Watermelon Agua Fresca

Grab a watermelon and enjoy a cool and refreshing glass of agua fresca with a hint of hibiscus this summer.

With temperatures steadily rising and the lingering June gloom finally giving way to hotter and hotter days, that means summer is officially underway and refreshments are in order!  Icy beverages are a must for the next few months and a watermelon agua fresca is the perfect choice.

Agua frescas are made for this time of year.  Refreshing and simple to make, they’re an easy pick for a warm weather drink you can make ahead of time and have on hand in the fridge.

What is agua fresca made with?

Agua frescas start with fresh fruit that’s blended or muddled into water, then sweetened, left to infuse and served icy cold, resulting in a drink that’s as refreshing as a glass of lemonade or iced tea on a hot day.

Watermelon, hibiscus and lime lend their flavors to this version that’s sweet, tart and incredibly thirst-quenching.  Both watermelon and hibiscus are traditional in agua frescas, but here they’re combined to create a cooling combination that’s a bit of a twist on the original.

Watermelon of course is a natural choice, since it’s largely water and naturally sweet, hibiscus on the other hand is a dried flower used to make tea and has a naturally tart flavor.  A squeeze of lime adds a nice hint of sourness making the agua fresca even more refreshing.  It’s a combination of flavors that’s sophisticated enough to please the adult crowd while also appealing to kids.

I like a bit of honey here for the sweetener but you can use any number of natural sweeteners like, maple syrup, agave or even stevia if you prefer to keep it vegan. 

How to make watermelon agua fresca:

1. It starts by making the hibiscus tea, then blending in the ripest watermelon you can find and straining into a large jar or pitcher. 
2. To that you’ll add your lime juice, zest, sweetener and more watermelon, this time in chunks. 
3. Then the whole mixture is left to chill and infuse in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Make a batch for your next barbecue, picnic, get-together or just to keep in the fridge when the temperatures get too hot to bear.

More drink recipes to cool off with:

• Non-Alcoholic Summer Sangria
• Honey Ginger Lemonade
• Summer Fruit Slushies

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Yield: 4 Servings

Watermelon Agua Fresca

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Inactive Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Grab a watermelon and enjoy a cool and refreshing glass of watermelon agua fresca this summer.

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Ingredients

• 4 cups/1 liter filtered water
• 3 hibiscus tea bags 
• 2 Tablespoons/44ml raw honey (or other sweetener of choice)
• 16 oz/450g watermelon, cubed (divided use)
• 2 Tablespoons /30ml fresh lime juice
• 2 Limes thinly sliced
• Crushed ice for serving

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add tea bags, cover and steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags, then transfer mixture to a large heatproof container and stir in sweetener of choice. Chill until cold.
2. In a blender combine prepared tea and half the watermelon Pulse briefly to blend then pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pitcher or serving container. Stir in lime juice, lime slices and remaining watermelon. Chill for 4 hours over overnight.
3. Before serving add ice to the pitcher or serving container and serve cold.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 64Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 1g

Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.

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Sylvie

Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.