Cucumber Lime Agua Fresca

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber – cut into chunks (peel only if thick-skinned)
• 4 cups water
• 0.25 cup granulated sugar
• 0.125 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 0.5 cup lime – juiced
• ice cubes – for serving
• cucumber – thinly sliced (for serving)
• lime – cut into wedges (for serving)

Instructions

1. Rinse the cucumber and limes. Peel the cucumber only if the skin is thick or waxed, then cut into chunks.
2. Add the cucumber chunks to a blender with 2 cups of the water, the sugar, and the salt. Blend on high until very smooth, 30–45 seconds.
3. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a pitcher and strain the mixture, pressing on the pulp to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids or reserve for another use.
4. Stir in the remaining 2 cups water and the lime juice until the sugar is fully dissolved. Taste and adjust with a bit more sugar or lime to balance sweetness and acidity.
5. Fill glasses with ice. Pour in the agua fresca and garnish with cucumber slices or lime wedges. Serve well chilled.