These 5 summer water infusions are everything you’re looking for on a hot summer day: refreshing, flavorful, and loaded with health benefits.
Summer is in full swing here in Tennessee – flowers are blooming, veggies are ripening, and harvests are abundant.
Goal #1 for the summer is to get the most out of everything the summer garden has to offer.
Goal #2 is to stay cool and hydrated (this Tennessee heat is no joke!)
Cue these summer water infusions, all five of them being refreshing, flavorful, and packed with hidden health benefits.
One of the things I love most about herbs is that you can easily incorporate them in small ways like this.
Plus when you pair them with the flavors of the summer, you really can’t go wrong.
F.Y.I – All of the herbs mentioned here are super easy to grow in your backyard or even in a pot on your porch. Get started in 3 simple steps, and you’ll be growing and harvesting your homegrown herbs in no time!
1. Watermelon + Basil
If I had to pick a favorite child, it would be fresh basil harvested straight from the summer garden.
As long as the season allows, I add basil to practically every meal and drink possible, even in a simple glass of iced water.
Depending on the variety you use, basil has an impressive list of health benefits. It’s full of important antioxidants to help protect your body from chronic diseases. Basil is calming on both the digestive and nervous systems, and it has even been shown to help reduce blood pressure and maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
This drink doubles down on the antioxidants by adding watermelon, one of the top sources of lycopene – a powerful antioxidant that can prevent certain cancers and lower your risk of heart disease.
This basil and watermelon combo is sweet, herbaceous, and absolutely refreshing. My secret trick is to slice the watermelon into sticks and freeze them beforehand so that you can use them as watermelon ice cubes.
2. Strawberry + Mint
If I could bottle up the taste of summer and pour it into a glass, it would be this strawberry and mint wter infusion.
What’s not to love about strawberries? Their sweet, slightly floral flavor and bright red color can instantly make you smile. Strawberries are also packed with vitamin C and are one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants (thanks to the anthocyanins that give them their red coloring).
One of strawberry’s very best friends is mint.
While mint is typically the go-to herb for relieving nausea, indigestion, or stomach cramps, it’s also effective in reducing the pain of headaches.
Thanks to its bright, energizing flavor, strawberry and mint make the perfect pick-me-up water infusion for any summer day.
3. Cucumber + Lemon Thyme
Stay “cool as a cucumber” all summer long with one of the most refreshing and cleansing combinations: cucumber and lemon thyme.
We all know and love cucumbers for their fresh and subtly-sweet flavor. They also contain necessary vitamins and antioxidants to support your body in the heat.
Any cucumber will do, but I prefer the larger varieties for nice fat slices to plop right into a big jar of ice water.
A perfect pairing for cucumber is lemon thyme, a citrus-scented relative of thyme. It’s one of my most favorite herbs to grow – maybe because of its intoxicating scent that’s similar to an iced lemon loaf. It’s heavenly.
Be sure to give your lemon thyme a good clap between your hands before adding the whole sprig to your water. Doing so will release its essential oils that contain thymol, a natural anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial compound.
4. Parsley + lemon balm
My go-to summer water infusion for when I’m simply feeling “blah” is parsley and lemon balm.
Although commonly demoted to “garnish’ status, parsley contains numerous health benefits. It’s used as a digestive aid (hence why we sprinkle it on food), has mild diuretic properties, and contains necessary vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and iron.
While parsley lacks a bit in the flavor department, nothing beats the uplifting and irresistible aroma and flavor of lemon balm.
Lemon balm (a relative of peppermint) is an herb that is equally as delicious as it is medicinal. Its bright green leaves are known to calm the nervous and digestive systems, making it a great choice for either a bad mood, an upset stomach, or insomnia.
Lemon balm is also rich in polyphenols, which have strong antiviral and antibacterial properties.
The same reigns true with most herbs: be sure to tear them up or give them a good slap between your hands to release their amazing essential oils before adding them to your water.
5. Lemon + Borage
Perhaps one of my favorite summer water infusions this season is an unusual one: lemon and borage.
Lemon is one of the best additions to a glass of water for many reasons. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is not only refreshing and uplifting, but it’s also cleansing to the digestive system, is packed with vitamin C, and contains limonene (a strong antioxidant).
Borage is a medicinal herb that has natural anti-inflammatory properties. You can easily grow borage from seed and it adds beautiful color and texture to the garden (not to mention the pollinators adore it).
Both the beautiful blue flowers and light green leaves are edible and have the essence of honey and cucumber. Because the leaves have a hairy texture, I don’t recommend actually eating them, but simply tearing them up before infusing their flavor and benefits into the water.
If you don’t grow borage, no worries. You can easily sub in cucumber for a similar flavor combination (minus the fancy feeling of gorgeous blue flowers in your drink).
Thanks for reading! Let me know in the comments what your go-to summer water infusions are for this season!
More Summer Inspiration:
- Simple Watermelon and Herb Salad (3 Ways)
- Grilled Corn and Black Bean Dip
- Rhubarb Ginger Simple Syrup
Leave a Reply