Friday, August 2, 2013

Watermelon Agua Fresca – It’s Like Water, But Fresher!

“Agua Fresca” translates to “Fresh Water,” which is kind of funny, since it’s made mostly from fresh fruit. Sometimes I do extensive research into why something has a certain name, but this time, because it's too nice to stay inside surfing on a computer, I’m just going to speculate.

I’m guessing that back in the day before modern plumbing and refrigeration, water may not have always been the best tasting beverage around. Drinking wine and beer all day is a fantastic alternative, but not necessarily when you have things to do, and empires to build.

So, they took some stale, tepid water, and freshened it up with some nice cold, sweet fruit. You have to admit, that sounds pretty plausible. Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. The bottom line is, there’s really nothing quite as restorative and refreshing on a sweltering summer day. I hope you give this delicious agua fresca a try soon. Enjoy!


To make 2 quarts Watermelon Agua Fresca:
5-6 cups freshly scooped watermelon
2 cups cold water
enough simple sugar syrup to sweeten to taste (recipe as follows)

Simple Syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
(you can make any amount by simply using a 1 to 1 ratio, and heating until the sugar dissolves)

View the complete recipe

25 comments:

Unknown said...

lmao @ the straw, the wooden spoon, the freakishly small whisk, thats it im going to buy a weird kitchen utensil tomorrow!

Matt said...

Why must one remove seeds from a seedless watermelon?

AFB said...

YUM! Needs a squirt of lime juice to be perfect though ;)

Chef John said...

referring to all those little white seeds you get in them.

cookinmom said...

mmm...just made this in a mason jar. I filled jar with chunks of watermelon I had in fridge and a little water, put the blade of blender in and screwed the plastic ring on. Turned it upside down on the blender and blended away. Added some ice to jar (no sugar needed) and ahhhh...watermelon agua fresca! Delish! Tks chef!

anaileliana said...

Hispanics make this all the time! Agua fresca de melon(cantaloupe), fresa(strawberry), piña(pineapple) and of course de sandia(watermelon)! No need for a simple syrup method either. Add fruit water and sugar in the blender and enjoy :)

Unknown said...

Will my food processor suffice in place of a blender for this recipe?

Ghost said...

I just tried this. Came out great but I made a little bit too much. And by a little bit too much I mean I don't have a single utensil to hold all of it simultaneously. I tried it with a "not seedless" watermelon and didn't remove the seeds and it came out fine. Most of the seed bits got caught in the sieve.


Jude said...

Chef John - your recipe post made me smile. I just acquired my first ever blender just this week. Fruit agua frescas were the first thing I wanted to make. Purée away!

ChristineDux said...

I thought fresca is Spanish for "cold."

cdcphoenix said...

Love these, Chef.
I usually just dissolve some sugar in the water before pouring it into the blender with the fruit.
Is there a particular advantage you've found to preparing a simple syrup instead?
Thanks, oh and I love the straw!
Claudine

Chef John said...

For the same reason bartenders use simple syrup instead of just stirring in sugar. Mixes faster/better and only takes minutes to make a large batch.

cdcphoenix said...

Thanks Chef!

Chris K. said...

The straw is funky, but can you drink Pimm's Cup from a pimp's cup?

Unknown said...

Am I correct in assuming your straw is actually made of titanium and not platinum?

VinnyF said...

Would the watermelon still blend properly without the two cups of water? I want to swap out the water with seltzer and I know I can't stick that in a blender, so I'd add it after I strain the blended mix, but would I need to add liquid to the blender anyway?

Chef John said...

It blends without water. No prob!

T-fry said...

Chef John, I LOVE pineapple. Would a pineapple aqua fresca be good?

T-fry said...

Would a pineapple aqua fresca be good in your opinion? I trust your judgement

Chef John said...

Is this a trick question? Yes! If you like pineapple, of course!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Redpaint said...

Agave nectar is an excellent sweetener to pair with watermelon

Unknown said...

I would love to add vodka ...omg that would be amazing!

Unknown said...

I would love to add Vodka... OMG That would be amazing!

J6U said...

I know I'm a little late but, how sweet should the drink be? I don't mind a lot of flavors, but I want to drink something similar to what you made.