Watermelon Water: How to Make this Watermelon Agua Fresca

Its watermelon season. We love watermelon in our family. We generally just eat it in chunks, but every now and then, I look for a new way to use it. Recently, I’ve seen a lot of watermelon-infused water recipes and other fruit-infused waters. Although I’ve seen it done several different ways, I never saw a recipe that really excited me. I searched high and low and finally combined a couple of recipes to make, what I consider, the perfect watermelon water or watermelon agua fresca recipe.

What is Agua Fresca?

Aguas Fresca means ‘cool waters or fresh waters’ in Spanish. Typically, agua fresca is a light non-alcoholic beverage made from one or more fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water. Some common flavors are They are tamarind, hibiscus, and horchata. Often, you can find agua frescas sold by street vendors in places like Mexico. In Mexico, watermelon water is called agua de sandia. It is a traditional Mexican beverage that is perfect for summer.

Benefits of Watermelon

There are many health benefits of eating watermelon. First, it is loaded with lycopene, which is an antioxidant that fights cancer and heart disease. Lycopene also acts as a natural SPF for your skin. Watermelon also contains an amino acid called citrulline which can help lower your blood pressure. Watermelon also has a natural pigment called beta-cryptoxanthin that may protect your joints from inflammation. It also contains vitamin A, which is important for your eye health. Watermelon is also loaded with water, so it’s great for staying hydrated.  You can read more about the health benefits here.

If you want to try this watermelon agua fresca for yourself, check out the recipe below. If you’re looking for other watermelon recipes, click here.

Watermelon Water Recipe

Ingredients:

8 cups watermelon, rind removed
1 cup cold water
Juice of one lime
1-2 tablespoons of sugar (may use agave, honey or liquid stevia)
Fresh herbs, such as basil or mint (optional)

To garnish:
Fresh herbs (I used basil)
watermelon wedge or lime wedge

Directions:

Add half of the water and watermelon to the blender and blend until smooth. Strain the watermelon through a fine-mesh strainer to remove as much of the pulp as possible. Repeat with the remaining watermelon and water. (If you prefer a thicker watermelon water, you can skip the straining. Personally, I find it too thick and pulpy without straining it, but that’s a personal choice.)

Pour the strained watermelon juice into a large pitcher. Squeeze the lime juice into the pitcher and add 1 tablespoon of sweetener at a time. Taste and add more sweetener until you reach your desired sweetness.  If you are using fresh herbs, add to the pitcher and muddle. Chill overnight in the refrigerator so the flavors can meld. When ready to serve, remove the fresh herbs and serve cold, over ice, if you like. Makes 6-8 servings. 

Notes on herbs: I love the combination of basil and watermelon. However, mint is also a very popular choice. I personally just don’t like mint in food, but if you like mojitos, you will probably really enjoy mint in this drink. Some people also use rosemary in this recipe. Try different herbs to see what you like best.

Notes on sweetener: I prefer to use sugar or honey, but you can also use agave or liquid stevia. You may even like the recipe without any additional sweetener. I would suggest you start with very little sweetener and adjust to taste.