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Agua de Limón con Chía (Limeade With Chia Seeds)

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Agua de limon aguas frescas recipe Iced beverage with chia seeds in a  small glass with a spoon.
Photo by Ed Anderson

When I first moved to the States, I often had major cravings for this beverage. In Mexico, chia seeds are sold in most markets and spice shops, but I couldn’t find them anywhere in the States, and when I tried to explain what they were, people looked at me like I was crazy. Then, late one night when I was watching TV, I saw this thing called the Chia Pet. I had found my seeds!

Chia seeds look like poppy seeds, but when soaked in liquid for a while, they bloom and develop an awesome gummy texture. This limeade is made using the whole lime, which gives it a slight bitterness, but trust me: it’s so good you won’t want to make it any other way.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    About 5 cups

Ingredients

3 large limes, quartered
4 cups water
1/2 cup sugar, or more if needed
1/4 cup chia seeds

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the limes, water, and sugar in a blender and pulse 3 to 4 times, just enough to extract the juice from the limes but not crush the skins (which would make the drink too bitter). Strain through a fi ne-mesh sieve into a pitcher. Taste and add more sugar if you like.

    Step 2

    Whisk in the chia seeds and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until completely chilled. Stir before serving, then serve over ice.

Paletas cookbook cover with photo of colorful popsicles.
From Paletas: Authentic Recipes for Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice & Aguas Frescas by Fany Gerson, copyright ©2011. Photographs copyright © 2011 by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. Order the full book from Amazon.

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