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Cucumber and Lime Agua Fresca

Name: Cucumber and Lime Agua Fresca
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 Limes; 3 Pepinos; 80 g Azucar; 1.5 litres Water; 6 leaves Fresh spearmint; 2 cups Hielo; 1 pinch Salt; 1 pinch Chilli piquin en polvo (opcional)

10 min (10 prep + 0 cook) Easy 6 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 19 Mar 2026 · Updated: 25 Mar 2026

Refreshing cucumber and lime agua fresca with a touch of sugar and spearmint, perfect alongside any Mexican meal.

About this recipe

Cucumber and lime agua fresca is one of the most popular and refreshing Mexican drinks. Made by blending fresh cucumber with water, lime juice and a touch of sugar, it produces a pale green beverage with a mild, citrusy and extraordinarily refreshing flavour. Served ice-cold with plenty of ice and optionally scented with fresh spearmint or mint leaves, it is the perfect companion to any Mexican meal, especially on warm days.

History & Origin

Aguas frescas are a centuries-old Mexican tradition dating back to pre-Hispanic times, when indigenous peoples prepared drinks from fruits, seeds and flowers. Cucumber and lime agua fresca is one of the more modern variants, popularised in fondas and taquerias during the 20th century as a lighter alternative to horchata, hibiscus and tamarind waters. Cucumber had been cultivated in Mexico since colonial times, brought by the Spanish from Asia. The combination with Mexican lime was a natural pairing, as lime is omnipresent in Mexican cooking. In the large glass jars or vitroleros of Mexican eateries, aguas frescas are displayed like colourful jewels: the red of hibiscus, the white of horchata and the pale green of cucumber and lime. This tradition of offering homemade aguas frescas with meals is a hallmark of Mexican gastronomy that contrasts with bottled soft drink culture, representing a healthier and more artisanal option.

Estimated cost

£3.05

Total cost

£0.51

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

Calories

0.5g

Protein

11g

Carbohydrates

0.1g

Fat

0.5g

Fibre

5mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Peel the pepinos and cortalos into large pieces, retirando the seeds si son very grandes.
💡 Leave a little skin for a colour green mas intenso.
2
Place the pepinos in the blender with half litro of water and licua until you get a mixture homogenea.
3
Strain the mixture with a fine sieve on a jarra large, pressing for extraer all the liquido.
💡 If te gusta with mas texture, you can not colar.
4
Anade the rest of the water, the juice of the limes and the azucar. Mix well until disolver.
5
Taste and adjust the sweetness and the acidez a tu gusto. Anade a pinch of salt for realzar the flavours.
6
Serve well chilled with plenty of ice and decora with leaves of spearmint and a rodaja of pepino.
💡 Para a version picante, espolvorea chilli piquin in polvo in the borde of the vaso.