Strawberry Agua Fresca
Strawberry Agua Fresca is a classic Mexican drink that is light, fruit-forward, and only lightly sweetened. Made with just five simple ingredients — fresh strawberries, cold water, sugar, lime juice, and ice — it comes together in under 10 minutes with no cooking required. It is thinner than juice and nothing like a smoothie, sitting in a perfectly refreshing place all its own. Bright red, naturally low in calories, and endlessly customizable, this is the kind of drink you will want to keep in a pitcher in your fridge all summer long.
Equipment
- Blender Countertop or high-speed blender
- Fine-mesh strainer Or cheesecloth for straining seeds and pulp
- Large bowl or pitcher To strain the blended mixture into
- Citrus juicer or reamer For squeezing the lime
- Cutting board and knife For hulling and halving strawberries
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Long-handled spoon For stirring and pressing pulp through strainer
- Tall serving glasses
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh strawberries about 300g, hulled and halved
- 3 cups cold water about 720ml, divided
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar about 25g, adjust to taste
- 1 lime juiced, about 2 tablespoons or 30ml
- ice cubes for serving
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the strawberries, then hull each one and slice in half. Add all the prepared strawberry halves to your blender jar.
- Pour 1.5 cups of the cold water over the strawberries, secure the blender lid, and blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds until completely smooth.
- Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl or pitcher and pour the blended mixture through it, pressing the pulp with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the seeds and pulp.
- Add the remaining 1.5 cups of cold water, the 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the fresh lime juice to the strained strawberry liquid, then stir well until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Taste the agua fresca and adjust sweetness with more sugar or tartness with a little extra lime juice until the flavor is balanced to your liking.
- Fill tall glasses generously with ice cubes, pour the strawberry agua fresca over the ice, and garnish with a fresh strawberry or lime slice if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use ripe strawberries: The riper and sweeter your berries, the more vibrant the flavor. In-season strawberries make the biggest difference.
- Do not skip straining: Straining out the seeds and pulp is essential for the light, clean texture that defines agua fresca. Skipping it produces a thick smoothie consistency.
- Chill the water first: Starting with cold water means the drink is ready to pour over ice immediately with no extra fridge time needed.
- Dissolve the sugar easily: If the sugar is slow to dissolve in cold water, stir it into a small amount of warm water first to make a quick simple syrup, then add it to the pitcher.
- Make it ahead: Agua fresca tastes even better after a couple of hours in the fridge once the flavors settle. It keeps well for up to 3 days in a sealed pitcher.
- Sweetener swaps: Honey, agave nectar, or any sugar-free sweetener can be used in place of granulated sugar to suit your dietary needs.
- Frozen strawberries work too: Thaw them slightly before blending for an equally delicious result when fresh berries are out of season.
- Scale it up easily: Double or triple the recipe to fill a large pitcher for parties or cookouts. The ratios stay the same.
- Sparkling variation: Replace some of the still water with sparkling water right before serving for a fizzy, mocktail-style twist.
- Storage tip: Do not freeze the finished drink as it alters the texture. Instead, freeze the strained strawberry liquid in ice cube trays and add fresh water when ready to serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 45kcalCarbohydrates: 11gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 110mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!