Okay, I know this one probably sounds a little weird, but trust me. It’s good. Really good. Eye popping, wow, surprisingly good. Especially on a scorchingly hot summer day.
Agua frescas are refreshing fruit drinks they sell all over Mexico, and that you can find in this country at almost any taqueria. They’re cooling and sweet and are great alongside spicy food.
This particular agua fresca is made with cucumbers, fresh limes, and mint. My good friend and local caterer Arturo Vargas made this for us the other day, inspired by agua frescas he enjoyed while trying to keep cool in the steamy Yucatan peninsula.
It’s the cucumber juice base that seems to have the effect of lowering one’s body temperature. (Gives new meaning to the phrase “cool as a cucumber”.) In any case, this is a drink that I wouldn’t have made but for my friend who knew I would like it. And now I want to drink it all summer long, and think you will too, once you’ve tried it.
By the way, Arturo tells me you can take the purée solids and use them as a facial mask!
Cucumber Lime Mint Agua Fresca Recipe
PrintIngredients
- 1 lb of cucumbers (about 2 good sized cucumbers), ends trimmed, but peel still on, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup lime juice from fresh limes (from about 1 pound of limes, or 5 to 10 limes, depending on how juicy they are)
- 1 1/4 cup packed (spearmint) mint leaves (about a large handful), woody stems removed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Approximately 1 1/4 cup of water
Method
1 Blend ingredients: Put ingredients in blender, add enough water to fill 3/4 of blender. Hold the lid on the blender and purée until smooth.
2 Strain out solids: Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the purée through it, pressing against the sieve with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid out as possible.
3 Add ice: Fill a large pitcher halfway with ice cubes. Add the juice. Serve with sprigs of mint and slices of lime.
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Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
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Refreshingly delicious and a great hit. I tripled the recipe for a party, and it took longer than expected to strain out the liquid from the pulp, so I used a cheese press to hasten the process. Otherwise, it was quick, easy and simple. I can’t wait to make it again on a hot summer pool day.
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I’ve been wanting to try a cucumber agua fresca for years – finally tried your recipe – DELISH!!! Can’t wait to make more!
I also want to try mods – can’t wait to try some jalapeno, based on some surprisingly wonderful drinks I have had. And, maybe a no-sugar, or lighter sugar one – I think that would refresh me more so I could drink more of it.
Also – I will mention that after I blended, there weren’t many solids left in the strainer. The body of the drink was fine – like other agua frescas. .Also, the mint and lime were plenty strong – feel free to try this recipe even if you are a bit short. Thanks so much for posting!
I made this about a month after it was 1st posted and I loved it, never forgot it. I hadn’t made it again til a little while ago– it’s FANTASTIC!! Why did I wait so long to make it again??? Thanks for the recipe!!
this is good for calcium without having to drink dairy. good for lactose intolerance. I would skip the sugar and go with your suggested replacement though. still natural sugar but its better simply because it has other nutrients in it. plus it tastes good.
I’ve been making this stuff for years. If you want to make it without sugar (no guilt, healthier) WITHOUT sacrificing sweetness or taste, add honeydew melon. The melon is sweet enough to get the job done, and pairs so well with the other veggies/fruit that you don’t really get a “melon” taste. It’s wonderful, and I drink tons of it without compromising my diet or workout regime. :)