Agua De Sandia (Watermelon Water)

This Agua De Sandia (Watermelon Water) is fresh, sweet, zesty and SO refreshing! Delicious for sharing at a gathering or enjoy while reading your favorite book! It’s easily made into an adult beverage to share with friends. 

Watermelon Agua Fresca

The taste of summer in a refreshing drink; Watermelon Water! This Agua Fresca is easy to whip up and share. Make a large pitcher and have ready for your convenience!

There’s no doubt that Agua Frescas are Mexico’s favorite drinks. You can find them in every restaurant, mercados & even street vendors. I’m so happy their popularity is increasing in the U.S. as well!

Ingredients

The Watermelon

Find in season watermelon, organic and seedless if possible. This makes it easier to deal with prior to blending. But don’t worry if you just have one with seeds (like I do here), there is an easy work around that.

Cold Water

I keep the water at minimum since watermelon is mostly water already. Plus if you dilute it too much then you have to compensate the loss of flavor with sugar. By keeping the juice with mostly watermelon, you keep the calories down!

The sweetener

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.

Lime Juice

We’ll use a little bit of fresh lime juice to balance all of the flavors.

Selecting a ripe watermelon guide

As with most fruits, the flavor of the watermelon greatly depends on the level of ripeness. Watermelons go from bland to sweet in flavor in just a couple of days, and once picked, the melons stop developing flavor. Here are some tips for how to tell if a watermelon is ripe:

1. Well-defined stripes – With distinct color variations between the green lines and the yellow lines. 

2. A large yellow spot on the bottom – melons have an underside, or belly called a “field spot”. This spot on a ripe watermelon will be yellow and not white (which indicates an unripe melon).

3. Check the stem – the stem should be dried up, not green. If the stem area is shriveled and dry, that’s a good signal that the watermelon is ripe.

4. Thump the watermelon – Look for a deep-sounding tone . The sound should be deep, demonstrating it is FULL, not dried out and airy on the inside.

7. Scars and spots are good – Don’t judge a book by its cover. Weathering on the outside of the melon is another indicator that the melon has had plenty of time to sweeten.

How To Make Agua De Sandía

A delicious Mexican meal isn’t complete without a great agua fresca! This drink it’s a must for a perfect summertime gathering or just to enjoy for your weekday meals. There is no doubt that everyone will love it!

1. In a blender add 4 cups of the watermelon chunks with 1 cup of water. Puree on high speed until the mixture is smooth. Transfer drink to a pitcher.

• Repeat process with remaining watermelon.
• Add the ½ cup sugar and lime juice to the pitcher. Mix well and taste for sweetness. Add more sugar to taste if needed.

Pour into a tall glass filled with ice and garnish with fresh watermelon (optional).

Extra Watermelon Water Notes:

• For the best Agua Fresca De Sandia of your life, look for a ripe watermelon, that’s fresh when in season! The texture and flavor are worth the effort.
• If you have leftover Watermelon Water, turn it into popsicles! It’s a great way to enjoy if afterwards.  
• For an extra frosty drink, freeze the watermelon chunks before blending. 
• Because the sweetness of watermelon varies, taste before adding more sugar to your homemade drink, and adjust to taste. 

❣️Health Benefits

Watermelon is low in calories and contains almost no fat. While providing many valuable nutrients, such as vitamins A and C, it is somewhat high in sugar, so people who are monitoring their sugar intake may be best served by eating this fruit in moderation.

It fights dehydration, reduces blood pressure, helps ease muscle fatigue plus many more benefits. For more information see WebMD.

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.

Mexico Watermelon Memories

My dad grew watermelons in his campo (farm fields) a couple of times and I loved going to see their progress each weekend. Sometimes I would sneak in the back of his car since I just loved going to see the crops (baby watermelons are the cutest!)

I don’t remember him ever getting upset from surprising him with me hiding in his car. I think he liked it!

Growing up in Ciudad Obregon, which is known for having some of the best farm fields in America (a huge importer of vegetables and fruit to the U.S), meant that we always had the freshest produce around us at all times.

One of the most beautiful sights is seeing the farmers selling fruit from the back of their trucks on the side of the roads. Buying fruits and veggies was almost a must for us since that was our way of supporting the humble Mexican farmers.

Oh how I miss those days!