The summer is almost over! Enjoy your final steamy days cooling down with a refreshing watermelon agua fresca. This recipe uses real fruit (of course!), and you can adjust the sweetness according to your preference. When you head to the store or farmers’ market for your watermelon, make sure to do your part to conserve biodiversity by choosing organic.

The Science

 One study looked at the presence of spiders in conventional and organic watermelon fields in Brazil. Researchers surveyed the fields twice for spiders during the watermelon-growing season using a variety of traps. The study concluded that conventional watermelon fields hosted significantly less spider diversity than either the organic fields or the natural area. While many of us find spiders terrifying, they are an important part of the food chain and a hunter of other insects including agricultural pests.

Photo credit: LA Foodie

Ingredients

• 8 cups of fresh, ripe, organic watermelon, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 2 cups of water
• 1 Tbsp. fresh organic lime juice
• 3 Tbsp. organic sugar

Directions

Combine watermelon, lime juice and sugar in a blender. Blend at high speed until the mixture is smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a pitcher. Add the water and stir. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Serve over ice.

Banner Photo Credit:  Doris Morgan; unsplash.com