Homemade cucumber water

I remember when I first discovered coconut water on the shelves of our supermarket. I loved its taste and low calorie value and it quickly became my favorite drink of that summer. Even when exploring its properties on the internet, all I could come accross were all these amazing health benefits that it had. And I drank it. Because it was delicious and refreshing. I knew that coconut water was not the most local, but these were were times when I was yet to be informed about the carbon footprint. About a year later I decided to change my way of life and devote less money to foods that are not basic. Together with my decision that I will enjoy more local and seasonal foods, coconut water did not make the list and was scratched off my menu. This (not particularly difficult) decision was also empowered by the fact that my love for coconut water costed me a couple of euros per week.

When I stumbled across an article that exposed the negative impacts that growing and transporting ever-increasing quantities of coconut products had on the nature in Southeast Asia (which is where most of coconut found in Europe comes from), I decided to completely quit coconut water. It’s worth mentioning that I’m still buying coconut flour (for homemade coconut milk etc.), but I try to be moderate in amounts and I am looking for alternatives in this field as well.

But it wasn’t all bad. I don’t want it to sound like I’ve stoically given up my beloved summer refreshment for the sake of environment because I’ve already found an alternative. It’s even more extravagant, both in terms of apperance and popularity. And it’s advantages? It’s refreshing, local, health and easy to make at home!

homemade cucumber water recipe
Homemade cucumber water is an excellent alternative to store-brought isotonic beverages.

I’m talking about cucumber water. As the name suggests, it’s water that is squeezed out of cucumbers. Cucumber water is an excellent, local and healthy alternative to coconut water and other commercial isotonic beverages.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CUCUMBER WATER

Cucumber water contains a lot of antioxidants that bind free radicals and make sure they don’t damage our cells. As well as whole, plain salad cucumbers (you can read more about them here) cucumber water also contains important vitamins and minerals. It also helps to remove excess water from the body and improves skin health. Does all this remind you of anything? Pssst, it has very similar properties to coconut water. 😉 In addition to the already known hydration and cooling effect of cucumber water, scientists are also studying the effect of substances found in cucumbers that might help to prevent certain types of cancer. You can read more about this here.

Well, to cut the story short, here comes the recipe on how you can make your own glass (or bottle, I’m not judging) of cucumber water, which will refresh, revitalize and beautify you. 😉

homemade cucmber water recipe how to make
All it takes to make homemade cucumber water is one cucumber (I’m using two because both of them happen to be ripe).

Ingredients

  • One (not overly-ripe) cucumber

Instructions

homemade cucmber water recipe peeled cucmber
Peel the cucumber and don’t remove the seeds.

Peel and slice the cucumber in to smaller pieces and blend it with a stick blender. There is no need to remove the cucumber seeds because they get blended pretty easily.

cucumber water how to make recipe
Strain the blended cucumber.

Strain the blended mixture. If you don’t mind a little bit of the sediment you can go ahead and use a fine metal strainer. If you would like to strain the pure liquid you will need to use a cheesecloth or a similar textile strainer.

Keep the rest of the cucmber that you are left with after the straining. Mix it with a little bit of garlic, mint and yoghurt and you have yourself a wonderful tzatziki sauce!

Serve the cucmber water cooled or at the room temperature. It will keep in the fridge for up to two days but I would recommend to drink it fresh. It’s also a great conversation starter when you’re hosting guests who will be blown away by it’s color and taste.

 

cucmber water dog lagotto romagnolo
While I photographed my glass of cucumber water, Deedee was busy photo-bombing in the background.
lagotto romagnolo dog italian water dog hund
Uhhh c’mon, lets finish this I want to play fetch!

Homemade cucumber water

Ingredients

  • One not overly-ripe cucumber

Instructions

  1. Peel and slice the cucumber in to smaller pieces and blend it with a stick blender. There is no need to remove the cucumber seeds because they get blended pretty easily.
  2. Strain the blended mixture. If you don't mind a little bit of the sediment you can go ahead and use a fine metal strainer. If you would like to strain the pure liquid you will need to use a cheesecloth or a similar textile strainer.
  3. Keep the rest of the cucmber that you are left with after the straining. Mix it with a little bit of garlic, mint and yoghurt and you have yourself a wonderful tzatziki sauce!

Recipe Notes

Serve the cucmber water cooled or at the room temperature. It will keep in the fridge for up to two days but I would recommend to drink it fresh. It's also a great conversation starter when you're hosting guests who will be blown away by it's color and taste.

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