 hours. For a stronger flavor, leave it in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours instead.
Strain out the fruit and ginger, then serve the water cold. Return any water you do not serve immediately to the refrigerator.

Allow about 10 minutes for preparation. The stated total time uses the shorter, 2-hour steep; taste the water before straining if you are deciding whether to leave it longer.

Why do cantaloupe, cherries, and ginger pair well?

Cantaloupe has a soft, sweet flavor that gives the water its mellow base. Cherries add a brighter fruit note, while ginger adds contrast and keeps the combination from tasting overly sweet. Compare the melon flavor in cantaloupe infused water with the fruitier taste of cherry infused water, or see ginger water for a simpler ginger infusion.

The main benefit of the finished drink is hydration. Cantaloupe and cherries contain nutrients when eaten, but the amount that transfers into steeped water is uncertain; do not count the whole fruit's nutrients as nutrients in the strained drink. Steeped infused water is usually under 10 kcal per glass, while eating or squeezing the fruit adds calories.

How should you store it?

Keep cantaloupe cherry ginger water covered and refrigerated, and drink it within 24 hours for the best flavor. After straining, store the water in a clean, covered container rather than leaving the fruit in it indefinitely.

Discard the drink 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. If serving it outdoors, keep it chilled and return leftovers to the refrigerator promptly.

How can you vary the recipe?

Make the cherry flavor stronger

Use 75 g (about 1/2 cup) each of cantaloupe and pitted cherries, keeping the water and ginger amounts the same. This retains approximately the same total amount of fruit while shifting the flavor toward cherry.

Make it milder

Use 5 g (about 1 tablespoon) of sliced ginger instead of 10 g. Steep for 2 hours, taste, and strain when the ginger flavor is noticeable but not dominant.

Add bubbles at serving time

Prepare the infusion with still water as directed. When serving, replace some of the strained water in each glass with chilled sparkling water; adding it at the end helps preserve the bubbles.