Name: Prickly Pear Aqua Fresca
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 Prickly pear fruit; 3 cup water; 1 tsp lime juice; 1 tsp Nectevia (Stevia Infused Agave Nectar*); If you want you can add agave nectar or maple syrup or honey

Pin146

Flip

Buffer3

Yum22

171 Shares

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

Prickly pear aqua fresca is naturally colorful with burst flavors and excellent thirst quencher on it own with touch of lime.

Today I am coming with a delicious and refreshing Prickly Pear Aqua Fresca. Prickly pear is a seasonal fruit, so you need to grab it during the season (summer months).

I am greatly confident that if you try this nature treat, you are going to love it. Prickly Pear Aqua Fresca is a traditional thirst quencher you can find in Mexican cuisine.

Prickly pears

The fruit of the cactus is a fleshy berry, ovoid or spherical. It measures four to twelve centimeters in length, although it is sometimes longer.

Sometime the color of out covering and the pulp have different colors that do not always coincide, that is we can find prickly pears with the peel and pulp of different colors.

These combinations vary in different species. Color of Prickly pears(tunas) varies from light green, greenish white, lemon yellow, orange, red, purple, and cherry tones.

There are lot of seeds in this fruit compared to single seeded fruit like peach, mango etc. They are shaped like flattened lentils. Its pulp is juicy with a large amount of sugars.

Prickly pears are rich in calcium ; it also has potassium and phosphorus.

Other vitamins and minerals that the prickly pear contains are protein, carbohydrates, ash, calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and ascorbic acid.

Here are few prickly pear recipes you can try

What is difference between Aqua fresca and fruit-based Lemonade?

Agua fresca is a light fruit drink popular throughout Mexico. It is simply made by blending fruit with water, a bit of sugar and a little lime juice.

However, fruit-based lemonade contains fruit juice, water and sugar and lemon juice.

However, amount of sugar in lemonade will be more than the aqua fresca. Sometimes simple syrup is used.

Agua frescas ( In Spanish “cool waters”, or literally “fresh waters”) are light non-alcoholic beverages made from one or more fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water. They are popular in Mexico, Central America, and parts of the United States such as the Southwest.

Agua Fresca can be served immediately over ice or can be chilled in the refrigerator up to 72 hours.

If you are making it ahead, then make sure to give it a good stir or shake before serving as sometimes there will be separation.

If you like aqua fresca here is few other recipes of aqua fresca you can try at home.

Strawberry rose aqua fresca

Hibiscus aqua fresca

Mango aqua fresca

Watermelon Habanero aqua fresca

How to make Prickly Pear Aqua Fresca?

For making Prickly pear aqua fresca, first make a cut in fruit and carefully remove the skin with spines, you can add them in high speed blender along with 1 cup water and process it 1-3 times, then strain the seeds and spines out.

Then mix in with more water and sweetener of your choice. I used Nectivia you can use honey or agave, or maple syrup will be fine. If you want to make it traditional add little bit lime juice may be 1 tsp. enjoy with more ice cubes.

If you tried this recipe please tag me @nidhinikhil on Instagram or Zestysouthindiankitchen in facebook

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes