Fresh guavas from my auntie’s backyard became this pink guava agua fresca with brown sugar, lemon, and plenty of ice. My kind of drink when fall still feels like summer.

Pink guava agua fresca in a wavy glass with ice, a lemon slice, and a glass straw.

It’s officially fall, but San Diego still feels like summer. I’m ready for all the cozy food, but on a warm afternoon, an icy fruit drink still sounds so good.

My auntie gave me fresh guavas from her backyard, so I turned them into guava agua fresca. Just fresh fruit, brown sugar, lemon, water, and ice. That pink color comes straight from the guavas.

If you have more guavas than you can eat, this is a simple way to put them to use. Blend, strain, pour, and adjust it until it tastes the way you like it.

What I used

Ripe pink guavas are the star. Brown sugar adds sweetness, lemon juice gives the drink a little brightness, and water lets you adjust the thickness. Finish with ice and a lemon slice if you want. I kept this batch simple and let the fruit do most of the work.

The step I wouldn’t skip

Strain the blended guava through a fine-mesh sieve. Guavas have lots of hard seeds, and this step makes the finished drink much nicer to sip. Use the back of a spoon to gently press the pulp through, leaving the seeds behind.

BLEND · STRAIN · POUR

How to make fresh guava agua fresca

• About 6 fresh ripe guavas
• 1 cup brown sugar, or adjust to taste
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup water, plus more if desired to thin
• ½ cup ice
• Lemon slice, optional garnish

1. Wash the guavas, trim the ends, and cut them into pieces.
2. Add the guava pieces to a blender with brown sugar, lemon juice, and a splash of water. Blend until smooth, adding enough water for the mixture to move easily.
3. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Press gently with a spoon to extract the pulp and liquid; discard the seeds left in the sieve.
4. Fill a glass with ice and add the strained guava mixture. Add water to reach your preferred consistency, then stir.
5. Taste and adjust the sweetness or lemon. Finish with a lemon slice and enjoy.

Strained pink guava mixture being poured over ice in a clear glass

Make it how you like it

The amount of water makes a difference. Start with enough to help the blender along, then add more after straining until you get a drinkable consistency. Go a little at a time so you can keep the guava flavor. Taste before adding more sugar, too. The fruit is already doing some of the sweetening.

My kind of California fall

There’s room for fall recipes and a cold guava drink in the same week. This one feels especially personal because the fruit came from family. Fresh backyard guavas, a little lemon, and a glass full of ice, exactly what I wanted for a warm San Diego day.

Save this for the next time you get your hands on fresh guava. Do you like yours fresh, in a drink, or another way?