Mango Pineapple Agua Fresca

If you drink only one fruity beverage this summer, this Mango Pineapple Aqua Fresca should be it. This refreshing beverage is super easy to make and it is something I crave during the hot summer months. Its non-alcoholic so my kids can enjoy it as well. I will tell you, however, that it is tasty as a cocktail with vodka, rum or tequila.

Speaking of cravings, I am sure my friend Courtney of the  blog, Neighborfood, has been having plenty this year as she is due with her first baby soon and this post is part of a virtual baby shower for her. My friend Nancy of Gotta Get Baked organized this fun party for Courtney. Of course an in person baby shower is more fun but since most of us aren’t next door neighbors, a virtual party is the next best thing.  I knew I wanted to make this drink for the virtual  baby shower since it was a fave drink of mine when I was pregnant with my girls. Courtney is one of the nicest bloggers I know and she makes some amazing recipes.

Her gorgeous  Roasted Corn and Zucchini salsa is a perfect summer side dish, her Cobb Salad burgers are genius and I could go for a few of these Chocolate Coffee Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches that she made right about now. I could go on and one. Bookmark her blog for many more awesome recipes, you won’t be disappointed!

I have never really been a big fan of juices because of how sweet they are so I always watered them down or added mineral water to them for a slightly less sweet taste and added fizz. When I first discovered agua fresca years ago at the Fiesta celebration in the town I grew up in I fell in love. Light, fruity and not too sweet. My kind of drink.

Even though I had two girls and the old wives tales say girls make you crave sugar that wasn’t the case for me at all. That’s why drinks like agua fresca were perfect for me back then. And still are today. Even my girls love to drink them.

The flavor combinations are endless and many times its a solitary fruit that makes up the agua fresca, pineapple agua fresca is my fave but adding in mango takes in to a whole new level of deliciousness. Its my favorite as well. I love doing a combo of two or three fruits and some lime juice to add that hint of sour.

Watermelon is another fruit I love using to make agua fresca. I love using strawberries too. Agua fresca is traditionally made with adding in sugar to the drink and since I prefer it to be less sweet I usually wait until the end of making the recipe to add a little sweetener in, if needed. Depending on the sweetness of the fruits I use.

This is my version of the beverage with using a little simple syrup rather than adding in granulated sugar to the mixture.

I always make a big batch of agua fresca to last me a week. I will fill up a big glass or jar and sometimes top with fizzy water if I am feeling fancy that day. I am not a soda drinker at all but I still love a little fizz and when I was pregnant I always added in fizzy water to drinks. Speaking of fizzy drinks, when I was a kid I LOVED New York Seltzer and I found some the other day at World Market.

I heard a while ago that they were making a comeback. Vanilla Cream was my favorite as a kid and the only flavor they had at World Market was lemon lime, but I bought one anyway. I had to. Small glass bottles of sweet fizzy deliciousness. The first sip was total nostalgia for me. Totally brought me back to when my mom and I would go to Pierre La Fond in Santa Barbara, where I grew up (Santa Barbara that is, I didn’t grow up in a store) and we would get a cookie and a New York seltzer and sit outside and people watch for celebrities while we had our snack. It was so yummy.

I found out that the sodas can be ordered online and I think I need to do that. Before they are gone again.

I hope Courtney is surprised with this virtual baby shower. Just wish I could share these agua frescas with her in person. Good thing they are so simple to make that even being towards the end of her pregnancy and probably not feeling up to doing much, I know I wasn’t at the end of my pregnancies, she could still make some of these agua frescas. Being full term pregnant in summer isn’t the most fun. I had two summer babies and they were like little internal space heaters. Cold drinks were a must all day long. Check out these other recipes all my awesome blogger friends made for Courtney:

1. Twix Millionaire Bars from Wallflour Girl
2. Strawberry Cheesecake Bars from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
3. Spicy Tahini Palmiers from Food Lust People Love
4. Cream Soda Peach Floats from Jelly Toast
5. Button Cookies from The Redhead Baker
6. No Churn Peanut Butter Ice Cream A Cookie Named Desire
7. Coconut Peach Slush from Heather’s Dish
8. Mocha Coconut Frappuccino Pie from Melanie Makes
9. Watermelon Lime Mocktail from The Live-In Kitchen
10. Vegan Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread from Namely Marly
11. Mango Pineapple Agua Fresca from Pineapple and Coconut
12. Easy Apple Tart from gotta get baked

Yield: 8-10

Mango Pineapple Agua Fresca

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Mango Pineapple Agua Fresca Makes 2 liters

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, cored and diced - about 4 cups
• 3 large mangoes, peeled, sliced, pit removed, about 3 cups
• 4 cups water
• 2-3 tbsp simple syrup
• 2 Tbsp lime juice

Instructions

1. Place the pineapple and mango in a blender with 2 cups of water and blend well.
2. Strain into a large bowl or pitcher and add the rest of the water. Stir in the lime juice then add simple syrup to desired sweetness. Add more water if a thinner consistency is desired. Chill completely before serving. Keeps well chilled up to a week in the refrigerator. Makes awesome popsicles too.

Often times when I make a batch of agua fresca I will make popsicles out of some of it. Just fill molds and freeze. Easy peasy and just as refreshing and delicious. Pretty sure I have about 10 different flavors of popsicles in my freezer right now. My kids love them as much as I do and we eat about 2-3 a day in summer. Summertime is the best. I would live an endless summer if I could. For endless agua fresca and popsicles.