How to make homemade flavored waters

You don't need to buy bottled drinks selling in the market. If you're not drinking plenty of water but you know that it is very good for your body, you may try these delicious recipes of homemade flavored waters. At home, in minutes, natural and thirst-quenching. Ideal for the summer.

1- Essential principle of flavored waters:

Without a doubt, water is the best thing that we can choose to quench the thirst and to hydrate our bodies. However, not all like to drink it in quantity or outside meals. Currently it has become fashionable eating in restaurants, bars and gyms "flavored waters", competing with soft drinks and sodas as an alternative low-calorie or no gas.
Almost all brands of flavored waters that are sold in the market have water and the addition of one or more chemical flavourings. However, the term of "flavored water" is old. The general formula of which is: fruits (or vegetables, herbs, spices), sugar (or syrup, stevia, honey) and cold water (with ice).
The fruits most commonly used to make flavored waters are plum, Apple, pear, Orange, lemon, lime, Tangerine, grapefruit, strawberry, BlackBerry and blueberry. In the case of vegetables, cucumber, the hinoho and the celery.
Favorite herbs are Mint, lemon balm, parsley, basil, the lemon verbena, Rosemary, Sage, the lemongrass, thyme, dill and tarragon. And in terms of spices you can use ginger, cinnamon, pink pepper, star anise, pepper and clove.
These preparations "admit" a lot of ingredients and different variables, according to the tastes of each, or whatever you have available at home if we don't want to go out to buy. The imagination will help us to enjoy these waters flavored in minutes.
Both vegetables and fruits should be well cut fine (sliced) to give a surface from exposure to water and at the same time that they can get their juices for flavor drink. Maceration in several cases is 12 hours, so you can prepare the night and leave in the refrigerator for drinking from the morning.

2- Recipes for homemade flavored waters:

Cucumber, citrus and Apple flavored water: need 1 Green Apple, medium cucumber, 1 orange, 120 cc of syrup, a litre and a half of water and ice. Remember that longer macerate in the refrigerator, will have more flavor. Put the syrup in a small saucepan with four tablespoons of water. It is heated until the boil,strain the liquid and becomes a pitcher. Place the fruits and vegetables cut into slices and the rest of the water. The ice should be added a little before serving. Once we drink the water, fruits will have much flavor yet, to what can be filled with water, replace the syrup and cool again. A variant for the syrup is a liquid sweetener.
Water flavored with Mint, Apple and citrus fruit: the ingredients for this recipe are medium Green Apple, 1 orange, 120 cc of syrup, 2 sprigs of fresh mint, a litre and a half of water and ice. Instead of Orange can be you lemon, Mandarin orange or grapefruit. The preparation of syrup is respected as in the previous recipe. Maceration time is one hour in the refrigerator.
Berries, lemon verbena and lemon flavored water: requirements for this delicious drink half a cup of raspberries, half a cup of blackberries, lemon, 120 cc of syrup, 2 sprigs fresh lemon verbena and a litre of water and much ice. After heating the syrup, place the red fruit washed and sliced thin. You will have a pink colour and a very sweet flavor. Leave to marinate for an hour in the refrigerator and place the ice before serving.
Flavored water Hibiscus (or Flor de Jamaica): hibiscus gets dry in the dietary and tea houses or naturists. The ingredients are two tablespoons of flowers, a liter of water, ice, and sugar to taste. First flowers with a liter of water should moisturize during one hour. Then prepare an infusion by boiling for 15 minutes. Let cool, strain on the jug and diluted with more water, sugar to taste (or sweetener) and ice.
Tamarind flavored water: it is a popular drink in Mexico and is performed with pods or sweet dough (you can look at the diet if they have). Six of these pods of tamarind (or paste), you need a liter of water, sugar to taste, cold water and ice. Peel pods and use the inner pulp, boiling, crushing a little and performs an infusion. Let cool, strain and dilute with cold water, sugar and enough ice.
Citrus sugar free flavored water: for those who can not eat sugar and also want to enjoy the flavored waters, this recipe is ideal. The ingredients are a liter of water, two tablespoons of grated ginger, orange juice, a lemon and a grapefruit and sweetener helped taste. It heats the water and soon the boil add the ginger.Leads to the refrigerator and let it stand until it cools completely (do not place the boiling pot, wait several minutes for it to temple). Then add juices and if you want to be stronger as citric, you can grate a little shells. It takes one little longer to the refrigerator and served with ice and a little sweetener if desired.
Try these easy and useful homemade tips.your comments will highly appreciated.