Strawberry Agua Fresca with Passionfruit
Elevate your summertime beverage game with this non-alcoholic Strawberry Agua Fresca with Passionfruit! Agua fresca – translated “cool water,” or literally “fresh water” – is the quintessential Mexican fruit drink… As the temperatures start to climb, what sounds better than “cool water?” Today, we’re going to learn how to make aguas frescas!
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – What are Aguas Frescas?
As I mentioned in the intro, agua fresca (singular) or aguas frescas (plural), translates “cool waters,” or literally “fresh waters.” Since we’re regularly hitting the century mark in McAllen, cool waters is a lovely image.
While Mexican street vendors and bodegas all over the country sell aguas frescas, they’re found throughout Central America and the Southwest United States.
These non-alcoholic and very simple fruit drinks combine one or more fresh fruits with a natural sweetener (I like piloncillo syrup), fresh lime juice, and water. You may also include cereals (horchata), flowers (hibiscus/jamaica), and seeds (chia). One of the most appealing qualities (in my mind at least) is that they are unfiltered and contain the fiber of whole fruit.
This refreshingly light beverage is not “fruit juice,” nor is it the ever popular fruit water (water with fruit floating in it). The best agua fresca is one that has only enough water to bring it to a drinkable consistency, and is sweetened just enough…
Like many of my recipes, my hope is that you will view this as more of a “template” than a “recipe” (like my Mexican Sweet Potato Salad). I’ll include the strawberry passionfruit agua fresca recipe I made on photo day, but you’ll find more ideas in the Aguas Frescas Ideas section below.
- fruit – You’ll need about 4 cups of fresh fruit.
- fresh lime juice
- sweetener – My preference is piloncillo (aka turbinado, panela, jaggery) syrup. It’s an all natural cane sugar. I keep it in both cone form and granular form in my pantry. Maple syrup, agave nectar, simple syrup, honey, are all good options. I do avoid sweetening my agua fresca with dry, granular sugar. It needs to be fully dissolved.
- water and ice
- Prepare your fruit – In the case of this specific combination, hull and slice the strawberries, halve the passionfruit (if using whole fruit), slice the lime in half, and gather your sweetener.
- Using a melon baller or spoon, remove the seeds and the pulp from the passionfruit. See how to prepare passionfruit for more information. Strain. Add the pulp to the blender, and reserve the seeds for garnish.
- Add strawberries, passionfruit pulp, sweetener, and water to a blender. Blend on high until smooth.
- Check for sweetness and acidity. Adjust if desired. Pour into glasses, and garnish with passionfruit seeds and fresh mint as desired. Enjoy!
🥃 Aguas Frescas Ideas
The following list is of combinations I’ve either tried or hope to try this summer!
- mango and tamarind
- cherimoya and orange
- lemon and cucumber
- Meyer lemon and ginger
- strawberry and cucumber
❓ Recipe FAQ
Are there any fruits to be avoided when making aguas frescas?
What kind of sweeteners can I use?
How long will it last in the fridge?
Can I strain my agua fresca?
Is this a “healthy” beverage?
💭 Tamara’s Tips
- The best aguas frescas are more fruit and less water. If you start with fruit that has a high water content like melon, you may not even need to add water.
- Avoid seedy fruits like raspberries and blackberries unless you want to run it through a strainer.
- Keep in mind that sweeter fruit requires less sweetener.
- TASTE AS YOU GO! The beautiful thing about simple “recipes” like this one, is you can make it exactly the way you want it. Start with a smaller amount of sweetener, and add it to taste. Add the juice of 1 lime, and if you like a little more acidity, squeeze another one.
- Choose fresh seasonal fruit for the best agua fresca!
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🍯 How to Make Piloncillo Syrup
- Combine equal parts turbinado (aka piloncillo, panela, jaggery) and water. Bring to a gentle boil. Simmer until completely dissolved. Cool completely before using.
- Store remaining syrup in an airtight container for 1 month (1:1 ratio)
Seasonal, fresh, cool food and drink highlights the best of summer. Paletas, fruit salads, and green salads with fruit meet the moment at Andersen casa all summer long!
With summer upon us, we need new, refreshing non-alcoholic beverages, right? Just between us, I’m not above spiking my agua fresca with a little bit of my house made gin. 😉
Strawberry Agua Fresca with Passionfruit
A recipe for a Strawberry Agua Fresca with Passionfruit to quench your thirst and hydrate you on a hot summer's day!
Ingredients
- 425 grams strawberries (about 2 1/4 cups), hulled and cut in half
- 1 ripe passionfruit, removed from its exterior and strained (see FAQ section for more info)
- 1/4 cup passionfruit pulp
- 1 juicy lime (about 2 tablespoons of fresh juice)
- 2 tablespoons +/- sweetener (see Ingredients in post for more info)
- 2 cups water
- ice
Instructions
- Prepare your fruit - Hull and slice the strawberries, halve the passionfruit (if using whole fruit), slice the lime in half, and gather your sweetener.
- Blend the fruit - Add strawberries, passionfruit pulp, sweetener, and water to a blender. Blend on high until smooth.
- Taste - Check for sweetness and acidity. Adjust if desired. Pour into glasses, and garnish with passionfruit seeds and fresh mint as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Calories are an approximation only from MyFitnessPal.com, and for reference purposes only!
If you have questions, need tips, or need more information, see the body of the post.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 58