Cantaloupe, Ginger, & Chamomile Sparkling Agua Fresca
yields 1 generous quart
For the chamomile-ginger syrup:
1/4 cup turbinado
1/4 cup water
1 TBSP dried chamomile flowers
2 oz ginger root, sliced
For the fruit puree:
22 oz fresh, ripe cantaloupe, about half of one small-ish melon
1/4 cup lime juice
small piece peeled ginger root, 1 inch long and 1/4 inch wide (see Note)
To serve:
20 oz thoroughly chilled club soda
Begin by making the syrup. Combine turbinado and water in a small pot. Heat over medium heat, and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in chamomile and sliced ginger. Cover pot with a clean kitchen towel and let syrup steep one hour.
Meanwhile, cut the rind away from the cantaloupe flesh and discard. Cut melon into one-inch cubes and add to a large mason jar—you should get two cups. To the jar add lime juice and peeled ginger. Blend thoroughly with an immersion blender (see Note). You should now have a total of 1 1/2 cups puree (if you don't, you may need to add more or less club soda before serving). Chill.
When the syrup is ready, strain and discard solids.
Add cantaloupe puree to serving pitcher along with syrup. Stir well. Add club soda, stir again, and pour over ice. As the agua sits, the pulp will settle. Stir again before pouring if not serving all at once.
Note: immersion blenders with notches for liquid flow will tend to trap any ginger hairs, allowing you to puree the ginger piece without prep (other than peeling). If your immersion blender doesn't have notches that trap these hairs, or if you use a different blending apparatus, you may prefer to finely grate the ginger with a microplane zester before adding it to the cantaloupe and pureeing to avoid hairs in the finished product.