Served up by LANI, the Stewardess with all the world’s recipes.
Why surfers love it: After hours in the sun and salt water you need something cold that actually hydrates. This is mostly fruit and water, lightly sweet, and it fills a cooler jug for the whole crew.
Ingredients
- 8 cups cubed seedless watermelon (about half of a small melon)
- 3 cups cold water, divided
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice (2-3 limes), plus lime slices to serve
- 2-4 tbsp honey or sugar, to taste
- Pinch of salt
- Fresh mint sprigs
- Plenty of ice
Method
- Rinse the outside of the watermelon before you cut it, then cube the flesh.
- Blend the watermelon with 1 cup of the water until completely smooth. Work in two batches if your blender is small.
- Pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a big pitcher, pressing on the pulp. Skip straining if you like it thicker.
- Stir in the rest of the water, the lime juice, the salt and 2 tablespoons of honey. Taste and add more honey if your melon is not very sweet.
- Chill at least 30 minutes.
- Stir again before serving, since it settles, and pour over ice with lime slices and a sprig of mint.
Tip: Freeze some of the agua fresca in ice-cube trays so the drink stays cold in the cooler without watering down. Keep it chilled and drink it within a day or two for the best flavor.
Surf-town roots
Aguas frescas are sold from big glass jars at taco stands and street carts all over Mexico and Southern California. Our sunset-stand version is a nod to grabbing a cup on the way back from the beach.
Sources
- Washing produce: FDA, “Selecting and Serving Produce Safely”, https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/selecting-and-serving-produce-safely
- Recipe and wording are original to Surfing Fukcs.
