The Great Strawberry Debate {Agua de Fresa}

The six years that Hubby and I lived together in the United States, we had one recurring argument.

It happened every year during Strawberry season.

As soon as Hubby bit into the first strawberry of the season he would always say, "The strawberries in Mexico are better."

"The strawberries in Mexico are bigger."

"The strawberries in Mexico are sweeter."

He felt the same way about peaches too.

I didn't recall ever eating a strawberry in Mexico, so I had no idea if he was right or not.  But I felt it was my duty as a proud American to defend my country's strawberries.   

"You don't know what you're talking about!  The strawberries in the U.S. are sweet and delicious.  And well, we all know that size doesn't matter."

It was the same exact argument every time we bought strawberries.  It even became a running joke between one of my best friends from high school and me.

The first letter I received from my friend G, she asked me about the strawberries.  It was almost winter, so there were no strawberries in sight.  But I could not wait until Spring to find out once and for all, which strawberries were the best.

Hubby often argued that the strawberries in the U.S. weren't sweet at all and that he needed to sprinkle sugar on top to be able to eat them.

Well, imagine my surprise when I bit into my very first Mexican strawberry.

It wasn't anything like I expected.  I'll give Hubby this, the strawberries were big.  Very big.  But they didn't have the sweet strawberry aroma that I was used to and they weren't sweet at all.

Hubby was the first to bring out the sugar bowl. 

Now, I'm not saying that all of the strawberries in Mexico are awful.  The state of Irapuato is famous for it's strawberries.  I don't need to travel so far to find a good strawberry.  There is a little ranch community not far from where I live that grows organic strawberries.  They're not as big as the first strawberries I tasted, but they are deliciously sweet and smell absolutely delightful. 

No matter where your strawberries are from, they are always delicious in a tall glass of Agua de Fresa. 

Agua de Fresa


  • 1-1/2 pounds strawberries (stems removed)
  • 12 to 15 cups water
  • 1 to 1-1/2 cups sugar (depending on how sweet your strawberries are)

Before you start, rinse the strawberries to remove any dirt.  Remove the stems if you haven't done so already.  Place the strawberries in a blender cup.  Fill the blender cup with enough water to cover strawberries.  Puree until smooth. 

Strain strawberry puree into a 4-quart pitcher.  Add enough water to fill the pitcher.  Sweeten the Agua de Fresa with sugar.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with or without ice.  Garnish the glass with a fresh strawberry.  Enjoy!!!

Yields 4 quarts

Linking up with Gooseberry Patch Strawberry Recipe Round-Up


  1.  Can't wait to try it! I'm going to surprise José with this when he gets home from work tomorrow!

    Perfect timing as always :)

  2. He brought out the sugar. ha ha! But of course, they're always right. :-)

    Love strawberries, they're my favorite fruit and the aroma is one of the best parts. This drinks looks great over ice.  

  3. might be a little off here, and I can say I have only tasted strawberries at Mexican resorts, the outer places I don't remember ever having any, but of the many fine fruits I have tasted in Mexico, strawberries were not at the top of my list...

  4.  I lived in Morelia for awhile and I too found the Mexican strawberries a bit disappointing, but I LOVE aguas frescas! I have tried a few of your other recipes for them and can't wait to try out this one! 

  5. We don't get many strawberries here in Cancun... they come in plastic boxes and never look fresh :( I do love Agua de Fresa, though!

  6. Strawberries in Veracruz city are awful. Ohio strawberries are leaps and bounds better! So is the sweet corn...that is my husband and I's recurring food argument. ;-)

  7.  the strawberries from the tianguis are always super ripe and juicy, and the ones you can find at the store are usually BIG and tasteless. i find myself buying them more from the store, though, because i'm usually not ready to consume 1/2 kg-1 kg of strawberries from the tiaguis all in one day. if i don't eat them that day, they usually go moldy. oh, the dilemma...

  8. I've only lived in the States so I'm biased. My mom made the agua de fresa for me as a kid but I never knew the real name for it. Thank you for bringing back memories!

  9.  Leslie, I love strawberries!  And not all the mexican strawberries are sweet, as you see.  
    What happened to you was your revenge jejeje   


  10. Yummmm! I love strawberries.  I have to say I have not had a Great strawberry yet in Mexico but Id love to drink Agua de Fresa any time. 

  11. That sounds absolutely delicious. I'm wanting to taste it right now. :) Good Luck with your adventures in Mexico. Sounds very fun.

    Mrs. T.
    Acorn Hollow 

  12. dont really care about your personal problems with your hubby about strawberries next time just cut to the damn chase and tell the damn recipe

  13. You are at the wrong place if you just want a recipe. Leslie tells wonderful stories behind all the recipes she posts here. It's what makes her blog special. Sheesh!

  14. Leslie, readers come back for the stories as much as they do the recipes (if not more!) and Liz is right, it's what is loved about you!  I always leave this blog with a smile and learning something new that I hadn't thought about previously.  I love it! ♥

  15. Aww the Troll's comment is gone, I wanted to come and swear a bit. ;)  Ah well, but HEY!  They always have great strawberries in the "Hormigas" these little snack-shop places where they sell fresas con crema and nachos and stuff, they taste home grown.  And Leslie I can't wait to try this recipe for my husband!  Thank You  :)

  16. I live in Ajijic, Mexico and we have lovely strawberries year round. They grow them here to sell in the United States. Also, raspberries and blackberries. And they are dirt cheap. No transportation costs. How lucky are we?