Agua Fresca Recipe

Blend. In a blender puree the diced fruit with 2 cups of the water.
Mix. Dilute with remaining water. Add the sweetener to taste. Add a fresh squueze of lime juice.
Serve with crushed ice and a whole strawberry on the rim of the glass.

Make the hibiscus concentrate. Add 4 cups of water and 1 cup of dried hibiscus flowers to a saucepan. Bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Cool. After 10 minutes turn off the heat and allow the hibiscus concentrate to cool. When the mixture is cool strain and reserve the hibiscus tea.
Mix. Put ⅓ of the concentrate in a half-gallon pitcher and add the sugar. Stir vigorously to dissolve the sugar. Fill the pitcher with cool water and serve over ice.

Soak the rice. Rinse the rice a few times. Break up the cinnamon sticks and then place the rice, cinnamon sticks, and 4 cups of water into a bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the cinnamon sticks. Once you're ready to make the horchata, remove most of the cinnamon sticks but it's okay to leave small pieces with the rice.
Blend the rice in two separate batches by adding 1/2 of the rice & water with some of the cinnamon stick left behind. Puree the rice and water until it's very smooth and it forms a paste like texture. About 4 minutes long.
Strain. Using a very fine strainer (or some cheesecloth) pour the blended mixture over a pitcher. Strain out as much liquid as possible, pushing on the solids with a spatula or spoon. Repeat this process for the rest of the rice, water & cinnamon mixture.
Stir in the milks, vanilla (optional), and 4 cups of water. Stir well.Taste and add more sugar or water if needed.
Chill and stir before serving over ice.

Shell the tamirind. Remove the shells from the tamarind pods and the stingy parts.
Boil. Add 4 cups of water to a pot and add the tamarind pods. Bring the water to a boil. Then turn off the heat and add the sugar to the water. Let the pods soak and cool for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Remove. Pull out the hard seeds and any leftover stringy bits from the cooled liquid using your hands.
Blend. Add the chunky mixture to a blender and puree until completely smooth.
Strain. Strain the liquid and then mix in the remainder of the water. Serve in a pitcher.