Easy Strawberry Agua Fresca Recipe
Translating to “fresh water,” agua frescas are nonalcoholic fruit-based drinks that you find throughout Latin America. In Mexico, they’re most commonly served with spicy food to counterbalance the heat. The most common agua frescas are made with hibiscus and melon but we like to make this version when the California strawberries are at peak ripeness. While agua frescas are classically made with sugar, we like making it with varietal honey–especially with clover, orange blossom, or sage–for an extra layer of local flavor. Depending on the strawberries you use, you will want to use more or less honey to bring out the fruit flavor. Here we make a chile-spiced rim but you can skip it if you don’t like spice. You could also add in a few handfuls of fresh mint or even a dash or orange flower water if you want to be adventurous.
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh strawberries about 1 pound, hulled and halved, plus a couple more for garnish
- ⅓ cup California honey plus more for garnish
- 4 to 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice from about 3 limes
- 2 cups water
- Pinch kosher salt
- Tajin or other chile salt for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the strawberries with the honey and lime juice in a large nonreactive bowl and stir to coat well. Set aside to macerate until the strawberries release juices, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Once ready, place the strawberries and their juices in a blender, add the pinch of salt, and the 2 cups of water. Cover and blend on high until the mixture is very smooth. If you’d like the mixture to be very smooth, pass it through a fine mesh sieve.
- At this point you can serve the agua fresca immediately over ice or you can chill it. Right before you going to serve the drink, you can make a honey-chile rim . To do so, add honey to one part of the glass then dip it in some of the chile powder, pressing to adhere. Fill with ice and agua fresca then garnish with a halved or sliced strawberry.
Notes
Enjoy with your favorite fresh summer dishes!
Nutrition
Serving: 1drinkCalories: 90kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 6mgPotassium: 168mgFiber: 2gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 17IUVitamin C: 60mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
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