Strawberry-Mint Agua Fresca

azgrabaplate.com
6 - 8 oz glasses
​Ingredients
For the mint simple syrup:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon torn or chopped fresh mint leave

For the aqua fresca:

• 5 cups fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
• Juice from one small lime​

Preparation
For the simple syrup:

• Bring the water and sugar to boil. Stir to help dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, add the mint, cover, and let sit for about 15 minutes.
• Strain the liquid, discard the mint, and set the liquid aside.

For the agua fresca:

• Working in two batches, add half the strawberries and half the water to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
• Strain the mixture into a bowl and use a rubber spatula to help press the mixture through the strainer into the bowl.
• When you’ve collected all the liquid from the strainer, discard the remaining strawberry seeds and pulp.
• Repeat with the second batch of strawberries and water.
• Transfer the mixture to a pitcher. Add 3-4 tablespoons of the simple syrup, half the sugar, and the lime juice to the pitcher. Mix to dissolve the sugar.
• Taste and add more sugar as needed.
• If you’re serving the agua fresca right away, serve over ice. Otherwise, refrigerate your pitcher until chilled.
• Garnish with a sprig of mint or a piece of strawberry.

Notes
Use your favorite sweetener to make this drink. Be sure to start with less, and add more as needed. Also, you can make this without using the simple syrup, but I think it adds great flavor.
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