Summer, in my little apartment, is a grueling affair. It gets hot...and stays hot. It also traps humidity - just look at my hair for proof. My roommate and I agree that our apartment trains us to endure the Midwest's heat and humidity, as we sweat while cooking, sitting on the couch, or even showering. The best pose to assume in our roasty little place is sprawled on the floor between two fans.
You can see we need serious refreshment.
This summer, we trotted out agua frescas, a traditional and delightfully refreshing drink from Latin America. They're super simple, they keep in the fridge for a week or two (so it's blessedly cool!), and, best of all, they do not require turning on the oven or stove.
Honeydew - Basil Agua Fresca
From The Kitchen.com (get the original recipe here )
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Ingredients:
1 honeydew melon
2 cups cold water
4 tsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. basil simple syrup (recipe below) - 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup water, handful of washed basil leaves
Preparation:
Make basil simple syrup. Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar is entirely dissolved. Turn off heat and add the washed basil leaves. Cover for 10-15 minutes. Pour through a strainer to remove basil leaves. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
Wash, peel, and cube the melon. Working in batches, puree the melon with water in a blender. Strain the puree through a mesh sieve into a pitcher. You'll need to use a spoon or rubber spatula to squeeze as much juice as possible from the solids.
Add the lime juice to the pitcher (I added the juice of a whole lime because I like it tart) and stir to combine. You can store the pitcher in your refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, though I'd suggest keeping it covered and hopefully airtight.
To serve, pour the chilled agua fresca into a glass and add basil simple syrup to taste. Stir to combine and be refreshed.
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Notes:
*Try frozen melon cubes instead of ice cubes to keep your drink cold.
For more ideas, check out the recipes for three inventive combinations for agua frescas at Matt Bites. I am longing to try the strawberry-thyme combination! Perhaps with some liquor for an evening cocktail, sipped outside as the sun goes down. Sounds amazing, right?
Also check out the other recipe from TheKitchn.com link to the original recipe, because there's also a recipe for watermelon-lime agua fresca.
And it's not an agua fresca, but it's close - another recipe from TheKitchn.com for Watermelon - Strawberry Cooler. I made the juice portion, but didn't add chia seeds until I poured an individual glass of the drink. The chia seeds are entirely optional, but I enjoy their mildly gelatinous texture after they've absorbed some liquid (fun fact: chia seeds can absorb up to 9 times their weight in liquid!). They're like miniature tapioca pearls. A pitcher of this refreshing drink has been my summer savior against the rising heat.
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| Cool, refreshing, hydrating, and oh-so-easy to make! |
Adapted from TheKitchn.com
Ingredients:
4 cups watermelon, peeled and roughly chopped
1 pound strawberries, washed and hulled (if fresh) or thawed (if frozen)
Juice of 1 small lime (or 1/2 a large lime)
Water
Chia seeds (optional)
Preparation:
Working in batches, puree the watermelon, strawberries, and lime juice, adding as little water as needed to blend. Strain the puree through a mesh strainer into a pitcher. Use a rubber spatula to squeeze the juice out of any solids remaining in the mesh strainer. Discard the solids.
Store the strained puree in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. If desired, add 1/2 - 1 tsp. of chia seeds to each glass when serving. Stir the chia seeds in and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes so the chia seeds absorb liquid and gel.
Notes:
*The original recipe added mint leaves in to the puree. I didn't have any on hand, but I imagine they'd be a delicious addition.
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| The chia seeds were only just added. After 10 minutes or so, they'll start to absorb enough liquid to begin gelling. |
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