Colombian Cucumber Lemonade with Mint

Name: Cucumber Lemonade with Mint
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 glass ice cubes (about a cup); Juice of 4 lemons; 4 slices lemon (to serve); 4 mint leaves (to serve, or blended in for more flavour); 1 cucumber (peeled or not: the peel adds colour and a slightly bitter note); 1/2 liter water; 2 tablespoons sugar

Cucumber blended with lime juice, water and sugar, strained and served over ice with mint. Ten minutes, and it is more refreshing than either ingredient on its own.

Total: 10

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Cucumber blended with lemon juice, water and sugar, strained, and served over ice with mint and a slice of lemon.

Why cucumber works in a lemonade

Because it is around 96 per cent water, more than almost anything else in a kitchen. That means it thins the drink without diluting the flavour, which is exactly what a lemonade wants and what adding more water cannot do.

It also brings a faint green, grassy note that sits well against the sharpness of the lemon.

To peel or not

A real choice with a real difference. The skin adds colour, turning the drink a pale green rather than cloudy white, and a slightly bitter vegetal edge.

Peeled, it is cleaner and milder. The recipe leaves it up to you, and the sieve removes the pieces either way.

Strain it regardless

Cucumber seeds are unpleasant in a glass and the blender does not destroy them. This is the one step that is not optional, whatever you decide about the peel.

Blend the mint, or do not

The recipe uses the four mint leaves as garnish, floating in the glass, which looks good and contributes very little.

Blending two of them with the cucumber and keeping two for the glass gives a noticeably mintier drink. Mint releases its oils when bruised or blended, not when it sits on top of a liquid.

Drink it cold and soon

Cucumber lemonade separates as it stands, with the pulp settling and the liquid clearing on top. It is not spoiled and a stir puts it back together, but it is at its best within the hour.

More cold drinks

Lemonade — the plain one.
Coconut lemonade — the coastal version.
Watermelon lemonade — the patillazo.
Cherry lemonade — sharper and pink.

Cucumber Lemonade FAQ

Should I peel the cucumber?

It is a genuine choice. Unpeeled gives a pale green colour and a slightly bitter vegetal edge; peeled is cleaner and milder. The sieve removes the pieces either way.

Do I have to strain it?

Yes. Cucumber seeds are unpleasant in a glass and blending does not get rid of them. This is the one step that is not optional.

Why does cucumber work in a lemonade?

Because it is about 96 per cent water, so it thins the drink without diluting the flavour, which adding more water cannot do. It also brings a faint grassy note that works with the lemon.

How do I get more mint flavour?

Blend two of the leaves with the cucumber and keep two for the glass. Mint releases its oils when bruised or blended; leaves floating on top look good and contribute almost nothing.

Why does it separate in the jug?

The pulp settles and the liquid clears above it, which is normal and not a fault. Stir it before pouring. It is at its best within an hour of making.

📖 Recipe

Cucumber Lemonade with Mint

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 10

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Colombian

Keyword: cucumber lemonade

Servings: 4

Calories: 42kcal

Author: Angela Giraldo

Ingredients

▢ 1 glass ice cubes (about a cup)
▢ Juice of 4 lemons
▢ 4 slices lemon (to serve)
▢ 4 mint leaves (to serve, or blended in for more flavour)
▢ 1 cucumber (peeled or not: the peel adds colour and a slightly bitter note)
▢ ½ liter water
▢ 2 tablespoons sugar

Notas

Cucumber is around 96 per cent water, which is why this works as a lemonade rather than as a smoothie: it thins the drink without watering down the flavour. Peeling is a real choice. The skin adds colour and a faintly bitter, grassy note that some people like and others do not, and the sieve removes it either way if you leave it on. Strain it regardless: cucumber seeds are unpleasant in a glass. Blending a couple of the mint leaves rather than only using them as garnish gives a considerably more minty drink.

Instructions

Peel the cucumber if you want to, and cut it into slices. Put it in the blender with the lemon juice, the water and the sugar, and blend until smooth.
Pour it through a strainer to take out the seeds and the pulp, then serve over a couple of ice cubes, with mint leaves and a slice of lemon in each glass.

Nutrition