Watermelon Agua Fresca

It is hot outside. Not just dry heat, because that would be tolerable. No. It’s damp, muggy, disgusting heat that doesn’t seem that hot when you look outside, but the second you walk outside, it’s like swimming through a lukewarm, thick, smog. Summer in the city is the opposite of my favourite way to pass time. I’ve resorted to eating bean and corn salad for the past two days because it is far to hot to even touch the oven. Thankfully, the local grocery store blasts glorious A/C and sells massive watermelons that are ripe for eating and turning into watermelon agua fresca. Agua fresca, translates from Spanish to “fresh water”, and is the loveliest way to cool down on a hot summer day.

Watermelon has the magical ability to quench your thirst on the hottest of days. I have fond childhood memories of being at the beach and devouring watermelon slices as the juice trickles down my elbows. Earlier this month I gave you a savoury recipe for watermelon by making watermelon, mint, and goat cheese salad skewers, but now is the time to relish in the sweetness of this fruit to save yourself from the humidity in the city.

Today is one of those days that I whisper sweet nothings to my Cuisinart Immersion Blender. It makes my life so much easier, be it to purée soup, make margarita slushies, or to blend up watermelon, lemon, and sugar for a little watermelon agua fresca. No need for a blender, extra bowls for multiple batches, or anything. I’ve tried some other brands of immersion blenders, but my trusty Cuisinart one is the best. Just shove it in and press one button. With a sharp whirl, the juicy watermelon is reduced to a pulpy mixture in seconds.

Some may prefer to strain the pulp and seeds, and if that route is for you, that’s okay. But if you’re a pulp fiend like I am, just leave it. Chris doesn’t like his orange juice with pulp, so if we buy juice (which almost never happens anymore), we get it without pulp. But when I juice me some oranges, I keep it all, pulp just makes it extra delicious ;)

The thing about watermelon juice is that it goes bad really really quickly. Like in a day. If you make watermelon agua fresca, I recommend enjoying it immediately. Besides, lets be real, how long would this juice last your family, hm? Minutes? Because it’s such a wonderful treat on a hot, summer day. And served with a splash of seltzer water over ice? Lovely. And naturally, things always taste better when they’re in mason jars right?

Disclaimer: This post is not compensated or sponsored by Cuisinart, I just really, really love Cuisinart products.

Print Recipe

Watermelon Agua Fresca

Recipe adapted from [use real butter|http://userealbutter.com/2013/05/15/sparkling-watermelon-agua-fresca-recipe/]

Servings: 8 -10 servings

Author: Lisa Le

Ingredients

• - 8 cups watermelon cubed and deseeded
• - 1/3 cup agave nectar can also use honey, sugar, or maple syrup
• - juice from 1 lemon and 1 lime
• - Club soda or seltzer water
• - Ice

Instructions

• Using either a blender or stick blender, puree the watermelon with the agave nectar and citrus juice. Strain if you don't like the pulp, it's delicious both ways.
• Serve over ice and top with some club soda or seltzer water and enjoy!

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