The last few days have been unusually warm for October!! It seems like we are having a hard time leaving summer behind! Everyone at home has been looking for something cooling to drink. I had the last of the season's watermelon left, so I made Agua Fresca. What is Agua Fresca?? In Spanish, "Agua" means water and " Fresca" means fresh. So, Agua Fresca translates to Fresh Water. This drink is popular in Mexico where it is made with fresh fruits. What I have here is basically watermelon lemonade. In case you dint feel like calling it Agua Fresca, just call it Watermelon Lemonade. I came across this refreshing, low calorie drink at a friend's place during the summer. I have been wanting to make this since then!! But every time I cut a watermelon, it is gone before I can make this drink!! When I saw the recipe on NY times, I was determined to make it. I, of course modified it slightly. You can find the original recipe here. Finally, now, I got to make it and enjoy it!!
Once I had made it, the immediate feeling that I had was " why did I never know about this or make it before today!!" It is not only thirst quenching and refreshing, it is low in calories and a great make-ahead drink for parties!! There are so few ingredients required and you can use any kind of melon for this drink!
Try it.. You will most definitely like it!
Servings: 3-4
Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 0Total time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
Peeled Watermelon cubes without seeds: 4 cups
Honey: 1 tbsp ( agave or sugar can be used instead)
Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
Mint leaves: 3-4, extra sprigs for garnish .
Lemon rings: one per glass
Water: 1 & 1/2 cups
Ice cubes/ crushed ice : 2-3cups
Method:
Blend together watermelon, lemon juice, honey and water until smooth. Strain into a jar that has 2 slices of lemon and mint leaves.
Add ice cubes to the serving glass . Pour Agua Fresca on it. Garnish with a sprig of mint, a slice of lemon and a slice of watermelon if you wish!!
Enjoy!
Cooking made easy:
If you don't have watermelon, no worries, you can use cantaloupe or musk melon. Of course, the taste will be slightly different, but that is the individual Melon's individuality.
Tip for healthy living:
Consuming fresh home made drinks like Agua Fresca is much better than drinking processed/ bottled drinks. You can control the quality of the ingredients and the amount of sugar that goes into it.
Food for thought:
Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later. Og Mandino
