829 water recipes

Mom's old-fashioned watermelon rind pickles soaked in lime water, then simmered in sweet spiced vinegar syrup until jewel-like and translucent. A Southern heirloom canning recipe worth the wait.

Rye sourdough starter made the old Jewish bakery way: rye flour, water, a packet of yeast, and a halved onion that pulls in the wild flavor for classic deli-style rye bread.

Simple sourdough starter made with unbleached all-purpose flour and warm milk instead of water. A two-ingredient base for homemade sourdough bread.

White flour sourdough starter made with just water, flour, yeast, and sugar. Ready in 2-3 days and keeps indefinitely with regular feeding.

Meetha lassi, a sweet Indian yogurt drink blended with sugar, ice water, and cracked ice. A cool, creamy refresher ready in 5 minutes.

Granny Smith applesauce tarts with golden hot-water pastry shells filled with honey-sweetened, lemon-brightened chunky applesauce. A lighter, old-fashioned dessert.

Traditional Cornish under roast potatoes parboiled then roasted with onions until the water evaporates and the edges turn golden and crispy. The classic British Sunday roast side dish.

Green tomato relish turns end-of-season unripe tomatoes into a tangy-sweet preserve spiced with allspice, cloves, mustard, and celery seed. Salted overnight to draw water, then simmered with brown sugar, vinegar, and lemon. Cans up beautifully.

Homemade sour cherry syrup with just four ingredients. Stir into sparkling water for a tart refresher or drizzle over ice cream, mousse, and frozen desserts for a burst of cherry flavor.

Haymaker's switchel with molasses, brown sugar, ginger, and vinegar stirred into cold water. This colonial-era farmhouse thirst quencher predates modern sports drinks and tastes like a complex, grown-up lemonade.

Stuffed zucchini blossoms (kolokytholouloutha yemista) filled with rice, fresh mint, parsley, tomato, and olive oil, then simmered in water. A traditional Greek vegetarian appetizer.

Homemade mocha coffee mix with instant coffee, hot cocoa mix, powdered creamer, and sugar. Mix a jar, scoop and stir with hot water for an instant cafe mocha.

Flourless chocolate mousse cake with bittersweet chocolate, butter, and six eggs baked in a water bath. Dense, fudgy, and impossibly rich with just 4 ingredients.

Strawberry balm syrup: crushed fresh strawberries, sugar, and lemon balm simmered into a fragrant ruby-red syrup. Pour over ice with sparkling water, drizzle on pancakes, or swirl into cocktails.

Oat bran cereal cooked in half orange juice, half water with raisins and cinnamon. A single-serving hot breakfast with natural citrus sweetness. Ready in minutes on the stove or microwave.

Grape starter for sourdough bread uses wild yeast from red grape skins to build a tangy, fruity base with just flour and water. A 6-day fermentation process creates a living starter you can maintain for months.