Cantaloupe Agua Fresca | Agua Fresca de Melón
Growing up in California, we always had an abundance of fruit trees in our backyard so drinking fresh juices was the norm for us. Perhaps this is why I have always loved the variety of aguas frescas available in Mexican restaurants and mercados. My parents weren’t really ones to serve us store-bought juices and now I’m the same way. Luckily for Amado, aguas frescas happen to be one of my specialties.
This recipe has a special place in my heart because it reminds me of my friend Ana’s wedding in Valle de Guadalupe. Everyone arrived a day early and we headed straight to La Escuelita, one of our favorite little restaurants in Baja. The seasonal menu included crab burritos and agua fresca de melón. It was such a perfect drink on that warm day and now I’m sharing the recipe with you to enjoy now and all summer long. And just in case you need a little summer travel inspiration, I’ll leave you with a few photos from that trip.
This was the rustic little hotel where we stayed in Valle de Guadalupe.
Love the hot pink bougainvillea that grows everywhere…
…and the succulents.
Weekend getaways are always more fun when you’re surrounded by your besties.
True Baja-style wedding!
Now back to our agua fresca recipe…
Ingredients:
3 cups cantaloupe diced with seeds (seeds are edible and packed with nutrients!)
6 cups water
¼ cup sugar (or to taste)
¼ cup fresh mint or basil minced (optional)
Preparation:
- Blend cantaloupe, sugar, and 3 cups water on medium setting for 60 seconds.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into large pitcher. You may need to agitate the mixture to let the concentrate through, avoid pushing through the pulp to keep juice light in consistency. Discard pulp.
- Stir in remaining 3 cups water.
- Chill and serve over ice. Garnish with fresh edible flowers, mint, or basil leaves.
Note: I like to add in my garnishes at the end so that the agua de melón maintains its light peach color. Mint and basil are not traditionally used much in Mexican cooking, but they can enhance the flavors of many recipes, like this one!
Amiga!!! Why no pictures? I would love to share one of your agua fresca recipes on my blog with pictures! Would that be ok? Email me at [email protected] if that is a possibility.
Stephanie, you’re not going to believe this, but I JUST took the pictures for this recipe and haven’t uploaded them yet. Of course you can share! I’ll email you links to a few where I do have the pictures. Hope to see you at the WAG Summit this weekend!