Cranberry Plum Mint Water: Recipe and How to Make It

Cranberry plum mint water is a fruit-and-herb infusion that takes 2 hours 10 minutes total and yields about 4 cups (950 mL).

What is cranberry plum mint water?

Cranberry plum mint water is plain water steeped with cranberries, sliced plum and fresh mint. It has a light, tart fruit flavor with a cool herbal finish, rather than the sweetness or intensity of juice.

The recipe takes about 10 minutes of hands-on preparation, followed by 2 hours in the refrigerator. It is one of many berry infused water recipes you can make without added sweetener.

What ingredients and proportions do you need?

For approximately four servings, use:

Water: 950 mL (4 cups)
Cranberries: 50 g (about 1/2 cup), fresh or frozen
Plum: 100 g (about 2/3 cup sliced), pitted
Fresh mint leaves: 5 g (about 1/4 cup loosely packed)

The fruit amounts are approximate: a little more or less will change the flavor, not the method. Choose a ripe plum for a softer, fruitier infusion; a firm plum will give a milder result. Fresh or frozen cranberries both work, and the frozen berries do not need to be thawed first.

How do you make cranberry plum mint water?

Wash the fresh cranberries, plum and mint under running water. Discard any damaged or spoiled produce.
Slice the plum, removing and discarding the pit. Cut the cranberries in half on a stable cutting board so more of their surfaces touch the water.
Press the mint leaves gently between your fingers to release their aroma without shredding them.
Combine the cranberries, plum and mint in a clean pitcher. Pour in the water and cover the pitcher.
Refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to 4 hours for a stronger flavor. Strain if you prefer, then serve chilled.

For a different combination or batch size, try the ai infused water generator.

Why do cranberry, plum and mint pair well?

Cranberries bring a bright, tart edge. That tartness is usually gentler in this infusion than in cranberry infused water made without plum.

Plum rounds out the sharpness with a mellow fruit flavor, though the drink will not taste as sweet as plum juice. The same soft fruit character is the appeal of plum infused water.

Mint adds a fresh aroma that keeps the fruit flavors from feeling heavy. If you prefer a more herbal finish, use a little more mint, as you might in mint water.

The main benefit of cranberry plum mint water is hydration. It can also be an unsweetened alternative to a sugary drink. Some flavor and small amounts of fruit compounds may move into the water, but the nutrient content of the strained infusion is unknown; most of the fruit's fiber remains in the fruit.

The liver and kidneys do most of the body's detoxification. This drink supports hydration, but it does not cleanse the body or treat a health condition.

How should you store cranberry plum mint water?

Keep cranberry plum mint water covered and refrigerated. Drink it within 24 hours for the best flavor, and discard it by 2 days after preparation, or sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy or sour-smelling.

Straining out the fruit and mint after the initial 2–4 hours helps keep their flavor from becoming too strong. Use a clean container for the strained water, and do not leave the drink at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Remove the plum pit, and keep whole cranberries away from young children because they can be a choking hazard.

How can you vary cranberry plum mint water?

Make it tarter

Use a little more cranberry and a little less plum. Halving the cranberries before steeping helps their tart flavor reach the water.

Make it fruitier

Use more ripe plum and fewer cranberries. Slice the plum thinly to expose more of its flesh, but avoid crushing it if you want a clearer drink.

Make the mint milder

Use fewer mint leaves or leave the leaves whole rather than pressing them. You can also strain the mint out as soon as the flavor tastes right.

Adjust it after steeping

Taste the chilled infusion before serving. Add plain cold water if it tastes too strong, or leave the fruit in the covered pitcher for more time in the refrigerator, up to the 4-hour steeping point.