Introduction: Agua Fresca De Naranja Y Frambuesa Negra (Orange and Black Raspberry Agua Fresca)

An agua fresca is a refreshing cool drink that is common in latin america.  It is typically created by blending fruits and water.  This instructable will show you how to make my favorite agua fresca which is one that combines oranges and black raspberries.   Any fruit may be substituted for the ones I use.  

The basic recipe is as follows:
4 cups water
2 cups fruit
1/4 cup sugar
Juice of one lime half

Basic Recipe Source
http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/bebidasdrinks/r/aguafresca.htm

Step 1: Preparation

First you will need some supplies.

Ingredients:
About 2-3 oranges enough to yield 1 1/2 cups fruit
A package of black raspberries to make a 1/2 cup fruit
one lime
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups water

Misc. Appliances etc.:
A blender
A pitcher that is larger than a quart
A sieve or fine strainer to filter the pulp and seeds out
A pan to create a sugar and water mixture

Optional Supplies:
Ice pop molds, one can make popsicles from agua frescas as seen on the intro page.   Be sure to add extra sugar because cold items tend to taste less sweet than if they are warm.

Step 2: Cutting the Oranges

When I prep my oranges I  first quarter them, then extract the seeds, remove the rinds, and then cut them again to create eighths.  Smaller pieces blend better.  I remove the seeds because unlike the black raspberry which eaten normally, the orange seed although edible is bitter.   The rind too is edible, but I do not like its taste.   For your fruits you may want to consider removing the seeds too.   A peach pit is said to contain trace amounts of cyanide.  It could poison you and worse it may break your blender.

After you have the oranges cut up you will want to check to see if they are about the 1 1/2 cups necessary for the recipe.  It was about 3/4 for me.  I actually had a slice or two left over.  I ate them.  

Next, I put them into the blender with the raspberries.

Step 3: Fruit in a Blender

Place the fruits in the blender.  It should be about 2 cups or so.  A little more or a little less should not affect the taste much.   You may add 3 cups of water to the blender right now if you so wish.   The 4th cup first will need to visit the pan to meet with sugar to make a quick solution.

Step 4: Making a Sugar Solution

Dissolving the sugar is a trick I picked up when learning to make lemonade and iced tea.   A more consistent flavor is achieved when the sugar and water are premixed because there are no sugar crystals lying around.

I dissolve the sugar by pouring it into the pan with the cup of water, turning the heat on medium, and then stirring it.   This solution, is then left to cool a bit before adding it into the blender.

After it cools some, add it to the fruit/water mixture.   Now it is time to blend.

Step 5: Blending the Ingredients

Cover the top of your blender with its designated cover and puree until an almost liquid state is reached.  If you put the spoon in from the prior step then you should find there is little to no orange pulp left.

Step 6: Straining

In order to complete the drink, the liquid needs to be separated from the remains as best as possible.  To do this I position a fine metal strainer over my pitcher and then pour the liquid on top.  The strainer fills up as the pulp fills up the hole.  I like to use a spoon to scrape the bottom.  This speeds up the straining process.

The liquid that remains at the bottom is your almost agua fresca, now squeeze your lime half and give it a quick stir.   You have now made an orange and black raspberry agua fresca:)

Step 7: Buen Provecho!

Pour yourself a glass and enjoy.  Ice is optional.  The total yield is a bit more than a quart so feel free to double up if your blender can handle it.  An agua fresca keeps for a day or two.  It is after all a raw drink.  Any leftover can be frozen to make ice pops.  I decided to make ice pops right away.   I decided to make ice pops with my agua fresca.  Just pour the agua fresca into the mold as normal.

Some other combinations to try.

1 cup peaches, 1 cup blackberries.  Blackberries tend to be sweet, so reduce the amount of sugar to the basic 1/4 cup amount
1 cup mango, 1 cup pineapple.  Sugar should be done to your liking, I liked it with only the 1/4 cup

Strawberry and kiwi.  I am waiting to get kiwis, but it should prove tasty.