Watermelon Ginger Agua Fresca Food

WATERMELON AGUA FRESCA

Steps:

• Puree the watermelon and water in a blender until smooth. Add sugar to taste. Cut the lime slices in half. Place a half lime slice into each of 8 glasses along with 3 mint leaves. Crush with a cocktail muddler, then fill each glass with ice. Pour in the watermelon agua fresca, and stir before serving.

WATERMELON AGUA FRESCA

Steps:

• Add the sugar and 1/2 cup water to a small saucepan. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium heat until the sugar is melted, then turn off the heat and let cool.
• Add the watermelon, lime zest and juice and 3 tablespoons of the cooled simple syrup to a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into 4 small glasses.
• Garnish each with a wheel of lime.

WATERMELON-GINGER AGUA FRESCA

Steps:

• Place 2 1/2 cups watermelon and 3/4 cup cold water in blender. Puree until smooth. Pour agua fresca into large pitcher. Repeat 3 more times with remaining watermelon and cold water. Add lime juice, 1/4 cup sugar, and ginger juice to pitcher and stir to blend. Add more sugar by tablespoonfuls, if desired. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Keep chilled. Stir before serving.
• Fill glasses with ice cubes; pour agua fresca over. Garnish each glass with lime wedge and serve.

WATERMELON-MINT AGUA FRESCA

Steps:

• Combine mint leaves, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar has dissolved. Transfer mixture to a heatproof container and chill, uncovered, until cool, about 30 minutes.
• Strain mint syrup into a blender; discard mint leaves. Add watermelon and lime juice and blend until very smooth. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain into a pitcher; discard solids. Add 2 cups water and stir well to combine. Serve with mint sprigs.
• Do Ahead
• Aqua fresca can be stored in an airtight container and chilled for up to 1 day.

WATERMELON AGUA FRESCA

Steps:

• Finely chop two cups of the watermelon, and set aside.
• Place remaining two cups watermelon in a blender; process until smooth.
• Pour pureed watermelon through a sieve into a pitcher, and discard the solids.
• Add water, sugar and lime juice; stir until sugar dissolves.
• Stir in chopped watermelon.
• Cover and chill at least one hour.

CHEF JOHN'S WATERMELON AGUA FRESCA

Steps:

• Scoop flesh from watermelon half and transfer watermelon to a blender. Add 2 cups cold water. Place a folded towel on blender lid and blend until liquefied, about 1 minute. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl to remove fibers. Discard fibers left in strainer. Skim and discard excess foam from juice if desired.
• Place sugar and 1/2 cup water into a saucepan over medium heat and stir until water is hot and sugar has dissolved. Turn off heat and let simple syrup cool to room temperature. Stir simple syrup into watermelon juice to taste.
• Pour drink into a 2-quart pitcher and refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes. To serve, fill tall glasses with ice cubes and pour agua fresca drink over ice. Serve with straws.