Cucumber juice is a healthy and versatile drink. Cucumbers contain a lot of water and a considerable amount of potassium, silicon, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and chlorophyll, as well as other nutrients. Many people supplement their diet with cucumbers to improve the appearance of their skin, hair, and nails. When consumed regularly, cucumber juice can help with high blood pressure and kidney stones. Cucumber juice can be prepared in purity, only with cucumbers, or with the addition of sugars or other juices that give more flavor.
Ingrediants
For Simple Juice
3 medium cucumbers
For the Sweet Juice
- 1 medium cucumber
- 500 ml of water
- 30g of sugar
- 30 ml of honey
- Salt to taste.
Portions
About 2 glasses
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Simple Cucumber Juice
Step 1. Peel the cucumbers
The peel of the cucumbers is covered with a protective wax. Even if it is edible, it will ruin the consistency of the juice. You can use a peeler or a sharp, smooth-bladed knife.
Step 2. Cut the ends of the cucumbers with a sharp knife
The ends are hard and inedible and should not be put in the preparation.
Step 3. Cut the cucumbers into large chunks
The pieces should be a maximum of 2.5cm in each direction. Smaller pieces are fine, but avoid using larger pieces than this.
Step 4. Put the cucumber pieces in a blender or mixer
Do not fill the glass to the brim: leave at least 5cm between the pieces and the top rim.
Step 5. Blend the cucumber pieces on medium or high speed
Let it go for about two minutes. The result should be pulpy, although not completely smooth.
Step 6. Place a burlap colander over a large bowl
The strainer should be small enough to fit into the bowl, but possibly large enough to sit still with the handle resting on the edges. If the strainer stands alone on the bowl, both hands will remain free.
Step 7. Put a linen cloth in the colander
The towel allows you to wring out the pulp better. You can also line the colander with a coffee filter to achieve the same effect.
Step 8. Slowly pour the pureed cucumbers into the colander
Pour as much puree as possible, but don't let it overflow.
Step 9. Stir the puree with an iron spoon or rubber spatula, squeezing it in the colander from time to time
By turning, you help the juice drip into the bowl through the colander. Keep turning and pressing until no more juice comes out.
Step 10. Pour the cucumber juice into glasses, let cool and serve
You can also store the juice in a sealed container, in the fridge, for a week.
Method 2 of 2: Sweet Cucumber Juice
Step 1. Peel, slice and chop the cucumbers
Use a peeler to remove the peel and a knife to cut the ends. Cut the pulp into cubes with a knife to make processing easier.
Step 2. Finely grate the cucumber cubes
You can use a hand or electric grater: choose the one you use most comfortably. Grate into a bowl to avoid wasting pieces.
Step 3. Pour 1/2 liter of water and 30g (about 2 tablespoons) of sugar into a medium saucepan
Boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. When it boils, the sugar should begin to thicken the water.
Step 4. Add the grated cucumber to the boiling water
Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Heating the cucumbers with the water and sugar mixes the flavors better than when you do the same cold process.
Step 5. Remove the cucumber mixture from the heat
Allow it to cool slightly, at least until it stops bubbling and steaming.
Step 6. Pour the mixture into a blender or blender and add 30g (about 2 tablespoons) of honey
Blend at full power until it becomes a puree with a few pieces visible in the middle. Blending helps to extract more juice from the pulp.
Step 7. Place a towel over a large glass bowl
The towel should be large enough to extend over the edges of the bowl.
Step 8. Pour the puree into the towel carefully
Be careful to prevent the towel from ending up in the bowl.
Step 9. When all the puree is in the towel, gather the corners and tighten them tightly or knot them to secure the ends
Step 10. Drain all the juice well into the bowl
When the juice no longer comes out, squeeze the towel to extract the last few drops. Then put the towel away and discard or set aside the leftover pulp.
Step 11. Add some salt to the juice
Mix it well. The salt removes the natural bitterness of the cucumber, although the sweetness of the honey and sugar may have already covered it.
Step 12. Serve the cucumber juice in glasses, cold or with ice
Keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.
Advice
- You can save the leftover pulp and use it for other preparations. Both plain and sugary pulp can be frozen and used in preparations such as granita or cucumber pudding, and plain pulp can be used to create a moisturizing face mask.
- Cucumber juice has a versatile flavor that can be mixed with many other flavors. You can add mint or ginger for a refreshing summer juice, or you can make it more intense with other juices like apple or watermelon.
