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Frozen Tropical Watermelon Agua Fresca has summer sweet watermelon, pineapple, mint simple syrup, and refreshing coconut water. It’s a great way to rehydrate on hot summer days.

So, I bought this watermelon because I wanted some watermelon. When I ordered the watermelon online, I thought it was one of those little ones. You know, the personal sized ones? But it wasn’t. So, there I was with this larger than anticipated watermelon.

I cut up half of it and ate that throughout the week. But then the thought of standing in the kitchen cutting up the other half just seemed too much to deal with. No, I’m not being lazy. I had surgery and standing for any amount of time isn’t too fun right now.

But it got to the point that I didn’t want the watermelon to completely go to waste. I’m sure the hubs thought I was out of my mind when I chopped up the rest of the watermelon. Because, and this is where I might lose some of you, there was some mold starting to grow.

Okay. Don’t judge. When you grow up with not a lot of money and you really do have to make everything stretch, you cut the mold off. Cut the mold off the cheese. You cut the mold off the bread. You cut the bad parts off the veggies or the fruits. There’s no point to toss the whole thing if only part of it is spoiled. Okay, I said don’t judge. It cuts down on food waste and saves money.

So, I finally got around cutting the rest of the watermelon up. Since I wasn’t ready to make anything with it or eat it yet, I cubed it up, put it on a baking sheet, and popped it into the freezer. And there it sat for at least 2 weeks. I didn’t even put the cubes in a freezer bag. I know, but it’s been a rough couple of months for me.

Then I found out that August 3 is watermelon day. That meant I needed to figure out what to make with that ripe, sweet watermelon. Initially I thought about a cocktail, but I think I’ve made 3 or 4 watermelon cocktails for the blog. The I thought about an agua fresca! I had a few of those when I was in Bogota. They’re so delicious.

 

What is agua fresca?

Translated, that basically means fresh water. But it’s not just water. Agua fresca comes in a variety of fruit and flower flavors. There are even versions made with horchata which is made with rice, milk, and cinnamon. I had a delicious mint version in Bogota, and I was hooked! It was so bright, delicious, and totally refreshing. I knew I had to make some when I got back to the States.

Agua fresca is believed to originate from the Aztecs. They would make beverages with fruits and flowers and use ice from the dormant volcanoes to chill them. A street vendor made them popular in the 40’s by adding them to their food cart.

 

What’s in frozen tropical watermelon agua fresca?

There’s watermelon in it, obviously. Then I added some pineapple for a little sweet tart flavor. There’s some mint simple syrup. I love watermelon and mint together. To make this agua fresco even more refreshing I used coconut water instead of plain water. Coconut water has hydrating properties. And during the hottest days of summer, you need to stay hydrated.

Add this to the juice from the watermelon and you have one very refreshing and hydrating drink to sip in summer. It’s even more delicious because everything is frozen making it oh so cooling! After the last week of killer hot weather this frozen tropical watermelon agua fresca was the perfect beverage to chill with.

I knew the watermelon had to be the base. But I also had some peaches, strawberries, and even cranberries in the freezer. I’ve made a watermelon strawberry martini, so I didn’t want to use the strawberries again. Cranberries just didn’t seem right to me. So, I went with the pineapple.

There are so many different variations of agua fresca. There’s obviously berries and melons, but there’s also flowers like hibiscus and exotic fruits like tamarind. You can make agua fresca with tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, and papaya. I feel like you could make agua fresca out of every fruit, but maybe not passionfruit. That might not work well.

 

What does frozen tropical watermelon agua fresca taste like?

There is so much watermelon flavor in this agua fresca! You can taste the slightly sweet tart pineapple. Then there’s the hint of mint. But the sweetness is mainly from the watermelon. Mine was super ripe and delicious. You can’t taste the coconut water, but you will feel rehydrated after sipping this agua fresca.

No, you don’t need the simple syrup. Especially with ripe watermelon. It is naturally sweet. But if your pineapple is slightly more tart than anticipated you might want to add a little more simple syrup. And it doesn’t have to be mint. I like the refreshing mint taste with the watermelon.

Mine kept nice and frozen in the refrigerator for at least 2 to 3 hours. Yes, a little melting did occur, but not enough to really cause concern. If it does melt too much, just pop it back in the blender and add a little more frozen watermelon or pineapple. Or just a few ice cubes.

That color! It’s so bright and vibrant. You know it is going to have lots of flavor with that color. And lots of health benefits with all that fruit in there. The pulp alone is a great source of fiber. The water from the fruits and the coconut water is great for hydration. So, not only does it taste absolutely delicious and refreshing but it is good for you, too!

Wild About Watermelon

• Frozen Tropical Watermelon Aqua Fresca from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Gelo di Melone from Pandemonium Noshery
• Spicy Watermelon Rind Pickle from Magical Ingredients
• Tropical Watermelon Cucumber Salad from That Recipe
• Watermelon Martini from Art of Natural Living
• Watermelon Rum and Sparkling Wine Cocktail from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

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