When I think of a summer fruits, one of the first ones that come to mind is a watermelon. Of course, I’m not the only one. Grocery stores have an abundance of the fruit ripe for the picking. While you can get watermelon, like most fruits, year round, there’s nothing like a summer watermelon in it’s prime.

Picture this - It’s a sweltering 100 degree Texas summer day. It’s your cousin’s birthday and you’re in the backyard sitting in a lawn chair waiting for burgers to finish grilling. The sun is high and beating down on you. From the corner of your eye, you see your aunt bringing out a tray of freshly cut watermelon. Instantly your mouth begins to salivate, which you now notice was dry from the dehydration setting in. You pick up a piece and are instantly satiated as you bite into the juiciest watermelon with the juices running down your face and arms. You’re still half dying from the heat, but for that instance, you get to savor the small moment of relief that is held in that heavenly pink triangle. Especially if it had been kept chilled in a cooler or fridge. There’s nothing like it.

While summer may be different this year, with the pandemic and all, you can still capture summer in a cup with this watermelon agua fresca. Watermelon is great as it is, but with this drink, you can get you straight to the good stuff without having to spit out the seeds or deal with the leftover sticky hands. And, if you’re feeling a little extra fun, some tequila might find it’s way in your cup to party with the agua fresca.

If you live in San Antonio, you’re well accustomed to the agua fresca. They come in a variety of fruit flavors and even horchata and can be found at many local fruterias, Mexican restaurants and some taco trucks.

While you can stop at these local places to grab these refreshing drinks on the go, agua fresca is so easy to make, it doesn’t hurt to try just once to make it at home. All you need is four simple ingredients, which are probably already have in your kitchen right now. Especially if you’re like me and have a whole watermelon just laying around.

Now, I do prefer my agua fresca slightly sweeter than the traditional version, but you can certainly adjust these measurements to your liking. That’s what recipes are for. They provide a blueprint, but you are the builder, so if something isn’t working out to your liking, you make adjustments until you are satisfied with the result.

But, I think that’s enough talking for now so let’s get into it.

Total Time: 15 minutes
Yields: About 1 gallon

Ingredients:

1/2 large watermelon*
4 limes
1 cup granulated sugar*
4 cups (34 oz) water
2 cups (16 oz) ice

*The watermelon I used yielded about 8 cups (64oz) watermelon juice
**Adjust sugar to your liking and the sweetness of the watermelon. This could mean using less than a full cup of sugar.

Special Tools:

Chef’s knife
Juicer (optional)
Blender
Strainer
2 Gallon Pitcher

Instructions

Begin by removing the rind from the watermelon. To do so, cut the large watermelon in half and then cut off the round bottom end so that the watermelon can stand upright. Then using a sharp chef’s knife, glide the knife down the watermelon where the white of the rind meets the pink of the fruit. Be careful not to remove too much of the fruit during this step. Reference image above for further context.
Once the rind is removed, slice the watermelon in 1 inch thick rounds. From these rounds, cube the watermelon. See images above.
This next step depends on the tool used:
1. if you are using a juicer - juice the watermelon and then use a spoon to remove the layer of foam prior to pouring the juice into the pitcher.
2. If you are using a blender - blend the watermelon until smooth and then strain the juice to remove any excess pulp and seed remnants prior to pouring the juice into the pitcher
Next, in a liquid measuring cup or a separate container, add the sugar into the water and stir until the sugar has fully dissolved. Then pour this mixture into pitcher.
Now, squeeze the lime juice into the pitcher.
Finally, top pitcher with ice to chill and then pour into a pretty glass and enjoy.