According to Accuweather, the temperature in Antipolo at 5.15 p.m. is 32C with a RealFeel of 34C. It was higher between noon and 3.00 p.m. I was wilting so I thought I’d hydrate with a glass of refreshing cucumber cooler with fresh mint. So refreshing!
I first tried cucumber juice at Alfredo’s Steak House along Tomas Morato in Quezon City. At first, I was a bit hesitant. Cucumber juice? I mean, I’ve tried carrot juice and hated it. Vegetables always seemed better eaten than drank. I’m glad I tried it though. After the first few sips, I was hooked.
After that, my brother and I would make cucumber cooler at home using the blender. That was a few decades ago. I’ve been enjoying cucumber cooler for that long and I still love it. Today, a conventional blender or food processor is not necessary to make cucumber juice. There are a lot of hand held gadgets, many of them non-electrical, that will puree the cucumber just as well. Or, you can even use electric juicers. I still use the blender though.
The best thing about this cucumber cooler? You need to add very little sugar because cucumber is already naturally sweet. You just want to heighten that sweetness to make a more exciting drink.
And the addition of mint? That was something I only started to do when we got into herb gardening. I love mint and I love adding it to drinks, hot or cold. And when you use mint straight from your garden? It’s hard to put into words but there’s this feeling of elation when, after watching herbs grow, you snip off the leaves and use them in all their glorious freshness.
So, how do you make this delightful cucumber cooler?
First, you peel the cucumber. It’s one medium-sized cucumber per person. Peeling is optional if the skin is thin. Otherwise, the cucumber cooler will have a not-so-goos mouth feel if you puree the cucumber without peeling.
Second, scrape off the seeds. The first time my brother and I made cucumber cooler years ago, we did not scoop out the seeds and, my, the result was just terrible. If the mouth feel of pieces of thick cucumber skin is bad, the sensation of ground cucumber seeds in your mouth is even worse.
I know, I know. Cucumber seeds are perfectly edible. Sure, if you’re eating the cucumber. But since you’re pureeing it to make a drink, you want the puree to be smooth and free from “grits” which the ground seeds resemble.
If you’re using a blender, dice the cucumber before pureeing to make it easy for the blades to smash the pulp. Add a little water too to help the motor along.
Ready to make cucumber cooler? Here’s the recipe.
Cucumber Cooler
Ingredients
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 to 4 mint leaves plus a sprig to garnish
- 2 to 3 ice cubes
Instructions
- Peel the cucumber.
- Cut the peeled cucumber lengthwise and scrape off the seeds.
- Dice the deseeded cucumber.
- Place the diced cucumber in the blender with the ice cubes and a quarter cup of water. Process just until smooth.
- Add the mint leaves and pulse two to three times.
- Pour the cucumber cooler into a glass, garnish with a sprig of mint and enjoy!
Do like for snacks (especially in the summertime) freshly sliced cucumbers dipped in salty/sweet/spicy hot vinegar mixture but never tried the juice. With the juicer, baby carrot juice is not too bad if mixed with an apple, a pear and a stalk of parsley and lots of ice. Certainly would try the cucumber juice for a change this summer and add something else (?) for a twist.
when i was in the philippines a couple of years there’s a restaurant in greenhills called bangus and they had a cucumber smoothie, it was very refreshing… hope its still there coz i love that and its food. :smile:
Sassy, now I’m definitely hooked to your website. You’re a Godsend!
Hello madame sassy!
What we need here is a hot bowl of chicken mami! Pero that can be great on summer. Carrot juice combine with oranges juice is great . You may like it better than carrot alone!
Rin & Relly, I get the idea… NOT pure carrot juice. Okay, I’m willing to give carrot juice another go. Maybe with rambutan juice?
A, It’s still there but on a different location.
A toast, Chit! :)
I also don’t like carrot. Perhaps because it is as if you have a bubble gum in your mouth when eating it. But I like carrot juice.
This cucumber juice, I haven’t tried it. But it seems it is similar to green mango juice (not the puree). I always drink this ice cold green mango juice para mabawasan ang hangover.
I am so glad you posted this recipe! I had been thinking up new drinks to make and had been addicted to making avocado shakes until I saw this. I thought it would be weird at first, but when I tried it, I instantly became addicted. Delicious AND healthy. Thank you so much!
Trosp, with green mango juice you need to add a lot of sugar to neutralize the acidity. With cucumber juice, you only need a little sugar. :)
You’re welcome, Mia. :)
my husband had been hankering for cucumber drink from dulcinea. i’ll whip up some for him. thanks so much for your recipe. you are truly generous. more power to you!
You’re welcome, Naya. :)
Refreshing is another word for Cucumber Juice, I take this every morning, before having breakfast. It’s a great source of potassium, vitamin A and silicon..cucumber juice is the best because it not just promote hair growth, heals ulcer and gastritis but also helps improve skin condition — I tried splashing some cucumber juice after washing my face with an oatmeal soap and voila! more even-toned skin!
there is a drink called cucumber martini that i have come to love since living here in south texas. so easy to make .
at first glance of the title it was, well, i had this do-people-really-drink-that -stuff-face… LOLz! good thing i read a little bit further… maybe i should take the word of a fellow food lover huh? ;-)
just a funny thought… Re mari anne’s comment, and maybe if your already full and cant make ubos the shake then maybe we can try “splashing some cucumber juice after washing my face ” nuh? just be sure to do that at home rather than at the resto… LOLZ!
ang corny ko!!! hahahaha! but as ms connie said its addicting, then i might as well try… (Should i pinch my nose whilst drinking? LOLZ!!)
Iv’e trid this with candy mint leaves. its so cool!!!