How to Make Tea-Infused Aguas Frescas

This post is sponsored by Mountain Rose Herbs. Scroll to bottom of post for recipes.

Salty skin, hair and ocean air. Long Summer days with sunsets that melt in deep orange over the bay. Deep breaths. Bare feet walking the white lines on the edge of fry-pan streets. Sweat soaking through white t-shirts. Dusty peaches. Swimsuits hanging up to dry. Eating sandwiches on the beach with the accidental crunch of real sand in my teeth.

AC pumping so hard across town that the power blows out. Napping with straw hat over eyes. Lazy evenings. Ice cream and jokes and dance parties in the kitchen with my husand. Windows flung open at night. Big jugs of tea blended with fruit, lime, agave.

These are the moments in Summer I live for.

Lately I’ve been overloaded with huge quantities of fruit — from the farmers market, from my yard, from friends dropping it on my doorstep. If it weren’t for the heat I’d make pies. But considering the amount of water I’m losing via sweat just from walking around I figured I’d put a new drink into rotation instead: herbal aquas frescas.

Traditional Mexican aguas frescas are so incredibly simple. They’re essentially a whole fresh juice — like a cross between a juice and a smoothie. I’m always team smoothie over team juice because eating sweet fruits with the natural fiber helps the body to process the sugars more slowly. As a sugar-sensitive person, this is always a plus.

I’ve gotten into using herbal tea instead of water in my aguas frescas mostly because I can always use an an extra kick of herbal support and flavor. I’ll take it wherever and whenever I can get it. There’s nothing quite as refreshing and supportive as a whole fruit tea on a steamy Summer afternoon.

So let’s talk a bit about combining traditional aguas frescas with tea.

Aquas frescas are 1 cup fruit to 1 cup water, so tea is an easy substitution for water. The idea is to maximize the support you can get out of a glass of cold fruit juice by adding herbs like tulsi, rose, mint or lemon balm.

You could use any number of herbal teas. Ideally choose teas that are light, citrusy, sweet or minty for the best flavor combinations with fruit. I would shy away from earthy, rich, savory or spiced teas like dandelion or chai. I also suggest avoiding lavender as it can have a soapy flavor combined with many fruits.

For caffienated teas I’d suggest a white tea or green tea as ideal options to pair with most fruits.

The best fruits for aguas frescas, from what I’ve tested in my kitchen, are smooth and mostly seedless; the juicier the better, and fruits with more natural acid keep their bright color the best.

• Melons — seedless watermelon, cantaloupe, honey dew

• Berries — strawberries and blueberries are the best

• Mango

• Papaya

• Peaches and nectarines

• Pineapple

• Dragonfruit

• Cucumber

And these fruits are great as well but you’ll want to strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds:

• Blackberries

• Raspberries

• Seeded watermelon

I’d suggest avoiding the following fruits: cherries, bananas. Cherries and bananas both make for unfortunately brown aqua frescas.

My favorite tea and fruit combinations are:

• Strawberry + tulsi tea

• Cantaloupe + cucumber + mint tea

• Blackberry + hibiscus tea

• Watermelon + rose tea

• Pineapple + peach + Lemon Tea

• Mango + Coconut Rooibos tea

• Papaya + rose tea

Here’s how to make any herbal aqua fresca at home!

Herbal Aguas Frescas Recipe

Makes — 2 servings ~2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hot water

• 1 tbsp dried herbal tea

• 1 cup chopped fruit

• 1 tbsp agave nectar OR honey OR maple syrup + more to taste

• 1 tsp lime juice (~1/2 lime) + more to taste

• Ice

Method

1. Pour the hot water over the herbal tea and steep 5 minutes (or do a longer infusion for a stronger tea). Cool to room temp and strain.

2. In a high-powered stand up blender combine the chopped fruit, sweetener, steeped tea, lime juice and handful ice. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetener and lime juice according to your personal taste. If fruit has seeds, strain through a sieve.

3. Serve immediately as-is or over ice with a wedge of fruit on each glass for garnish. Enjoy!

Watermelon Rose Agua Fresca

Makes — 2 servings ~2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup hot water

• 1 tbsp Organic pink rose petals

• 1 cup seedless watermelon

• 1 tbsp agave nectar OR honey OR maple syrup + more to taste

• 1 tsp lime juice (~1/2 lime) + more to taste

• Ice

Method

1. Pour the hot water over the rose petals and steep 5 minutes (or do a longer infusion for a stronger tea). Cool to room temp and strain.

2. In a high-powered stand up blender combine the watermelon, sweetener, steeped rose tea, lime juice and handful ice. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetener and lime juice according to your personal taste.

3. Serve immediately as-is or over ice with a wedge of fruit on each glass for garnish. Enjoy!

Cantaloupe Cucumber Mint Agua Fresca

Makes — 2 servings ~2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup hot water

• 1 tbsp dried mint tea

• 3/4 cup roughly chopped cantaloupe

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped cucumber

• 1 tbsp agave nectar OR honey OR maple syrup + more to taste

• 1 tsp lime juice (~1/2 lime) + more to taste

• Ice

Method

1. Pour the hot water over the mint tea and steep 5 minutes (or do a longer infusion for a stronger tea). Cool to room temp and strain.

2. In a high-powered stand up blender combine the cantaloupe and cucumber, sweetener, steeped mint tea, lime juice and handful ice. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetener and lime juice according to your personal taste.

3. Serve immediately as-is or over ice with a wedge of fruit on each glass for garnish. Enjoy!

This post is proudly sponsored by Mountain Rose Herbs, purveyor of sustainable Organic ingredients including: single herbs, tea blends, spices, culinary salts and oils, body care, aromatherapy, tinctures, herbal elixirs and home goods. Find my Strawberry Tulsi agua fresca recipe up on their blog here. All words and opinions are my own.