Agua De Sandia (Watermelon Beverage)

BlueHyacinth's Note:

My DH is from Mexico and this is a staple there on hot days. The first time I tried it I was hooked (didn't even get sick from the water...lol). This is a great change for those hot days, just drink and enjoy.

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• 4 1/2 lbs watermelon, whole, plus
• 3 cups chopped watermelon
• 3 quarts water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 quarts ice cubes

Directions:

1. Remove rind from watermelon, and cut into chunks.
2. In batches, blend water, sugar, watermelon and ice in a blender.
3. Pour into a large pitcher.

Reviews

[da-duck]

I'd never tried this before. My kids loved it, but I didn't care for the texture. I'd rather just eat plain watermelon cubes.

[Heystopthatnow]

Last night, I had my bro pick up a large cup of agua de sandia to drink on my long drive back home. My son saw it, took a few sips and wanted it for himself. It was bedtime for him so I told him that I would make some for him the next day (today). Thankfully, w/your recipe I'm still a mom of my word! My choice of sweetener was Sweet n'Low. I didn't have to use too many packets of it because the watermelon that I had was already really sweet. (We ended up eating watermelon w/our drink. =)

[KWB]

I love this stuff, so I had to hop on the bandwagon of praise! I don't use nearly as much sugar as is called for...I use maybe 1/2 cup. Depends on how sweet and flavorful your melon is, I suppose. I add the juice of a couple of limes or of a couple lemons to add some more complexity. I also sometimes use sparkling water to make it fizzy. I think this drink is best served when freshly made (assuming all your ingredients are thoroughly chilled) because the water and watermelon pulp separate after a few hours in the frige. This is such a unique summer beverage (for us of Los Estados Unidos), and a wonderful way to use up mass quantities of watermelon! Go ahead and buy a whole one!!!!