Agua De Melon (Melon Water)

Agua Fresca De Melon

During the summer when there is ample fresh fruit, I like to make Aguas Frescas at least twice a week. Today I’m showing you everything you need to know about Agua De Melon!

Growing up we would have these drinks with our main meal and sodas were consumed very rarely. I have so many memories around aguas frescas, like going to the mercado with my dad and always begging for one but I’m going to spare you from the rest of the details 🙂

Origin

Mexican Aguas Frescas are made by mixing water with fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, flowers, grains, and cereals, then it’s mixed with some sugar. 

Aguas Frescas origin started with the drinks that were sold in the pre-Hispanic tianguis (Mexican markets) and still to the day, every mercado in Mexico has at least one agua stand.

These drinks are called “frescas”, because they used to be kept in clay pots and, therefore, the temperature of the drink was always a few degrees below room temperature. In Oaxaca, for example, before ice was available, clay pots were placed in boxes made of damp soil from the ground.

These aguas vary from state to state but here are some of the most popular ones throughout the country: Jamaica  Agua De Piña, Horchata and one of my favorites Agua De Pepino (cucumber water).

Ingredients

This delicious recipe only consist of 3 ingredients! 

• The Cantaloupe: Begin with sweet, juicy melon, or your beverage won’t have much flavor. For this recipe we’re using a regular melon but it can also be made with honeydew. 
• The sweetner: The traditional sweetener for this recipe is white sugar. However, it can also be made with stevia, agave, or even brown sugar. Do note that the taste profile may change if you use an a different sweetener.
• And of course, water :).

How To Pick a Ripe Cantaloupe

According to this gardener’s page, the cantaloupes are ripe when they have a sweet, musky aroma. The rind should be straw-colored, but may still have some green showing.

For me, I always check the smell. I like to inspect the round section where the vine was attached and push it a little bit with my fingers. If it’s slightly soft and the smell is fragrant, then I have a winner!

How To Make Agua De Melon

1. Peel the cantaloupe and remove the seeds using a spoon.
2. Cut into large chunks.
3. Optional, reserve a few slices of melon and cut into small cubes to garnish your drinks with.
4. In a blender, blend half of the cantaloupe with 2 cups of the water, the lime juice (if using any) and half the sugar at high speed until smooth.
5. Transfer to a large pitcher and repeat process with the other half of the cantaloupe.
6. Taste for sweetness and adjust if necessary.
7. Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer. To serve, fill a glass with ice, stir the agua first then pour into the glass. Garnish with small pieces of cantaloupe for extra texture and a mint sprig (optional).

Note: For this Melon Water, there is no need to strain out the blended fruit as that’s where the healthy fiber is! I actually like to add small chunks of cantaloupe to each individual glass when serving. It adds a fun texture!

Agua De Melon with milk

There is also another popular variation of this drink and it goes by several names: Agua Cremosa De Melon, Horchata De Melon, Agua Fresca De Melón Con Leche, and I’m sure there are others. 

This variation is made with condensed and evaporated milk. Instead of adding water and sugar, you’ll replace it with a can of each. Add a little water until you reach your desired consistency and enjoy over some ice!

How To Cut a Cantaloupe

Cutting a cantaloupe for Agua De Melon is super easy.

1. Start by cutting the ends.
2. Remove the skin slicing from top to bottom.
3. Cut in half and remove the seeds with a spoon.
4. Cut them in large chunks and that’s it!

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Tips and Notes

• Wait to add ice. Add ice to the pitcher if you decide to serve the drink immediately. If you are going to serve the melon water later, wait to add the ice to the pitcher until right before serving. You don’t want to water down your drink!
• Change things up. If you want to jazz up your drink feel free to add a couple tablespoons of fresh lime juice to your mix for a twist.
• Make it into a slushy. Add a cup of cantaloupe water and 1/2 cup of ice to a high speed blender and puree until smooth for a delicious frozen slushy!

How to Store

• Fridge: Fresh aguas frescas should be stored in an airtight container, such as a glass jar or plastic bottle, and refrigerated immediately after it is made. The container should be tightly sealed to prevent air from entering, which can cause the juice to spoil more quickly.

Serve Cantaloupe Agua Fresca with:

• Tacos Dorados
• Pescado A La Veracruzana
• Red Enchiladas
• Croquetas de Atun
• Ensalada De Pollo

I hope you like this recipe! Share it, or leave a rating and comment below. For questions that need an answer right away, please contact  me and I’ll get back to you asap. Gracias!!!! xx, Ana

Print Recipe:

Agua Fresca De Melon (Cantaloupe)

Servings 6 servings

Ana Frias

5 from 30 votes

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

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Refreshing and cooling Agua De Melón! This light fruit drink is very popular throughout Mexico and specially during the hot summer months.

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Equipment

• Blender

6 servings

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 large cantaloupe (melon)
• ▢ ¾ cup sugar
• ▢ 5 cups water
• ▢ 1 lime (optional)

Instructions 

• Peel the cantaloupe and remove the seeds using a spoon.
  1 large cantaloupe (melon)
• Cut into large chunks.
• Optional, reserve a few slices of melon and cut into small cubes to garnish your drinks with.
• In a blender, blend half of the cantaloupe with 2 cups of the water, the lime juice (if using any) and half the sugar at high speed until smooth.
  ¾ cup sugar, 5 cups water, 1 lime (optional)
• Transfer the juice into a jar and repeat process with the other half of the cantaloupe.
• Taste for sweetness and adjust if necessary.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer. Fill a glass with ice, pour in the agua fresca, garnish with a chunk of cantaloupe, or a mint sprig, and serve.

Muy Delish Notes:

There is no need to strain out the blended fruit as that’s where the healthy fiber is! 

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Nutrition

Serving: 8glasses | Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Sugar: 19g

The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.