Strawberry Apricot Basil Water: Easy Pitcher Recipe

Strawberry apricot basil water is a fruit-and-herb-infused drink that takes 2 hours 10 minutes in total, including 10 minutes of preparation, and yields about 4 cups, or 4 servings.

What is strawberry apricot basil water?

Strawberry apricot basil water combines sliced fresh fruit and basil leaves with cold water. The ingredients steep in the refrigerator, giving the water a subtle fruity flavor and an herbal aroma without blending or squeezing the fruit.

It is one of many berry infused water recipes you can make in a pitcher. The finished drink is lightly flavored rather than as sweet or concentrated as juice.

What ingredients and ratio do you need?

For one pitcher, use approximately 1 cup of sliced fruit and a small handful of basil per liter of water. The equal amounts of strawberry and apricot give both fruits room to contribute flavor.

1,000 mL (about 4¼ cups) cold drinking water
75 g (about ½ cup) sliced fresh strawberries
75 g (about ½ cup) sliced fresh apricots, pits removed
5 g (about ¼ cup loosely packed, or 8–12 leaves) fresh basil

Choose ripe fruit for the best flavor. The cup measurements are approximate because the size of the slices and basil leaves affects how much fits in a cup.

How do you make strawberry apricot basil water?

Preparation: 10 minutes. Refrigerated steep: 2 hours, or up to 4 hours for fuller flavor. Yield: about 4 cups, or 4 servings.

Wash the strawberries, apricots, and basil under cool running water. Use a clean pitcher and utensils.
Remove the strawberry tops and apricot pits, then slice the fruit. Discard the pits.
Add the fruit and basil to the pitcher. Gently tear the basil leaves if you prefer a more noticeable herbal aroma.
Pour in the cold water and cover the pitcher. Refrigerate for 2 hours; steep for up to 4 hours if you want more flavor.
Strain the drink if you prefer, or leave the fruit and basil in the pitcher while serving. Pour into glasses and return any remaining water to the refrigerator.

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

Why do strawberry, apricot, and basil work together?

Strawberries bring a familiar berry flavor, while apricots add a softer, mellow fruit note. Basil gives the pitcher a fresh herbal aroma that balances the fruit. For a simpler berry flavor, see strawberry infused water; for a milder stone-fruit version, see apricot infused water.

The main benefit of strawberry apricot basil water is that it can make drinking water more appealing. The amount of nutrients that transfers from the ingredients into the water is uncertain, so the nutrition of the whole fruit should not be counted as the nutrition of the strained drink. Steeped water is very low in calories; eating or squeezing the fruit adds more.

Drinking water supports normal hydration, but it does not detoxify the body on its own. The liver and kidneys do most of the body's detoxification, while the lungs and gut also help eliminate waste. If you enjoy the herbal note, basil water is another way to use fresh basil.

How should you store it?

Keep strawberry apricot basil water covered and refrigerated, including while it steeps. 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.

Use a clean utensil when serving rather than reaching into the pitcher. If you strain the drink, refrigerate it promptly; straining does not make it shelf-stable.

How can you vary the recipe?

Adjust the fruit balance

Use a little more strawberry for a stronger berry note, or more apricot for a mellower fruit flavor. Keep the total sliced fruit close to 150 g, or about 1 cup, per 1,000 mL of water as a starting point.

Change the basil intensity

Leave the basil leaves whole for a gentler aroma, or tear them before adding them to the pitcher for a more noticeable herbal flavor. Start with fewer leaves if you are unsure, then adjust the next batch to taste.

Choose a shorter or longer steep

Taste the water after 2 hours in the refrigerator. If you want a fuller flavor, let it steep for up to 4 hours; the drink will remain more delicate than blended fruit juice.