Add Cucumber To Lemonade For A Refreshing Twist

Among the best things to eat and drink to recover on a hot day, lemonade deserves a spot near the top of the list. For those of us who enjoy simple refreshing drinks on a whim, lemonade not only proves to be sweet and tangy, but fairly simple to make. For every 6 cups of water, mix in the citrus juice from 8-10 lemons, 1 cup of sugar, and plenty of ice.

While lemonade provides variety when you're craving something a little more exciting than a standard glass of H2O — lemons, water, and sugar together can prove to be a tad lackluster after the first pitcher or two. If you're looking for a fun way to elevate your next batch of homemade lemonade, look no further than cucumbers. Not only do cucumbers have a refreshingly bright taste, they're composed of 95% water. The combination of lemons, cucumber, water, and your favorite sweetener may prove to be the ultimate thirst-quenching beverage. 

Yet, how exactly do you incorporate this crisp green produce into your favorite hot-weather drink? Here are some unique ways to customize your newfound drink of choice.

Now that you're ready to add cucumbers to your sweet and simple lemonade recipe, there are a few ways you can incorporate this crunchy, neutral fruit into your next glass. If you'd like to test the waters before fully committing to a new recipe, try adding a handful of cucumber slices to your next helping of standard lemonade. For those ready to dive into a brand new, cucumber-infused recipe, you'll need a few cucumbers and a blender.

For every quart of lemonade, you need two peeled and chopped cucumbers. Blend the cucumbers with ½ cup of water until smooth, then strain through a sieve so you're left only with the remaining cucumber juice. From here, simply combine the cucumber juice and lemonade, making sure to add extra ice to each glass. 

Alternatively, if you're making lemonade from scratch, you can juice your lemons separately and save the sugar to make a cucumber simple syrup. The process is the same as above except with this method, you're blending chopped cucumbers with water and 1 cup of sugar. Once strained, add this sweetened cucumber syrup to a pitcher with water, lemon juice, and ice before serving. You can also make a simple concentrate by blending cucumber seeds, lemon juice, sugar, and water. Now that you know how to make a mean pitcher of cucumber lemonade, how else can you take this fun, unique hot weather beverage to the next level?

Now that you're ready to experience the refreshing combination of cucumber and lemon together in one hydrating beverage, you may want to alter the suggested ingredients to complement your individual taste buds. When using cucumber syrup or concentrate, use more or less depending on how sweet you like your lemonade. You may choose to dilute the cucumber flavor more at first by adding some additional water for every glass. On the same note, instead of using the suggested amount of sugar in homemade lemonade, feel free to reduce the amount of sweetener or even swap out sugar for honey.

If you want to give your cucumber lemonade some extra flair, you might want to add a sprig of mint or some slices of fresh ginger root for extra flavor. You can also use sparkling water instead of tap water to give this refreshing drink a nice clean bite. Speaking of sparkling cucumber lemonade, you can easily turn this hydrating beverage into a delightful summer cocktail by adding 1 ½ ounces of vodka. There are many ways you can elevate traditional lemonade. Yet if you're looking for a hydrating ingredient that will add both bright color and refreshing flavor to your favorite warm-weather beverage, you might want to give cucumbers a try.