Here’s a fun and easy recipe for a refreshing summer drink called Cucumber Agua Fresca. It’s a delightful blend of cucumber, lime, mint, lemongrass, sugar, and honey that’s perfect for those hot summer days.
Ingredients:
- 3 small cucumbers, chopped
- 10 fresh basil leaves (or mint if you prefer)
- 2 whole limes, quartered (leave the peel on)
- 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste or fresh lemongrass (you can also use ginger)
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 4 cups of water (you’ll add 2 cups first, then another 2 cups later)
- Ice for serving
Instructions:
- In a blender, combine the cucumbers, basil, limes, lemongrass, sugar, honey, and 2 cups of water. Blend until it’s somewhat smooth.
- Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher, catching all the pulp. You can throw the pulp away.
- Stir in the remaining 2 cups of water.
- Chill the drink in the fridge and serve it over ice. Enjoy!
Notes:
- This recipe makes enough for two people to have a couple of servings. You can drink half the batch one day, and save the rest for the next day. Just remember to use your best judgment when it comes to food safety, especially since unpasteurized juices can be unsafe for some people if they’re not fresh.
- I personally love to leave the whole lime in the juice. The rind and pith of the lime add a bit of bitterness to the agua fresca, which I find delicious. It also makes the drink feel a bit more like a cocktail, even though there’s no alcohol in it. But if you’re not a fan of bitter flavors, you can just use lime juice instead of whole limes.
