If there’s one thing I hate, it’s drinking water. There, I said it. I just don’t really like the taste, it doesn’t seem refreshing, and it’s boring. But water can be transformed with fruits (and even some veggies), but that can get pricey. And buying flavored water can get pricey, too – plus there IS that additive thing and the resulting container disposal. The answer? My Spa Water on a Budget.
Spa Water on a budget – pineapple
For a while, flavored and spa waters were all the rage on Pinterest and Facebook. I kept seeing these gorgeous pics of pitchers full of fruit, glistening in the sun, in frosty pitchers, and loved the idea. The thought of the cost, though, just about made me gasp. It doesn’t take much to infuse flavor into your pitcher of water…and there’s a way to do it that costs nothing and prevents waste!
About Spa Water on a Budget:
What kind of miracle is that, you might wonder? Well, I make my Spa Water on a Budget out of garbage. Yep, you heard right – Garbage! Stop, though, and think about it. Even the parts of fruits and veggies we don’t use, often for aesthetic reasons, peels, seeds, cores, trimmings, even hulls and stems of strawberries, have tremendous flavor.
I have unspoken rules:
- Never waste flavor.
- Never waste anything that can be put to good use.
- You pay for it, use it.
- Reduce, reuse, recycle.
And yes, all of those pieces and parts can still go in the compost bin; just think of the bits and pieces used for Spa Water as taking a quick side trip before going there.
These lightly infused, refreshing drinks are some of my favorite things; so simple, so easy, so fresh, and so fabulously frugal. I love the natural taste. While it’s not necessarily “intensely” flavored, My Spa Water on a Budget is just a gorgeous hint of vegetable or fruit.
My very first pictures of Spa Water!
Add Flavor Boosters:
- A few herbs or spices can be tossed into the pitcher. Of course, mint is fabulous.
- A little lemon or lime juice or a couple of lemon peels can add flavor.
- Try tossing in a tea bag or two. Now you have flavored iced tea – once ice is added.
So while you’re at the cutting board and getting ready to send something down the disposal, into the garbage or out to the compost, ask yourself if it can’t make a pit stop on the way and give you just a bit more bang for your buck…be spontaneous and keep a jar or two in the fridge door for whenever you need a little pick-me-up.
Spa Water on a budget – this is citrus
Making Spa Water on a Budget:
You’ll want to make sure to wash or thoroughly rinse your whole fruit before cutting into it. Then just go to town and add all those parts and pieces you’d normally discard to a pitcher or large mason jar, cover with water, and refrigerate. The water begins to infuse almost immediately, but overnight or a day or two is better.
What comes out is perhaps a bit horrifying…leached out of their vibrant colors, bloated and floating around in murky water – but don’t let that deter you! That just means the fruit and the water are getting intimate with one another – making an exchange, so to speak.
At my house, it also means my son is not very likely to touch it. Oh, if he only knew what he was missing. Shhhh – don’t tell – the kid eats me out of house and home as it is. I just want one thing for myself, just this one little thing…well, maybe I want chocolate for myself, too. So that’s two things, lol!
Strain your Spa Water on a Budget, pour over ice, and enjoy.
Spa Water Tea:
A teabag or two can be tossed in the water when the vegetable or fruit trimmings are added.
If you haven’t added a tea bag, you can still make hot or iced tea with the Spa Water. Just heat the spa water (after straining) and make tea. The amount of flavor you are going to get depends on how much flavor the spa water adds.
Additional Hints:
If the Spa Water is very flavorful, it can be stretched, and a little additional water can be added. This often happens with pineapple.
If you’ve used a lot of trimmings (sounds better than garbage, lol), add them back after the pitcher is strained, add fresh water, and give it a second go round.
This only works if there’s a lot of trimmings and their srongly flavored. Mangos come to mind. I usually do this on the second day.
My Favorite Flavors:
Some of my favorite Spa Water on a Budget flavors:
- Apple or Apple Spice (see my Apple Pie Spice Mix)
- Cucumber or Cucumber Lime
- Lemon Mint
- Mango Ginger or Mango Cardamom
- Orange
- Pineapple
- Rhubarb
- Strawberry or Strawberry Mint
- Tomato Lime
- Many are no more than “happy accidents” based on what I am cooking on any particular day.
If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out this post by Beauty Heros with combinations from some of the top spas in the nation.
Cucumber Lime Spa Water
Other Ways to Prevent Waste:
I use items like celery stalk pieces, onion, garlic, and carrot peelings and ends for My Best Chicken or Turkey Stock, or my Best Ham Stock, Instant Pot or Stovetop. They get thrown into a Ziploc bag and saved for the week. If I’m not making a stock during the week, it goes into the freezer and is added to as more parts and pieces are generated. It makes the most flavorful stock because the vegetable items have so much surface area.
Many items that I don’t feel will “taste good” or aren’t appealing or sometimes leftover, go in a container for my next day’s green smoothie. I call it my Big, Fat Green Smoothie on a Budget. I use an amazing amount of otherwise “wasted” food this way. And I get a lot of good fiber, vitamins, trace elements, etc., all at the same time. By the way, they taste horrible.
Some items like beet or carrot tops get tossed in salads or, even better, get used in my Carrot Top Pesto. Follow the recipe to make Pesto out of carrot tops or other veggie tops.
Spa Water in the Instant Pot & Other Updates:
I was so psyched when I saw someone thought of making spa water in an Instant Pot and tried it asap. I gotta say, I didn’t care for the “cooked” taste of the water. I’m sticking with my old-fashioned method.
I also recently picked up this cool pitcher with a built-in strainer and lid. It fits right next to my milk in the door, and it makes Spa Water on a Budget even easier. Plus, the water seems “special,” so I’m more likely to drink it.
So, time to fess up – who else has marvelous ideas for the pieces, parts, and scraps of fruits and vegetables any sane person would toss? It doesn’t necessarily have to be food-related.
This one is Strawberry Mint.
Spa Water on a Budget
Gently infuse water using fruit & vegetable scraps. They carry just as much if not more flavor than the actual veggie or fruit!
- Total Time: 10 minutes + time to pick up flavor
- Yield: varies
- Category: Beverages
Ingredients
This is very much a method, not a recipe.
- Before using any fruit or vegetable parts to infuse water, wash the whole fruit before cutting.
- Save scraps for water; the amount of scraps are going to affect the intensity of the flavor.
- For other options, combine different fruits or vegetables, use herbs and spices or infuse tea instead of water.
- Overnight gives the most intense flavor.
- Don’t be shocked by the murky look of some fruits and vegetables after sitting in water.
- Strain for a clear water, muddle for more flavor, then strain.
- Drink promptly, within three or four days; there are no preservatives.
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