Cucumber Water is an easy-infused water recipe for a cool, delicious drink. It uses fresh cucumbers and optional mint leaves for extra flavor.
Creamy Orange Julius and Iced Sea Salt Coffee are some of my favorite indulgent Summer Drinks. When you want a healthy alternative to sugary drinks, this refreshing Cucumber Water hits the spot!
Sabrina’s Cucumber Water
This delicious, healthy drink recipe is perfect for summer days when you want something more hydrating and tasty than plain water. It has more health benefits than fresh juice and gives you a little natural boost of energy that won’t leave you jittery like caffeinated drinks. Refreshing Cucumber Water isn’t just a weight loss or spa drink; it tastes amazing, too! Add sparkling water or club soda to your fresh cucumber-infused water, and you won’t miss sugary soda.
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber , washed well
- 8 cups water
- 4 cups ice
- 1/2 cup fresh mint , optional
Instructions
- Trim the edges off the cucumber and slice thinly.
- Reserve ⅓ for garnish.
- Add ⅓ of the cucumber slices to a large pitcher, then smash gently.
- Add in the water and the remaining ⅓ of cucumber slices.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Serve in cups with ice and remaining cucumber slices inside and as a garnish.
Alternate:
- Cucumber Mint Water
- Muddle half the mint in with the first cucumbers.
- Serve remaining mint in cups with the ice.
Nutrition
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Table of contents
Ingredients
- Cucumber: While you can certainly use just about any cucumber, the best variety for delicious detox water is your everyday, basic garden veggie! That’s right, a simple regular cucumber will make the most refreshing drink. The key is to slice it very thin so you don’t have to peel the skin first.
- Chilled Water: Even though you’re adding ice, you want to start with relatively chilled water. The cold water will keep the extra cucumber slices you add to the pitcher nice and crisp. Plus, starting with colder water means you can start enjoying this healthy drink recipe sooner.
- Ice Cubes: For the best-tasting drink, make your own ice cubes with bottled water. Of course, you can always use the ice from the freezer, but this ensures it’s fresh water with no freezer smells. Plus, you can get ice cube trays with different shapes to make this look fun, too!
- Mint Leaves: Fresh mint leaves are optional, they add a cool minty taste. The herb also enhances the health benefits of cucumber water, making it a great detox drink and providing natural energy. It could even replace your favorite coffee drinks!
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Water Pitcher: You don’t need a special infusion pitcher; a regular water pitcher will work. You want it big enough to fill your pitcher with water, ice, and the extra slices with room to stir the mixture. It should also fit in your fridge to keep the cucumber water cool.
- Wooden Spoon: You’ll need a big wooden spoon long enough to easily blend slices of cucumber and mint, if using, in the bottom of your pitcher. Blending slices in the pitcher is better, so you don’t miss any delicious cucumber taste.
How to Make
Time needed: 2 hours
- Prep
Clean an unpeeled cucumber very well, scrubbing the skin gently. Trim off the edges. Slice the cucumber thinly, about ⅛ inch slices. Divide into 3 even batches of slices. Reserve 1 batch of slices for the garnish.
- Extract the Juices
Place one batch of slices in the bottom of your pitcher, and using a wooden spoon, gently mash the slices. Pour the chilled water into the pitcher, and add the remaining slices to the water.
- Chill and Serve
Chill the water in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Serve the cucumber-infused drink with the ice cubes and extra slices of cucumber as a garnish. If you want to chill it faster, use an extra large pitcher and add ice directly to the water.
- Cucumber Mint Water
Add half the mint to the muddling cucumber slices and mash gently. Fill the pitcher as usual and serve with a sprig of mint along with the extra cucumber slices.
How to Store
- Store: You want to keep your cucumber water chilled and covered as much as possible, but it can be kept at room temperature for about 2 hours. Cover the pitcher with the lid or plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze this infused water for a refreshing frozen treat or thaw it later. Pour into ice cube trays, allow to freeze, and then transfer to a freezer-safe
bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutritional Facts
Tips & Tricks
- Keeping the cucumbers crisp
- The colder your water is, the longer your cucumbers will stay fresh and crisp. However, they will start to soften after a day or two so you can always swap them out with fresh slices if you want.
- Making a good flavored drink
- The key to getting a good flavor to your cucumber water is to add those cucumber slices in the beginning and mash them up so they release their natural fruit juices. Just adding slices to the water will make a much more subtle flavor.
Pairing Ideas
- Snacks: Serve healthy snacks like Trail Mix or Fruit and Almond Bites with this Cucumber Water for a delicious, energy-boosting afternoon snack full of energy and nutrients.
- Light Lunch: For a spa-worthy light lunch, serve your infused water with finger sandwiches and a nice Greek Salad. Turn any sandwich, like Egg Salad Sandwiches, into a tea sandwich by making it on white bread, then cutting the crusts off and cutting it into small squares or triangles.
Ideas to Serve
- Popsicle: Turn your delicious cucumber-infused drink into a healthy popsicle! You can pick up popsicle-making kits at most retail stores. You can also use little freezer-safe cups with a popsicle stick propped up in the cup.
- Ice Cubes: Pick up some fun ice cube trays at the dollar store or craft store to make a prettier presentation. Some flower ice cubes would be fun for the spring, or try some beach-themed cubes in the summer.
Frequent Questions
As long as you muddle the slices first, the maximum amount of flavor will soak into the water, which takes about 2 hours. That lets out the juices, so you don’t have to infuse the water overnight.
Pretty much any type of cucumber for eating will work for cucumber water. Try mini cucumbers, English cucumbers, or your regular cucumber. Don’t use pickling cucumbers because their skin is super bitter, and the flesh isn’t flavorful.
Variations
- Citrus: Combine lemon water and cucumber water for a refreshing summery Cucumber Lemon Water. Add 1-2 lemons worth of lemon slices, muddling ⅓ of the lemon slices with the cucumber slices, then using the rest of the whole slices to infuse the water.
- Herbs: Using other fragrant fresh herbs, like basil or lemongrass, instead of the mint leaves is an easy, tasty, and subtle flavor change to your batch of cucumber water.
- Berries: To add even more flavor, mash some fresh berries in with the cucumber. Blackberries and raspberries would be especially good with mint and cucumber.
