The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 19 Summer 2016/17 | Page 41

recipes
Keep cool this summer
With summer heating up, have fun by icing and infusing
fruits, flowers and herbs.
Flavoured water, homemade popsicles
and herb ice cubes are a healthy and
refreshing way to enjoy the hot summer
days during the festive season.
Infused water
This craze is taking the world by storm as
we introduce healthier lifestyles and look
for alternatives to fizzy drinks and sugary
cordials. Not only are these fruit and herb
infusions tasty if you find a flavour you
love the best, but they also help keep
dehydration at bay. I actually drink more
water now thanks to these tasty infusion
mixes.
It just takes a few seconds to jazz up the
water jug. Not only will it look good, but
with the right flavour combination, it will
also taste delicious. The basic steps to
fruit infusions are:
1. Fill up a large jug with water and add
your favourite fruits and herbs.
2. Crush the herbs slightly to let out the
flavour more.
3. A good handful of fruit is enough for a
jug; just don’t add too many herbs as they
can overpower the fruits.
4. Leave overnight for the fruits to infuse.
5. The next day, before you serve, taste to
check the infusion isn’t too overpowering.
If it is, just add water to dilute it.
6. Sometimes the fruits don’t look
spectacular the next day, so if you are
serving to guests, chuck out the old
fruit and garnish lightly with some fresh
pieces. And enjoy!
Here are a few flavour favourites to keep
you hydrated this summer.
1. Lemon, mint and cucumber –
cucumber is surprisingly refreshing.
2. Strawberries and basil – don’t add
too much basil as it can overwhelm the
berries.
3. Citrus delight – a mixture of orange,
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