Cucumber Zucchini Agua Fresca Recipes

CUCUMBER LIME AGUA FRESCA

Steps:

• Peel the cucumbers and remove the seeds using a spoon. Chop cucumbers into chunks and place into the blender. Gather all the ingredients to prepare the agua fresca.
• Add the 2/3 cups of sugar, ½ cup of lime juice, and three cups of the water into the blender. Process for a couple of minutes, until everything has been processed into a smooth mixture.
• Now, using a strainer, pour the mixture into a large-sized pitcher. In this case, I'm using my Rubbermaid pitcher. Press down on the strainer with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Afterwards, discard those residues.
• Add the remaining 3 cups of water and 2 cups of ice cubes, then stir and refrigerate for an hour. To serve, place some slices of lime or cucumber in the glasses and garnish with a few mint leaves. Enjoy!

CUCUMBER ZUCCHINI AGUA FRESCA RECIPE:

Steps:

• Make Simple Syrup (see recipe below).
• In a blender or juicer, place equal parts cubed cucumber and zucchini. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon (be sure to remove the seeds), and 2 to 3 cups of water. Use only enough water in the blender to liquefy the vegetables.
• Strain the cucumber/zucchini liquid through a fine sieve or strainer into your pitcher. Save the cucumber/zucchini pulp and add a little sweetener to maker a wonderful treat that has an applesauce consistency! So good.
• Add the remaining water to your pitcher with the strained liquid and mix well. Add the granulated sugar, simple syrup, or sugar substitution of your choice. Also add additional water if needed.
• Chill in the refrigerator for several hours before serving. Serve over ice.
• What is Simple Syrup? It is just sugar and water boiled together. This liquid substance has all the same sweetness of granulated sugar. It is the secret ingredient to the best cold homemade beverages, cocktails, and other drink recipes. It is so much easier to swirl in a prepared translucent liquid than it is to add sugar directly, because the granules do not need to dissolve. Ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part sugar.
• To learn more about Simple Syrup, check out Simple Syrup - How To Make Simple Syrup.
• In a high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cold water and sugar to a boil. Turn the heat to low and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture is clear, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Remember - the longer you boil it, the thicker the syrup will be when cooled.
• To test if the sugar is completely dissolved: Using spoon, scoop up a small amount of the syrup. You should not be able to see any sugars crystals in the liquid. If you do, boil a little longer.
• Remove from heat and let cool before using. This syrup mixture will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.