Agua de Sandia

Welcome summer and bring on the watermelon!

Everywhere you look, grocery stores, fruit stands, and farmer’s markets carry watermelons of all shapes and sizes. Most are now seedless but I remember, growing up, having watermelon seed spitting contests with my brother and all our friends. My grandmother loved watermelon so we had it all summer long and lots of contests.

Either I was really small or the watermelon slices she gave us were super big or both. I think it was both. I remember it taking forever to eat one slice of watermelon. Recently I tried to show my kids how we used to have these watermelon seed spitting contests but we couldn’t find any seeds in the watermelon because most are now seedless, bummer. We did find something in the watermelon that resembled watermelon seeds but they were opaque and not quite spit worthy.

If you love watermelon then this recipe is for you. Sweeten to suit your personal taste. You have all summer to make it happen and if you find some seeds in your watermelon why not have a seed spitting contest.

Yield: Makes 2 quarts

Agua de Sandia

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Ingredients:

• 8 cups cubed seeded watermelon, divided
• 1/4 cup water, divided
• *1 3/4 cup simple syrup, divided
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• Lime slices to garnish
• Mint leaves as a garnish

Directions:

1. Puree half of the cubed watermelon, water, and simple syrup in a blender. Pour through a course strainer and into a large pitcher. Repeat with the remaining watermelon, water, and sugar. Stir in lime juice.
2. Refrigerate until very cold. Before serving stir and garnish with lime slices and mint if desired.
3. *Make simple syrup ahead of time and use after it’s cooled. To make simple syrup combine 2 cups water with 1 cup sugar. In a saucepan heat until the sugar has melted, then remove from heat and let cool. Store extra simple syrup in the refrigerator.

More recipes available at muybuenocookbook.com This recipe is also published in Muy Bueno: Three Generations of Authentic Mexican Flavor

Photography by Jeanine Thurston