Mango Pear Basil Water: Recipe & How to Make It

Mango pear basil water is a fruit-and-herb infusion that takes 2 hours 10 minutes, including chilling time, and makes about 4 servings. For another combination, try the ai infused water generator.

What is mango pear basil water?

Mango pear basil water is plain water steeped with pieces of ripe mango, pear and fresh basil. The fruit gives the water a gentle sweetness, while basil adds a fresh herbal aroma. It is one of many tropical fruit infused water recipes that can be made without added sugar.

The flavor is lighter than juice because the ingredients are steeped, not blended or squeezed. Use ripe but firm fruit for pieces that are easy to cut and hold their shape in the pitcher.

What ingredients and ratio do you need?

This recipe uses about 1 cup of chopped fruit and a small handful of basil per liter of water. The amounts are approximate: variations in the size of the fruit pieces and leaves will affect how much fits in a cup.

Ingredients

1 liter (4¼ cups) cold drinking water
75 g (about ½ cup) chopped ripe mango
75 g (about ½ cup) chopped ripe pear
5 g (about ¼ cup loosely packed, or 8–12 leaves) fresh basil

The recipe makes about 1 liter (4¼ cups) of infused water, or roughly 4 servings of 250 ml (about 1 cup) each. Use a pitcher with enough extra room for the fruit and herbs.

Start with the listed ratio before changing the amounts. Mango brings the more noticeable tropical flavor, while pear contributes a milder, rounded sweetness; keeping the two in equal portions lets both come through.

How do you make mango pear basil water?

Active prep: about 10 minutes. Refrigerated steep: 2 hours. Total time: about 2 hours 10 minutes.

Wash the mango, pear and basil under cool running water.
Cut the mango flesh away from the peel and pit, then chop enough flesh to make 75 g (about ½ cup).
Core the pear and chop 75 g (about ½ cup); leave the peel on if you like.
Add the mango, pear and basil to a clean pitcher. Gently bruise the basil leaves with clean hands to release their aroma.
Pour in 1 liter (4¼ cups) of cold drinking water, cover the pitcher and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Serve the water cold, straining out the fruit and basil if desired. For a stronger flavor, steep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before serving.

Keep the pitcher covered as it steeps so the water stays fresh and does not pick up other flavors from the refrigerator. Stir gently before pouring to distribute the infusion.

Why do mango, pear and basil work together?

Mango gives the infusion its tropical character, as it does in mango infused water. Pear has a softer flavor that rounds out the mango without making the drink taste like juice; see pear infused water for a simpler version.

Basil adds a fragrant, slightly savory contrast to the fruit. Bruising the leaves lightly helps release their aroma without tearing them into small pieces; basil water puts the herb at the center of the drink.

The main benefit of mango pear basil water is hydration. If the flavor encourages you to drink water, it can help you meet your fluid needs. The liver and kidneys do most of the body's detoxification, while the lungs and gut also help eliminate waste; this drink does not cleanse or detoxify the body.

Whole mango and pear provide nutrients and fiber when eaten, but the amount transferred into steeped water is unknown. Steeped infused water is usually under 10 kcal per glass; eating or squeezing the fruit adds calories from the fruit.

How should you store mango pear basil water?

Keep the pitcher covered and refrigerated, and drink the water within 24 hours for the best flavor. Discard it after 2–3 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 strain the infusion, use a clean container and keep the strained water refrigerated as well.

How can you vary mango pear basil water?

Adjust the fruit balance

Use a little more mango for a more tropical flavor, or more pear for a milder one. Keep the total fruit amount close to 150 g (about 1 cup) per liter of water as a starting point.

Change the basil intensity

Use fewer leaves for a subtle herbal note, or stay near the upper end of 8–12 leaves for a more noticeable aroma. Fresh leaves work best for this recipe; add them whole so they are easy to remove.

Make the flavor lighter or stronger

For a lighter drink, serve it after the initial 2-hour refrigerated steep. For a fuller infusion, leave it in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before tasting and serving.