Agua de Melón (Cantaloupe Melon Agua Fresca)
Agua de melón (cantaloupe agua fresca) is a refreshing Mexican drink made by blending fresh cantaloupe, water, and a sweetener of your choice. We drink it once cantaloupes are in season, and in Mexico, people enjoy it at mercados, festivals, fairs, and family gatherings.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups cantaloupe diced from about half of a cantaloupe
- 6 cups water divided
- 1/3 cup sugar or to taste
- fresh mint or basil optional garnish
Instructions
- Blend cantaloupe, sugar (or sweetener of choice), and 4 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. Compost or discard pulp.
- Stir in remaining 2 cups water.
- Chill and serve over ice. Garnish with cantaloupe wedge, fresh edible flowers, mint, or basil leaves.
A Note from Lola
ON SWEETENERS
- I prefer my aguas frescas to be only slightly sweetened, so feel free to adjust the level of sweetness to your liking or skip the sugar altogether. If you want it on the sweet side, the way most aguas frescas are served in Mexico, use 1/2 cup of sugar in this recipe.
- My preferred natural sweeteners include pure cane sugar, simple syrup, agave, or dates.
- I love how in many parts of Oaxaca, vendors now make aguas frescas with no sweeteners and have a pitcher of simple syrup to add it when requested.
Nutrition
Serving: 8ouncesCalories: 52kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 0.5gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.05gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.001gSodium: 27mgPotassium: 94mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 2029IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 0.2mg
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