Cantaloupe agua fresca is easy to make and incredibly refreshing. Light and gently fruity, it's a family-friendly drink perfect for a warm day.
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When my older son was young, as I imagine many parents did with their first born, I had certain expectations on how things would go with food. I had hoped to introduce him to a broad range of foods early on in the hope he'd keep the majority in his likes as he got older (I knew he'd drop some).
It didn't quite work out, as he was hard to pin down for any length of time, so lunch was often snuck in and dinner eaten while looking at books.
He quickly told us he didn't like particular things, and despite trying the whole few attempts thing, he wasn't changing his mind. So, a few things I let go.
Thankfully, once he got a bit older he began to sit and eat a bit more, even if he was skeptical of some things. A few fruits I managed to get back in favor early on were mango and cantaloupe, which was a win as I love both.
Cantaloupe is one of those fruits that's perfect for summer as it's light and refreshing. Pick a good one that's perfectly ripe (check that the stem-end has a bit of give and you can smell it's a little aromatic), and it's flavorful and sweet.
All that said, I do sometimes find cantaloupe a bit hard to get through before it goes off. It's great as part of fruit salads, as a snack in itself or made into melon and prosciutto skewers.
Then this agua fresca is the perfect solution to use up any extra. In fact it's a reason in itself to buy a cantaloupe.
What is an agua fresca?
Agua fresca literally means "fresh water" and is a popular drink in Mexico. It's made by blending fruit or other ingredients with water and a little lime, plus sometimes a little sugar.
It's lighter and more refreshing than juice, but has more flavor than flavored water. The number of flavors is about as limitless as your imagination - make sure you also try my agua de jamaica (hibiscus tea) and cucumber agua fresca as well.
Steps to make this drink
There's not much to this as all you do is:
- puree the fruit,
- strain it,
- mix it with water and a little lime.
The one step that takes a little more time is straining the pureed cantaloupe. It might seem tempting to skip this, but believe me it is worth doing. Rather than having a slightly thick drink you are left with all the flavor but it's so much fresher without the 'bits'.
Cantaloupe agua fresca is not only a great way to use up any cantaloupe that might be languishing in your fridge, it's a tasty and refreshing drink perfect for any occasion. It will quench your thirst on a warm day, works well for a crowd, or have it as a lighter accompaniment to your meal. So go get some more cantaloupe.
Try these other refreshing drinks:
- Coconut watermelon agua fresca
- Watermelon lemonade
- Blueberry lemonade
- Plus get more ideas in the drinks recipes archives.
Cantaloupe agua fresca
Ingredients
- 1 lb cantaloupe approx ½ a melon
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ice, mint to serve
Instructions
- Remove the skin and seeds from the cantaloupe and dice the flesh. Put in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Strain the puree through a very fine strainer or cheesecloth so that you get a nice clear juice. You should get around 1 ½ cups/360ml. Mix this with the water and lime juice. You can add a little sugar if you like but I don't think it's really needed if your cantaloupe is ripe.
- Serve over ice with a little mint as garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
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Deborah says
Love this cantalope recipe. First time I drank it a Mexican Restaurant, it was very delicious & refreshing
Caroline's Cooking says
It is indeed such a lovely, refreshing drink - glad you enjoyed (and can enjoy more at home!)
Michelle says
Love all the flavors here, I already know I’m going to enjoy thisdrink a lot!
Caroline's Cooking says
Enjoy - it's so simple but wonderfully refreshing!
Gustavo E Schmidle says
I would rather add the water and the cantaloupe in the blender and then put the drink thru a cheese cloth or fine strainer. It will process quicker. Add the lime and a little sweetener and you have a quick refreshing drink.
Caroline's Cooking says
You certainly can do it this way, it makes very little difference - cantaloupe is a very soft fruit (at least when ripe) so purees easily with or without water. The main reasons I puree the fruit alone first are it means less liquid to strain, and also you can put in more or less water to taste, since some melons can have less flavor and you may want less water, for example but you can't tell this as easily at the start and can't take water out.
Codrut Turcanu says
We don't have cantaloupe here in Bucharest, Romania, but can we use yellow melon?
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes, you can use other melons as well. Enjoy!
Fauzia Mamajiwalla says
Can I make this 2 days ahead of time?
Caroline's Cooking says
Ideally, it's best to have it the day you make it, but yes it should keep fine in the fridge for 2 days in a sealed container. You may get some separation, so be sure to stir it well before serving.