Nitrate & Nitrite Free Blueberry Lemon Agua Fresca
Fresh blueberries, bright lemon juice, and a touch of maple syrup are all it takes to make this stunning, deeply purple drink that tastes like summer in a glass. Processed beverages and flavored drinks can be sneaky sources of preservatives, but every ingredient here is whole and recognizable — nothing cured, nothing canned, nothing artificially extended. The blending and straining method pulls all that gorgeous color and flavor from the berries while leaving the pulp behind, giving you a silky-smooth drink with zero additives. A pinch of fine salt might sound unexpected, but it rounds out the sweetness and makes the blueberry flavor pop in the best way. You can dial the maple syrup and lemon juice up or down at the end to hit exactly the balance you're after, which makes this endlessly adaptable. Poured over ice with a few lemon slices, it looks like something you'd pay too much for at a café — except you made it in about five minutes at home.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 3 cups cold water
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp fine salt
For serving
- ice, for serving
- lemon slices, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the blueberries, cold water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and salt in a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 30–45 seconds.
- 2
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher. Pour the blended mixture through the strainer, pressing gently on the solids with the back of a spoon until only dry pulp and skins remain. Discard the solids.
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