One sip of this refreshing drink will conjure up images of lazy summer afternoons.
Say goodbye to high-sugar fruit juices! Our Cleansing Cucumber Lemonade is a healthy option that tastes amazing! There are no mystery ingredients here. Crisp cucumber and zesty lemon star in this recipe, while the honey adds a nice, natural sweetness. Toss in some ice cubes and you’ve got yourself a seriously simple, yet satisfying, beverage to get you through the warmer months.
Refreshing Cucumber
Did you know that cucumber is 96% water? In fact, it contains more water than any other fruit or vegetable out there (even watermelon— which is 92% water.) This feature alone makes it a natural refresher. But, it also has anti-inflammatory properties that help remove waste from the body. Adding cucumber to your beverages is a great way to boost the hydration process (and make your water taste better!) Just keep in mind that you still should be drinking a minimum of eight, 8-ounces glasses of water daily.
Use Fresh Lemons
The fresh-squeezed lemon juice in this revitalizing beverage makes all the difference. You may be tempted to use bottled lemon juice to save yourself some time, but we beg you to take an extra moment to squeeze your own. Freshly squeezed lemon juice tastes way better and it contains significantly higher amounts of vitamin C than even the best bottled variety. If you’re making this cleansing cucumber lemonade with the kiddos, get them involved with the squeezing process!
Making this Cleansing Cucumber Lemonade
Making this 20-minute lemonade starts with preparing your cucumber! If you use the waxy type, you’ll want to peel them beforehand. If they’re organic or hot-house (English) cucumbers, you can skip that step. We like to reserve a half-cup of sliced cucumbers first, which we’ll use for garnish later.
Chop the remaining cucumbers and place them in a blender with one to two cups of water. After blending, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher and compress the cucumber solids with the back of a ladle or spoon to get all of the juice through the sieve. Then, discard the remaining pulp, add the ice cubes to your pitcher, and set aside.
In a small pot, heat one and a half cups of the water over high heat until steaming (not boiling). Remove the pan from the stove top and whisk in the honey until it dissolves. Then, pour the honey mixture, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and remaining water into the pitcher with the strained cucumber. Stir well to combine. That’s it!
You can store your mixed lemonade in the fridge until you’re ready to drink it. Or, if you’re ready to serve it immediately, take out your glasses, add some ice (if desired), and garnish with a cucumber slice or two! And, enjoy!
The Best Occasions to Serve this Lemonade
One sip of this relaxing cucumber lemonade will conjure up images of lazy summer afternoons by the pool. And while it’s certainly perfect for that scene, you can drink this tasty beverage any time you’d like! It’s ideal for afternoons at the beach, summer holiday picnics, birthday parties at the park, luncheons, or an alcohol-free girls night! Sometimes, we even bottle it up and take it with us while we’re running errands! You can (and should) enjoy this lemonade any day, any time! If you make it, be sure to let us know what you thought of it in the comment section!
Cleansing Cucumber Lemonade
Ingredients
- 1 pound cucumbers peeled if waxy, unpeeled if organic and not waxy, chopped, save 1/2 cup of sliced cucumbers for garnish
- 2 cups lemon juice freshly squeezed (about 15 lemons)
- 8 cups water divided
- 2/3 cup honey raw
- 12 ice cubes
Instructions
- Place chopped cucumbers in the blender with 1 to 2 cups of the water. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl or into the pitcher, pressing with the back of a ladle to get all of the juice through the sieve. Discard pulp. Add ice on top of cucumber.
- Heat 1-1/2 cups of the water on a stove top over high heat until steaming, but not boiling. Remove from heat and whisk in honey until dissolved.
- Pour honey mixture, lemon, and water over ice and cucumber. Stir well to combine. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
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Did you love our cleansing cucumber lemonade? If so, we think you might also enjoy these summertime beverages:
- Cool Down with Our Easy Watermelon Spritzer
- Red, White, and Blueberry Lemonade
- Citrus Spritz Mocktail
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Instead of the raw honey I muddle 8-12 Stevie leaves. Saves on the sugar carbs and calories. My new favorite plant in my herb gardens.
How long will this ‘keep’ in the fridge in your experience?
Kelli, At least 2-3 days.
Does mixing the honey in very warm to hot water take the nutrition factor out of it?
Great question, Dunia! Mixing the honey into warm to hot water allows it to dissolve. No nutrients are lost!
Can you use 100% lemon juice concentrate in a bottle. Or does it have to be freshly squeezed lemon juice.
April, You can, but fresly squeezed is always best, especially for a cleansing drink. 🙂
Can I use limes also?
Judy, Sure, limes are fine. 🙂
Hi i use to drink lots of clensing water…until i got pregnant,am i still aloud to drink this ?
Argee, Please check with your GYN doctor. 🙂
Just curious: how does drinking a lemon juice-based beverage help to alkalinize your system when lemon juice has a very low pH (is very acidic)?
Lisa, Here’s a good article to check out.
Couldnt I juice the cucumber instead of straining?
Sandra, Sure that works too. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your recipe. My mom always makes Cucumber Lemonade at home because she found out about the several health benefits it does to your body. She makes cucumber lemonade smoothie as well.
You’re very welcome! Thank you for sharing the smoothie suggestion, it sounds delicious.
When I was a kid, I really love eating cucumbers but then as I grew older, I quit eating it. Just recently, I started to eat cucumbers again little by little. I do love drinking water with lemon and honey. So after reading this, I might as well try adding cucumbers as well. I think this is a very refreshing drink after a work out!
The gym I go to serves free cucumber lemon water. I won’t be surprised if people find this delicious! Nice post!
Thank you!
For how many days is good to have this?
Mary, It keeps fine in the fridge for a few days.
Is there a specific time of day I should drink this? Once? or multiple times a day?
Any time of day would be fine – however starting off your day with this would be a great start!
Lemon doesn’t alkalize the body. The citric acid is low on the pH scale, not high. While lemon definitely has important vitamins that the body needs, it’s definitely not basic (alkaline) and is acidic.
Cassidy, There is disagreement in the medical field regarding this topic. Raw Lemon juice is acidic with a pH of about 2, but once it is metabolized, it becomes alkaline. This is one school of thought, there are others.
I love Pepsi my dr. Told me I had to slim down