Try this Aguas Frescas recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 quart (356g)
- Sodium 14.2200000120209 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Key to a delicious Agua Fresca (fresh water) is to strain fruit to make liquid as clear as possible. Use any fruit -- strawberries, pineapple, mango, etc. -- that is soft enough to puree.
- Puree cantaloupe and pour through a fine sieve to eliminate pulp. In a pitcher, mix strained fruit puree with water and add sugar and lime juice to taste.
Recipes rarely specify the exact mesh size required for straining fruit, yet the tool determines whether the beverage turns out silky or pulpy. A standard colander will not suffice for cantaloupe or watermelon because large holes allow fibrous plant matter to pass into the liquid. Fine-mesh stainless steel sieves or multi-layered cheesecloth must be utilized to capture suspended solids while letting fruit liquids through.
Pureeing densifies fruit efficiently, but overloading a small blender motor causes uneven processing and unblended chunks. Batch blending solves capacity limits in compact kitchens without straining small appliance motors. Pressing the puree through the sieve with the back of a ladle accelerates filtration, though scraping the underside of the mesh recovers trapped juices that would otherwise be discarded.
Granulated sugar dissolves slowly in cold water, requiring thorough stirring before ice is introduced to the pitcher. Adjusting sweetness depends entirely on the natural brix level of the fruit, so fresh lime juice must be added incrementally to balance high sugar concentrations without overwhelming the melon flavor. Strawberries or mangoes can replace melon at a one-to-one fruit weight ratio, though denser fruits require an extra half cup of water during blending to achieve a pourable consistency.
