Make This: Orange, Raspberry, and Cardamom-Infused Water

April 2024

recipe & photo by renata haidle

We all know that proper hydration is essential to good health, yet meeting the recommended amount of water daily might be a bit of a tall order for some of us. Adding a bit of fruit and/or fresh herbs to drinking water can make this goal easier to achieve. You will have a tasty and refreshing beverage alternative, adding a small amount of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants into your diet. It is also fun to experiment with various flavor combinations and find your favorites.

Cucumber water is a well-known refreshing beverage that needs no introduction, while lemon and lime are some of the most common flavor enhancers. The pairings of basil and strawberries, pineapple and blueberries, or cayenne pepper and watermelon are less predictable but rather interesting. There is no right or wrong when experimenting with your favorite fruits and herbs. Remember that when using unpeeled fruit such as oranges, limes, lemon, grapefruit, or cucumber (technically a fruit), organic is always best to avoid possible pesticides from leaking into your flavored water. Another thing to consider is that flavor needs time to develop, so prepare your water at least an hour before serving it. If you use citrus with the peel on, remove it after several hours, or the water will turn bitter.

If you need a quick recipe to get you started, try our orange, raspberry, and cardamom-infused water. It contains a good amount of vitamin C and antioxidants, and the taste is subtle yet delightfully invigorating.

Ingredients:

32 fluid ounces of water
2 small navel oranges, thinly sliced
1 Cup fresh raspberries
2 cardamom pods, crushed

Makes four servings

Directions:

Fill a 32-fluid-ounce pitcher with fresh, cold water. Save 4 orange slices and 4 raspberries for decorating your glasses. Place the rest of the oranges, raspberries, and cardamom pods in the pitcher and crush them gently with a long-handled spatula. Place the pitcher in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving to allow the flavors to develop. Strain the water into four glasses, decorate with the remaining fruit, and serve. Store leftover water in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Originally printed in the April 2024 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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Renata Haidle

Renata Haidle is a Romanian-American photographer, writer, and book author. An avid traveler, she credits Paris for sparking her photography career after her first visit there in 2014. Her first photo book, French Riviera, was published in July 2019.

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