Agua de Melón Verde (Honeydew Elixir) - Amazing!

The sweet, juicy flesh of a honeydew melon is one of summer's supreme pleasures.  I recently found some beautiful ripe ones on sale.  I'm not talking about those hard tasteless green chunks that you often get in fruit salad--a lot of people think they don't like honeydew because of those.  The greenish-white flesh of a perfectly ripe honeydew is ambrosial (it's the sweetest of melons).  To select the ripest honeydew look for one with a waxy surface and the yellowest tint to the skin, then press on the blossom end to feel if it "gives" a little.  Once you cut it open the the flesh will be very soft and light green (almost white in some places)...not dark green and hard.  When you get a ripe one there is nothing sweeter and juicier.

I have been making and enjoying many of the Mexican "aguas" including Agua de Sandía (watermelon), Agua de Melón (cantaloupe), and Horchata (rice).  However, my favorite "agua" so far is made from ripe Honeydew seeds, membrane, and rind.  Technically this is also called "Agua de Melón" because in spanish all members of the melon family are simply called "melón", but honeydew is sometimes called "melón verde" (green melon).

These drinks make use of parts of the fruit that most people throw away, but which are delicious and good for you.  Not only do you avoid wasting perfectly nutritious food (remember your grandma's adage "waste not want not"?) but you end up with a delicious lightly sweetened drink that is refreshing and is a perfect addition to most meals.  In the case of Agua de Melón Verde, which is made with the seeds, pulp, and skin of honeydew you also get some really wonderful health benefits.  Honeydew is a cultivar group of the muskmelon, which includes crenshaw, casaba, Persian, winter, and other mixed melons.  Muskmelons originated in Persia (Iran) but the Honeydew cultivar came from southern France.

Health Benefits of Honeydew

Honeydew is an important source of the following nutrients:

• Vitamin C - plays an important role in the growth and repair of tissues, helps in forming collagen (protein needed for making skin tissues, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels), is an anti-oxidant that blocks the action of free radicals which lead to early aging.
• Potassium - an electrolyte that conducts electricity within the body together with sodium, calcium and magnesium and plays a very important role in muscle and heart contraction and is also essential for a healthy gastrointestinal tract.
• Copper - Honeydew is a good fruit source of copper which is a trace mineral that is essential for skin cell regeneration.  
• B Vitamins - In addition to supplying potassium, vitamin C and copper, honeydew is also a good source of several B vitamins, including thiamine and niacin. B vitamins help your body get rid of toxins that can cause illness and disease. B vitamins may also reduce your risk of heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Here is how to make Agua de Melón Verde:

• 1 Honeydew's seeds, pulp, and and rind (slice up the melon part and serve it on a fruit plate)
• 3 quarts Water - cold ice water is best
• 1 1/4 cup Sugar - or equivalent amounts of your favorite sweetener 
• 3 Limes and/or Lemons juiced

Wash the outside of the honeydew well.  Cut the honeydew in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp from the core.  Cut it in wedges and cut off the peels.  Carefully slice away the outer skin of the peels and put the remaining rind along with the seeds and pulp into a heavy duty blender (could use a food processor)  add just enough of the water to cover the fruit and blend it well.  Pour the blended puree through a strainer to separate the liquid from the ground up pulp and seeds (simply discard these).  Pour the liquid into a gallon-sized jug and stir in the sugar and the lime/lemon juice.  Add the rest of the ice water and stir.  Serve chilled with lime wedges or sprigs of mint.

Break out the spicy foods or just drink it to refresh yourself on a hot day.