Buzz
During the summer months in New York City, purchasing a whole melon often costs the same—or even less—than a small container of pre-cut fruit. Without a car, I often find myself hauling home two bags of seemingly harmless groceries and a heavily laden backpack. Melons are a favorite of mine, and to ensure none of the sweet, juicy fruit goes to waste, I turn them into agua frescas.
This straightforward beverage never fails to help me fully enjoy melon season. I can savor melon as a snack and then blend the majority into a refreshing drink before it spoils in the fridge. The flavor possibilities are endless, and you only need two or three ingredients to craft an exceptional agua fresca: a few cups of fruit, water, and an optional sweetener.
Agua fresca traces its roots to Mexico, but I suspect that wherever melons thrive, similar blended fruit drinks are crafted under different names. To prepare your own agua fresca, remove the rind, deseed if needed, and slice the fruit as usual. Place roughly two cups of fruit chunks into a blender along with a cup of water. You could blend it thoroughly at this stage and enjoy a cool, natural treat right away, or experiment by adding sweeteners and citrus for extra flavor.
Blenders capable of handling any melon you toss their way:
Ninja Professional Blender
Vitamix Explorian Blender
This past weekend, I had a golden honeydew and a watermelon, so both naturally found their way into my drink. I blended one cup of each melon, a cup of water, the juice of one lime, and two teaspoons of honey. Afterward, I relaxed on my balcony for a 15-minute getaway. While you can serve your agua fresca over ice, I’m one of those who prefers it at room temperature, so I pour it straight into a glass.
Melon is my favorite, but you can also use pineapple, papaya, peaches, or cucumbers. A touch of grated ginger adds a nice twist, but don’t overdo it. I love agua fresca because it strikes the perfect balance between a fancy cold-pressed juice and a heavy smoothie. It doesn’t aim for a perfectly smooth texture—it’s juicy, pulpy, and naturally separates over time, which is just right. Use leftover fruit to experiment with your agua fresca. Adjust the water, try maple syrup, or mix in different fruits like mango nectar. Personally, I use whatever melon I have left to create my daily agua fresca.
Watermelon Agua Fresca
Ingredients:
2 cups of watermelon chunks
1 cup of chilled water
Juice from one lime (including any pulp that gets in)
2 teaspoons of honey
Combine all the ingredients, excluding ice, in a blender. Blend until the mixture becomes frothy and the melon is thoroughly broken down. Serve over ice or enjoy it as is.
