The telltale sign of summer for me is always when fresh watermelon becomes available. There’s something so nice about fresh summer dinners that are centered around seasonal produce, specifically sweet corn and watermelon.
Photo by Lara Schwieger
We might not be there yet (especially with these random days of rain), but I’m officially on the countdown. I found the best watermelon at Whole Foods last week and celebrated by making this Agua Fresca.
Agua Fresca is Spanish for cool waters, and it is made by blending together fresh fruit, water and sugar to create a refreshing mix. They’re often made in a variety of flavors such as mango, guava, cantaloupe or grapefruit. This updated version of the traditional Spanish drink uses fresh lime and mint, which are the ultimate complements to the sweet melon.
Do yourself a favor and blend this up while you’re studying so you too can pretend it’s summer.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Photo by Lara Schwieger
Ingredients:
4 cups chopped watermelon
½ cup water
2 limes
2-3 sprigs mint
Ice
2 tablespoons agave, honey or simple syrup
Photo by Lara Schwieger
Directions:
1. Place watermelon chunks in a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add a bit of water to help the process along.
Photo by Lara Schwieger
2. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to strain out any seeds. If you’re a college student and you don’t own a fine mesh sieve, use coffee filters + a funnel a la Cold Brew Coffee.
3. Juice 1 lime and slice another into thin slices.
Photo by Lara Schwieger
4. In a large container (I used a carafe, but a mason jar would work equally as well), add the watermelon juice, lime juice and water. Add mint sprigs and use a spoon to muddle the mint a bit.
Photo by Lara Schwieger
5. Chill for 1-2 hours and serve over ice.
Photo by Lara Schwieger
Looking for more ways to get your watermelon fix?: