Agua frescas are light, refreshing beverages made from blended fruit, water and sugar. You can find these colorful drinks being sold by vendors lining the streets of Latin America, where they are especially popular due to the hot and humid summer weather. Luckily, you don’t need a vacation getaway to try this delicious drink, as agua frescas can easily be created at home.
This recipe is incredibly simple and versatile because you can use whatever ripe fruit or herb you wish; in addition to following the basic recipe for pineapple agua fresca below, you can explore by infusing your simple syrup sweetener with different herbs such as thyme, basil or even rosemary. Note that if you choose to use a more fibrous fruit or a fruit with more seeds, you may want to strain your drink through a sieve before serving. The number of flavor combinations for the drink is only limited to your creativity, so have fun experimenting with different fruit pairings!
Pineapple Agua Fresca with Basil-Infused Syrup
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 seconds
Total Time: 5 minutes, 30 seconds
Servings: 2-3
Ingredients:
3 cups pineapple, cut in chunks
2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons basil-infused simple syrup
Ice cubes
Photo by Katie Huang
Directions:
1. Blend pineapple with water in a blender until smooth.
Photo by Katie Huang
2. Sweeten to taste using simple syrup (recipe below). TIP: Agua frescas may also be sweetened with sugar or honey instead as shown in the picture.
(Optional: Pour drink through a sieve to strain out fruit fibers or seeds before serving.)
Photo by Elizabeth Layman
3. Serve with ice and, if desired, garnish with your choice of herb or citrus slice.
Photo by Katie Huang
For the basil-infused simple syrup, follow this simple recipe:
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 16 minutes
Servings: 3-4
Ingredients:
¼ cup water
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
Directions:
1. Mix ¼ cup of water with ¼ cup of sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil on medium-low heat.
2. Simmer on medium-low heat until sugar has dissolved (about 3 minutes) and add the chopped herbs.
3. Let steep for 15 minutes or until the syrup is fully infused. Enjoy!
Photo by Katie Huang