Making infused water with fruit and herbs!

As a gardener I am always looking for new ways to use the tons of produce and herbs I harvest in the summer. It's also really hot out there while harvesting it! I have always carried a bottle of water with me and most times I added a slice of lemon to it, just to make it more tasty. 

After all, when you have a well the water isn't what you'd call yummy so adding a little something for flavor definitely helps!

About 2 years ago a girl I know asked me for some cucumbers from the garden because she liked to add them to her water.....and my new fascination was born. Since then I have done my best to find as many water concoctions as I can and I think I've compiled a pretty good list. 

By getting an infusion water bottle I can also add herbs to my water without having them clog the bottle top. I love using herbs for both taste and medicinal qualities and this is a perfect way to use them fresh. My current favorite is cucumber & basil water, though I have many different 'recipes' I've come up with.

It's a pretty easy formula, just add fruit and herbs to a jug or bottle of water and you're good to go. Of course if you allow the water to infuse for 1-2 hours at room temperature (or 3-4 hours in the refrigerator) you'll get optimum flavor. Or you can muddle the fruit and herbs slightly with a muddler for a stronger taste. 

You can add almost any fruit, though I find some grapes don't add much flavor and bananas just get gross. 

Here are the combinations I've been using lately:
Lemon, basil
Cucumber, basil
Strawberry, lime
Peach, mint
Orange, lime
Cherry, mango
Blueberry, lemon 
Raspberry, peach 
Cantaloupe, cherry
Pomegranate, lemon 
Lemon, raspberry 
Honeydew, raspberry
Blackberry, pear
Watermelon, basil
Green apple, nectarine
Plum, lime
Kiwi, blueberry

7 ways to use Basil as medicine!

I grow many different herbs every year and my favorite by far is Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum). Sweet basil is probably the most common type of garden basil available. I've grown several different varieties of basil over the years but always end up coming back to this one, especially since it has so many amazing medicinal uses. 

Though basil is mostly known for its prominence in Italian cooking it was originally found in India and Asia a solid 5000 year ago. It was also grown in ancient Egypt, possibly for use in embalming.

Basil is one of those herbs that almost everyone is familiar with, especially chefs! You've probably used basil when cooking and preparing fresh salads, but did you know that basil also has medicinal properties? 

Basil is a natural anti-inflammatory, has antibacterial properties and is very high in antioxidants. It can be used to soothe the stomach, calm a cough or take the sting out of a bug bite. 

See how much more it does then just taste good? The best part is, most of us have fresh basil growing in our herb gardens or on our window sills. We're growing our own medicine. How convenient is that?