Recipes

Recipe: Watermelon-Lime Agua Fresca?

A staple Mexican thirst quencher, agua fresca is made from sweetened fruit including watermelon, strawberries and cantaloupe

By Caren McSherry /

Credit: Sifu Renka

Agua fresca, a refreshing Mexican beverage, can be made with watermelon, cantaloupe and strawberries

A staple Mexican thirst quencher, aguas frescas — made from sweetened fruit — come in all sorts of flavours, including tamarind and cantaloupe.

This recipe is also delicious made with puréed strawberries instead of watermelon. The recipe is compliments of a terrific little book called Picnics: Delicious Recipes for Outdoor Entertaining, by Sara Deseran (published by Chronicle Books, 2004).

Ingredients

  • 6 cups chunked seedless watermelon

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 3 Tbsp. sugar

  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

  • Kosher salt

  • Lime wedges for garnish



Instructions

  1. Place the watermelon chunks in a blender and purée.
  2. In a small pan, heat the water and add the sugar, stirring until it dissolves.
  3. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
  4. Pour the watermelon purée into a pitcher.
  5. Stir in the lime juice, a pinch of salt and the sugar water to taste. Chill.
  6. To transport, pour into a thermos and serve over ice with a garnish of lime.

Serves 4.

Recipe courtesy Caren McSherry from the Gourmet Warehouse


Originally published in TV Week. For daily updates, subscribe to the free TV Week e-newsletter, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.