Agua de Toronja y Jamaica

Agua de Toronja y Jamaica

I love aguas, in every shade of the season.  The vibrant colors make me smile, they taste of sweet memories and with each sip I am transported to my youth.

A slightly sour agua reminds me of my summers spent with Abuelita Cuca in Brownsville, Texas. She always served agua de Limón with our meals.   Just enough sour sweetness to wash away the summer heat.

Agua de sandia reminds me of weekends spent strolling the Centro in Matamoros.  Little shops lined the street and at every turn there was something new to see, buy or eat.  My older sister just had to have an elote, me a tall glass of agua de sandia.

~Have you tried Ruby Reds from Texas? I’ve teamed up with TexaSweet for a Grapefruit celebration, 3 days of sweet recipes and 1 BIG Giveaway! 3 lucky winners will get a box of Tx Grapefruits shipped directly to them! How fun! Giveaway on Friday!

Agua de toronja well that takes me right back to Edinburg, Texas where I lived for two years while mi carino completed his masters degree.   Toronjas (grapefruit) were sold in enormous bags, up to 18lbs at time in the local flea markets, small fruterias or along the main road.

We ate grapefruit by the ton in those two years.  During the week we enjoyed a fresh agua with nopales or naranjas.  On the weekends fresh grapefruit rolls smeared with cinnamon or stacks of pancakes with syrup grapefruit sections.  During the Lenten season we drank large pitchers of agua de toronja y jamaica with fiery grilled shrimp. This sweetened sour cooler paired perfectly with the overload of chiles on the shrimp.  We would sit at the dinner table, pitcher after pitcher washing the busy week away.

Mi carino says I am obsessed with aguas.   I am.

I love aguas, in every shade of the season.   The vibrant colors make me smile, they taste of sweet memories and with each sip I am transported to my youth.

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Agua de Toronja y Jamaica

Author: Vianney Rodriguez

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried Jamaica hibiscus flowers
• 6 cups of water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 ½ cup fresh grapefruit juice
• Juice of 1 lime
• Sugar or agave

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan add 4 cups of water, cinnamon stick and dried Jamaica.
2. Bring to a boil; remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Strain, add to a large pitcher with remaining 2 cups water, grapefruit juice and lime juice.
4. Sweeten to taste with sugar.
5. Serve chilled.