Simkin: Infused water a welcome new trend

I first encountered infused water at the café in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where I not… I first encountered infused water at the café in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where I not unreasonably assumed the apple slivers floating in the water pitcher were some type of aesthetic statement. But when infused water popped up again at Market Central’s new “Hydration Station,” I began to suspect that there might be more to it.

A little research revealed the aforementioned beverages to be not unlike aguas frescas, a common accompaniment to meals in some types of Mexican and Central American cuisine: lighter than fruit juice but with a dazzle of flavor that plain water can’t compete with. Infused water is also frequently served at spas and salons where tap water just wouldn’t be trendy or classy enough.

Making infused water is so ridiculously easy that one can barely classify it as food preparation. Yet it’s simultaneously fun and, under the right circumstances, potentially impressive. Can it be accomplished in a dorm room? If you have a mini-fridge and a Brita filter, or any other form of water pitcher, it’s most definitely possible.

Simply cut up your chosen ingredients, add them to the water, and chill the mixture for a few hours, or take a cue from the book of Texas sun tea and leave it on a sunny window sill before serving over ice. You can serve the drink with the fruit or vegetable segments floating in the drink or strain them out. You can also add fresh slices — throwing a lemon or a lime into a beverage is a mainstream classic, but what about grapefruit, a cucumber wedge or a strawberry?

Experiment with a single fruit or vegetable or get creative with flowers, herbs or combinations like orange mint, pineapple chipotle mint, watermelon basil and lemon lavender. One complicated recipe calls for 12 cucumber slices, four lemon slices, four sprigs of fresh mint and two sprigs of fresh rosemary — you can buy fresh herbs at most grocery stores.

Think some of those concoctions sound outlandish? Me too, though many a website and online commenter sing their praises. I’d rather stick with classics like cucumber or cranberry-raspberry.

Trading still water for sparkling can also add a twist, though be careful not to lose your carbonation while your ingredients infuse. You could also experiment with sugar or artificial sweeteners. I’ve arrived at some interesting concoctions with agave nectar, not the least of which included a flavoring in virgin margaritas.

Some variations feature the addition of fruit purees, but that would involve a food processor and is practically a smoothie, and we aren’t venturing out into other beverage realms here.

Infused water could conceivably take the place of sugary sodas or energy drinks or at least serve as an occasional substitute for them. Whereas the transfer of flavor to the H2O likely does not confer great quantities of nutritional value to the beverage, it still doesn’t contain nearly as many sugar, calories, carbohydrates or any of those other health-conscious buzz terms.

If you’re committed to hydration and looking for a fun way to knock back those eight glasses of water a day, infused water might just be worth a try.