Cantaloupe Mint Agua Fresca

Healthy and stomach soothing summery treat!

Summer temperatures call for staying hydrated with cooling, thirst-quenching beverages, and one of our favorite ways to enjoy fresh seasonal fruit is as an aqua fresca.

Spanish for “cool” or “fresh” water, aqua fresca is a cross between a flavored water and juice – light, flavorful and totally refreshing. Join us to learn how to create this simple, south-of-the-border beverage using cantaloupe and mint – deliciosa!

And once you have the basic formula down, the sky’s the limit on fruity combinations you can try

Why do I love cantaloupe and mint?

They pair wonderfully together. The cantaloupe brings a natural sweetness (as long as you were able to find one that’s been ripened on the vine) while the mint adds that cool, refreshing note. BTW, I also make a cold cantaloupe and mint soup which is super simple – blend the cubed cantaloupe and a few sprigs of mint in a high powered blender, refrigerate and serve in a bowl topped with toasted pumpkin seeds.

What is really intriguing about mint is its opposing energetics – both cooling and warming.

It contains volatile oils – primarily menthol – that provide that distinct minty flavor and the feeling of cooling while also stimulating both blood and lymphatic circulation helping bring heat from the interior to the surface. This is what makes it great in fevers (The famous “fever trio” is made up of peppermint, yarrow, and elderflower) and, as many of you know, it is commonly used to settle colicky stomachs and eliminate stomach cramping.

Mentha X piperita is so effective in that account that drinking it in excess for extended periods of time can actually decrease peristalsis and slow your bowels down! Fortunately removing peppermint allows them to return to normal.

There is so much more to say about Peppermint, and I do talk about it more in my Herb-A-Month and Fundamentals Program (which we are offering in-person starting October 23!)