Today (August 3rd) is National Watermelon Day!
Did you know that there was a whole day dedicated to la sandía? To put a Latinx twist on this American holiday, my tween and I decided to make Watermelon Agua Fresca. If you’re unfamiliar with aguas frescas, they are like juices but lighter. This refreshing drink is made with fresh fruit, blended with water, and lightly sweetened with sugar.
Agua de Sandía, as it’s called in Spanish, is super easy to make – you only need a few ingredients, a few tools, and a few minutes.
Ingredients
- Watermelon
- Water
- Sugar (or your preferred sweetener)
Optional Ingredients
- Lime (some people add lime juice to their Watermelon Agua Fresca, others just use it for garnish)
- Mint (for garnish)
Kitchen Tools/Appliances
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Blender
- Fine, mesh strainer (optional, depending on if you like pulp or not)
- Large drink pitcher
Instructions
- Cube watermelon, discarding rind
- Blend cubed watermelon, water, and sugar until your desired texture (you might need to do this in 2-3 batches depending on amount of watermelon)
- Take a sip and taste, add more sugar if needed
- If you like pulp, pour contents of blender into drink pitcher and then refrigerate until very cold
- If you prefer your agua fresca without pulp, use the fine mesh strainer over the drink pitcher as you pour in the blender’s contents; then refrigerate until very cold
- If you want to add lime juice into your agua fresca to enhance the flavor, you should do that after putting the blended drink into the pitcher but before putting everything in the fridge to chill
10 Fun Watermelon Facts
- A watermelon is 92% water
- Origins of watermelon have been traced back to the deserts of southern Africa
- Early explorers used watermelons as canteens
- Watermelons are a member of the gourd family – they’re related to squash, cucumbers and pumpkins
- Watermelon has a connection to Ancient Egypt – traces of watermelon and its seeds were discovered in the tomb of King Tut
- Over 300 varieties of watermelon are available in the U.S
- Watermelons are often grown in the shape of cubes in Japan
- Watermelons are considered both a fruit and a vegetable
- Around 85% of watermelons sold today are seedless (the process does NOT involve genetic modification)
- Watermelon rinds are usually discarded, but they are actually edible
Tips for choosing a watermelon (from watermelon.org):
