Summer is the best time of the year to enjoy Agua de Piña, or Pineapple Agua Fresca. It’s deliciously sweet and easy to make at home!
We have a wonderfully large hispanic market just fifteen minutes from our home. I don’t go over there too often – but they carry some pretty random items that I can’t find in a regular grocer.
Like banana leaves.
And hoja santa.
I love using hoja santa to make an infusion for homemade cold process soaps, and banana leaves – well, they are pretty amazing to have on hand for making chicken or even tamales.
My kids love going to the hispanic market because they have aguas frescas – a beverage consisting of water and sugar with fruits, grains, or seeds added for flavoring.
But what Is Agua de Piña (also known as Pineapple Agua Fresca)?
Fresh fruit, infused water. So delicious.
You can get pineapple, melon and even strawberry water, in addition to horchata. My kids love any and all and will fight over who gets to hold the drink, how many “sucks” they get from the straw and it’s pure madness.
They will even time each other to make sure that one child doesn’t get a second more than the other. The only problem though is that these aguas frescas are pretty expensive.
Going to the market to get these fun drinks is definitely a blast, but not practical to do day to day. Making them at home is not only easy, it’s a money-saver! This Agua de Piña (pineapple water) is very simple to make and requires just a few minutes.
But first, you must select a pineapple.
How to Choose a Perfectly Ripe Pineapple
If you are picking up a pineapple at the store, you’ll want to try to pick up one that is perfectly ripe. But how? Believe it or not, there is a trick to that… so remember this!
The color on the skin of the pineapple is not an accurate reflection of ripeness.
Some pineapples have golden skin, others have green skin. To find out if the pineapple is ripe or not, you’ll want to gently pluck the leaves from the center of the top of the pineapple.
- If the leaves come out easily, the pineapple is ripe.
- If the leaves fall out without you so much as touching them, then it is overripe.
- If you have to literally tug and tug to get the leaves out, then the pineapple isn’t ripe at all.
You’ll also want to flip the pineapple over on the bottom to make sure that it is not moldy (look on the stem).
Once you have a pineapple, your Agua de Piña will be simple. A few chops, a quick blend, and you have a drink that you will want to enjoy all the time.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and diced
- 6-8 C. water
- 1/2 C. organic cane sugar
Instructions
- In a blender, combine half of the diced pineapple and half of the water. Blend well, then strain.
- Place the remaining pineapple and water in the blender, and blend well again.
- Push through a strainer, making sure to press as much of the pulp in the strainer to get the liquid out.
- Add your sugar, and stir well until combined, adding more or less based on your personal preference.
- I always give it a quick stir before I pour into glasses, just to make sure there is an even distribution of any remaining pineapple pulp that may have slipped through.
- Serve over ice.
[…] You have mint sugar! You can sprinkle it freely on your favorite summer fruit, stir in to your favorite beverage or enjoy it as an addition to your glass-rimmed cocktail drink this […]