Cherry Plum Mint Water: Recipe and How to Make It

Cherry plum mint water is a chilled fruit-and-herb infused water that takes 2 hours 10 minutes to prepare and yields about 4 cups (950 mL).

What is cherry plum mint water?

Cherry plum mint water is plain water infused with pitted cherries, sliced plum and fresh mint. The fruit gives it a gently sweet-tart flavor, while the mint adds a cool, aromatic finish.

Unlike a smoothie or juice, the fruit is steeped rather than blended, so the finished drink is lightly flavored. For more combinations, browse these berry infused water recipes.

What ingredients and ratio do you need?

This recipe uses roughly 1 cup (150 g) of prepared fruit and a small handful of mint for 4 cups (950 mL) of water. Choose ripe fruit for the fullest flavor; sweet or sour cherries both work, depending on how tart you like the drink.

Ingredients

4 cups (950 mL) drinking water
1/2 cup (75 g) pitted, halved cherries
1/2 cup (75 g) pitted, sliced plum
About 1/4 cup (5 g) loosely packed fresh mint leaves, or about 8–12 leaves

Measure the cherries and plum after removing their pits. A clean pitcher or large jar with a lid is useful for steeping and storing the water.

How do you make cherry plum mint water?

Prep time: 10 minutes
Chill time: 2 hours
Total time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Yield: About 4 cups (950 mL)

Rinse the cherries, plum and mint under running water.
Pit the cherries and halve them. Remove the plum pit and slice the flesh.
Add the fruit and mint to a clean pitcher. Gently press the mint leaves to release their aroma without tearing them into small pieces.
Pour in the water, cover the pitcher and refrigerate for 2 hours. For a stronger flavor, steep for up to 4 hours.
Serve chilled, with or without the fruit and mint in the glass. Strain before serving if you prefer a clear drink.

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

Why do cherry, plum and mint pair well?

Cherry and plum have complementary sweet-tart flavors, but they bring different qualities to the pitcher. Cherry infused water offers a bright fruit flavor, while plum infused water adds a softer, rounded note. Mint water contributes freshness that keeps the fruit from tasting heavy.

The main benefit of cherry plum mint water is hydration. It can make plain water more appealing without adding a sweetener. The liver and kidneys do most of the body's detoxification, while the lungs and gut also help eliminate waste; infused water supports hydration rather than cleansing the body.

Whole cherries and plums contain nutrients and fiber, but how much transfers into steeped water is uncertain. Eating the prepared fruit provides more of its fiber than drinking the strained water. Steeped infused water is generally very low in calories, usually under 10 kcal per glass; eating or squeezing the fruit adds calories.

How should you store cherry plum mint water?

Keep the covered pitcher refrigerated while it steeps and afterward. Drink it 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 the pitcher at room temperature for more than a few hours. If you take a serving away from home, pour it into a clean container and keep it chilled. Straining out the fruit and mint can make the water easier to pour, but it does not replace refrigeration.

How can you vary cherry plum mint water?

Make it more cherry-forward

Use more cherries and less plum, keeping the total prepared fruit at about 1 cup (150 g). Sour cherries make a sharper drink; ripe sweet cherries give a gentler flavor.

Let the plum stand out

Use more plum and fewer cherries while keeping the same overall fruit-to-water ratio. Thin slices expose more of the flesh to the water, which can help the flavor infuse.

Adjust the mint

Use fewer mint leaves for a subtle herbal note, or leave them whole rather than pressing them. If the mint flavor is strong enough before you are ready to serve, remove the leaves and keep the water refrigerated.

Serve it sparkling

Prepare the fruit and mint as directed, then add a splash of chilled sparkling water to each glass just before serving. This gives the drink some fizz without changing the base infusion.