Agua Fresca Recipe

Prepare Fruit

Wash and peel (if necessary) the fruit. Remove seeds and cores. Chop fruit into roughly 1-inch pieces until you have approximately 4 cups packed.

Blend

Place the chopped fruit, 1 cup of the cold water, granulated sugar, and fresh lime juice into a blender. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth (about 30–45 seconds). Scrape down the sides and blend again if large pieces remain.

Strain (Optional)

For a silky smooth agua fresca, pour the blended fruit through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pitcher, pressing on the solids with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. If you prefer a pulpy beverage, skip this step and keep the puree.

Dilute and Taste

Add the remaining 2 cups of cold water to the pitcher and stir to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity: add up to 1 additional tablespoon sugar if it’s not sweet enough, or another teaspoon of lime juice if it needs brightness. If using, stir in a pinch (0.25 tsp) of salt to enhance fruit flavor.

Chill and Serve

Fill glasses with ice cubes. If you want a fizzy version, pour about 3/4 cup of the prepared agua fresca into a glass and top with 2–3 tablespoons of club soda or sparkling water. Otherwise, serve straight over ice.

Garnish

Garnish each glass with a lime slice and 2 fresh mint leaves. For a decorative pitcher, float extra thin fruit slices or whole mint sprigs on the surface.

Storage

Store any leftover agua fresca in a covered pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Stir before serving. If it separates slightly, a quick stir or shake in a sealed container will recombine the beverage.