Communiqué
Refresh Yourself with Watermelon Agua Fresca
< < Back to refresh-yourself-with-watermelon-agua-frescaBy Adrianna Adarme / PBS Food
Blend up watermelon, sugar, and water for a perfect Summer treat you can make in just minutes from Adrianna Adarme from the Fresh Tastes blog.
This drink recipe may be a teeny bit premature. I usually associate watermelon with the dog days of summer; not the days that teeter between spring and summer. I blame the sweet smell of watermelon!
As I was strolling through my local grocery store earlier this week, I was lured by its smell. There was a whole stand of really beautiful-looking seedless watermelon, so I simply couldn’t resist. At first I just took just a quarter of a watermelon home, ate a slice and blended the rest to make a single glass of watermelon juice.
Once I downed the first cold glass of watermelon juice, I was bummed there wasn’t more. The next day I returned, but instead of making the mistake of just buying a quarter, I bought a gigantic 6-pound watermelon. In the past, I’ve usually made a simple syrup to add to the watermelon puree but this year I found it to be completely unnecessary. Perhaps it was just a fluke, or I had a really great watermelon, so feel free to play around with the sugar content, adding as little to none or up to 1/2 cup. It’s entirely up to your taste buds, but just make sure each glass is filled to the brim with ice and straw is nearby.
Ingredients
6 pound watermelon, chopped into cubes
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of sugar (optional)
1/4 cup water
Directions
In batches (unless your blender is huge), add the chopped watermelon. Add a splash of water (about 2 tablespoons) and pulse until completely pureed, about 1 minute. (If you’re adding a bit of sugar, you’ll want to add the sugar amount you desire and just as much water to a small saucepan; heat until the sugar dissolves and then add the sugar/water mixture to the blender.)
Line a sieve with a few layers of cheese cloth. Place the sieve atop a bowl or large pitcher. Pour the watermelon puree into the cheese cloth and allow to strain–it may take around 5 minutes or so.
Repeat the blending and straining process with the remaining chopped watermelon. Transfer the watermelon juice to the refrigerator for 1 hour to chill. Divide the watermelon juice amongst glasses.
Yield: Makes 6 glasses of watermelon juice