Sunday, August 11, 2019

Too Many Cukes? Juice 'Em!

Cucumber Cooler
Too Many Cukes? Juice 'Em!

It's inevitable that this time of year, if you grow cucumbers you'll have a bushel of them. Two or three happy cucumber vines can produce 15 pounds or more of fruit, and it all seems to come at once.

After making cucumber sandwiches, salads, tabouleh and pickles, there was still several pounds to contend with. So, why not make cucumber juice drinks?

A cucumber is largely composed of water, so one cuke was able to produce about 12 ounces of liquid. Use a "burpless" variety to eliminate the possibility of bitterness. Mixed with lemon or lime juice and a dash of sweetener, you have two pints of tangy and refreshing juice. I put the cucumbers through the juicer with the skin on; this adds more flavor, but does make the juice a very bright green. For a lighter color, peel your cucumbers first.

Cucumbers, apples, muskmelon and watermelon flesh combined and juiced make a drink akin to fruit sangria. Add some sparkling water to thin it out for a fizzy summer punch. Experiment with proportions; the flavor and level of sweetness will vary depending on the varieties of fruit and vegetables used.

And of course, cucumber coolers can be punched up by adding gin, vodka or bourbon.

Cucumber Cooler
1 large ripe cucumber
1/4 c. lime juice
2 tbsp. sugar or artificial sweetener
sparkling water
maraschino cherry

Put cucumber through a juicer that is able to separate juice from pulp and has a very fine screen. Add 1/4 c. lime juice to the extracted cucumber juice. Add two tablespoons of sugar or stevia. Stir until sweetener is dissolved. Add sparkling water if desired. Serve over crushed ice, and garnish with maraschino cherry. Serves 1.