Strawberry Agua Fresca

It has been hotter than hell lately. You would not expect that from the great white north, right? Well, it has been humid and pretty darn hot, almost to the point where you want to surrender to the heat and stay indoors. But come on, I live in Wisconsin, and for the most part, we are trapped indoors during the winter months, and we beg for this type of warm weather! So I found that a cool and refreshing drink can make all of the difference in the world when it comes to dealing with the heat, and this is why I bring to you the strawberry agua fresca.

Agua frescas are basically fruit flavored water refreshments that can range from pretty much any fruit you put your mind to, but as my daughter has been on a strawberry and raspberry rampage lately, I decided to give her something different and expose the strawberry in a different light. This drink, in its purist form, is simply fruit and water, with a bit of sugar, and let me tell you, it makes the heat go away. Lets get started on this wonderful and refreshing drink.

Ingredients:

• 2 pints of strawberries, hulled
• 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar (taste how sweet or sour your strawberry is)
• 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves
• 8 cups of water
• Ice

Begin by macerating your strawberries. Add them to a bowl, add the sugar, mix, and let them go for at least two hours. You will notice that they begin to release their liquid and turn into something wonderful.

Next, add the bowl of macerated strawberries to a blender, add in the mint and water, and give it a good blend, almost into a puree.

Now you need to strain the mixture. If you have a fine wire strainer, use it and place over a bowl.

Slowly pour in the mixture and with a wooden spoon or other utensil, begin slowly moving it around, separating the pulp from the water.This will take a few minutes to do.

Once you have strained everything, you are left with a very refreshing strawberry water. Pour this into a pitcher, and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to let it get nice and cold. Otherwise, if you do not have time for that, fill up your glass with ice, pour the strawberry agua fresca inside, and head outside.

Enjoy that sun. Enjoy that heat, and better yet, enjoy that strawberry agua fresca. There is nothing like it, so enjoy every moment of it!