Agua de Xoconostle del Bajio

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Sharp paring knife
• •Small spoon for removing the seed packets
• •High-powered blender
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Clay jarro, glass pitcher, or vitrolero for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Peel the fruit

   Rinse the xoconostles under cool water and dry them. Trim off both ends, make a shallow lengthwise cut through the thick skin, and pull the peel away with your fingers or a small knife. The skin is tougher than tuna roja, and the acidity sits in the flesh, not in the peel. Work over a bowl because the pink juice stains in the honest way cactus fruit stains.

2. 2

   Remove the seeds

   Cut each xoconostle in half and scoop out the seed packet with a spoon. Do not blend the seeds. They are hard and they make the drink gritty. The señoras in the Queretaro markets do this quickly because they have peeled thousands of them. You will be slower. Fine. Do it cleanly.

3. 3

   Dissolve the piloncillo

   Put the chopped piloncillo in a small bowl with 1/2 cup hot water. Stir until dissolved, pressing any stubborn pieces against the bowl. Piloncillo gives the agua a cane-sugar depth that white sugar cannot give. If you use plain sugar, the drink will be sweet, but flatter. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.

4. 4

   Blend the base

   Add the peeled xoconostle flesh to a blender with 3 cups of the cold water, the dissolved piloncillo, lime juice, and salt. Blend on high until the fruit breaks down completely and the liquid turns a cloudy pink. The salt is not there to make it salty. It sharpens the fruit and keeps the drink from tasting thin.

5. 5

   Strain it clean

   Pour the blended mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large clay jarro, glass pitcher, or vitrolero. Press gently with a spoon, but do not force the pulp so hard that fibers pass through. Agua fresca should have body, yes, but not sludge. La cocina no es decoracion, es trabajo.

6. 6

   Dilute and adjust

   Stir in the remaining 5 cups cold water. Taste. Xoconostle should be tart first, sweet second. Add a little more lime if the fruit is dull, or a little more dissolved piloncillo if the fruit is aggressively sour. Do not drown it in sugar. If you wanted candy water, you would not be using xoconostle.

7. 7

   Serve cold

   Serve over ice in clay jarritos or thick glasses. Stir the pitcher before each pour because natural fruit settles. This is a quick drink, but it is not careless. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Look for xoconostles that feel firm and heavy, with taut skin and no fermented smell. Wrinkled fruit can still work for cooked salsa, but for agua fresca you want clean acidity and bright color.
• •Pink-fleshed xoconostle gives the prettiest drink. White-fleshed xoconostle is still correct, but the agua will be paler. The flavor matters more than the photograph.
• •Piloncillo is the right sweetener here. If you cannot find it, use Mexican brown sugar or raw cane sugar, but understand what you are missing: piloncillo brings mineral depth, not just sweetness.
• •Do not blend the seeds. Xoconostle seeds are hard, and a blender turns them into sandy little punishment. Peel, halve, scoop. Asi se hace y punto.
• •If the xoconostles at the market are not good, do not make this agua that day. Mexican grandmothers cook with what the mercado is selling today, not with a fantasy.

Advance Preparation

• •The xoconostles can be peeled and seeded up to one day ahead. Keep the flesh covered in the refrigerator so it does not dry out.
• •The agua can be made up to 6 hours ahead and refrigerated. Stir before serving because the fruit settles naturally.
• •Do not hold it overnight if you want the brightest flavor. By the next day the acidity softens and the color dulls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)