Strawberry Cherry Lavender Water Recipe

Strawberry cherry lavender water is a chilled fruit-and-floral infusion that takes 2 hours 10 minutes to prepare, including chilling, and makes about 4 cups (950 ml).

What is strawberry cherry lavender water?

Strawberry cherry lavender water is plain water steeped with sliced strawberries, pitted cherries and a small amount of culinary lavender. The fruit gives the water a mild, tart-sweet flavor, while the lavender adds a floral aroma without making the drink taste like tea.

It is one of many berry infused water recipes you can make without added sugar. The fruit is steeped rather than blended, so the finished water is lighter in flavor than a smoothie or juice.

What ingredients and ratio do you need?

Use approximately equal amounts of strawberry and cherry, with a light hand on the lavender. This recipe uses about 1 cup (150 g) of fruit for 4 cups (950 ml) of water.

Water: 4 cups (950 ml), cold and safe to drink
Strawberries: 1/2 cup (75 g), sliced
Cherries: 1/2 cup (75 g), pitted and halved
Dried culinary lavender: 1/4 teaspoon (1/192 cup; about 0.2 g)

Use dried lavender sold for culinary use, not ornamental lavender or lavender essential oil. Sweet or sour cherries both work; sour cherries make the infusion more tart. Measure the cherries after removing their pits.

You will also need a clean pitcher, a knife and a fine-mesh strainer. A small food-safe tea infuser can hold the lavender buds if you prefer to remove them separately.

How do you make strawberry cherry lavender water?

Rinse the strawberries and cherries under running water. Remove the strawberry tops, slice the strawberries, and pit and halve the cherries.
Place the fruit and culinary lavender in a clean pitcher. Put the lavender in a food-safe infuser if you do not want loose buds in the water.
Pour in 4 cups (950 ml) of cold water and stir gently.
Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for 2 hours. For a stronger flavor, steep for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Strain out the lavender and fruit, then serve the water chilled.

To adjust the fruit combination or plan another pitcher, try the ai infused water generator. The 2-hour steep gives this recipe a subtle flavor; the longer option brings out more of the fruit and lavender.

Why do strawberry, cherry and lavender pair well?

Strawberry gives the drink a bright, familiar berry flavor. If you enjoy that taste on its own, strawberry infused water is a simple way to explore it.

Cherry adds depth and a touch of tartness, depending on the variety. Halving the cherries exposes their flesh to the water; cherry infused water uses the same idea.

Lavender contributes aroma more than sweetness. A small amount helps keep it from overwhelming the fruit, as in a lightly flavored lavender water.

The practical benefit of the finished drink is hydration, especially if its flavor helps you enjoy water. Fruit contains nutrients, but the amount that transfers into steeped water is uncertain; do not count it as equivalent to eating the fruit. The liver and kidneys do most of the body's detoxification, while the lungs and gut also help eliminate waste.

How should you store strawberry cherry lavender water?

Keep strawberry cherry lavender water covered and refrigerated, including while it steeps. Drink it within 24 hours for the best flavor, and 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. Use clean utensils when serving, and return the pitcher to the refrigerator promptly. Straining after steeping makes the flavor easier to control during storage.

How can you vary strawberry cherry lavender water?

Make the lavender subtler

Use less than 1/4 teaspoon (about 0.2 g) of culinary lavender if you prefer the fruit to lead. You can also use an infuser so the buds are easy to remove after the refrigerated steep.

Change the cherry flavor

Choose sweet cherries for a softer fruit flavor or sour cherries for more tartness. Keep the same 1/2 cup (75 g) measure after pitting, so the fruit-to-water ratio stays consistent.

Adjust the fruit balance

Use more strawberry and less cherry, or the reverse, while keeping the total fruit at about 1 cup (150 g). Slice or halve the fruit as directed and refrigerate the infusion for 2–4 hours.