This cucumber and lemon juice recipe makes a refreshing beverage to overflow your body with nutrients.
Is Cucumber a Fruit?
Often mistaken for a crisp vegetable, cucumbers are actually fruits because they grow from the ovaries of pollinated female flowers. Cucumbers are related to squash, which are also fruits and not vegetables. (Surprise!)
There are three main varieties of cucumbers: slicing, pickling, and burpless/seedless.
“Slicing” cucumbers, like the name indicates, are specifically bred for culinary use. This variety is harvested green/immature because it develops a bitter taste as it ripens.
The ones used for pickling vary in shape and come in a noticeably smaller size. The fruits are typically thicker, and they have bumpy skin instead of smooth like the regular kind.
Burpless/seedless cucumbers have no seeds, which is a special breed we often don’t see at supermarkets. They are sweeter and have thinner skin than other varieties.
Do Cucumber and Lemon Juice Have Detoxification Properties?
If you come here for a tasty detox water recipe, we’re sorry to inform you that it’s not. This cucumber and lemon juice recipe is nothing more than a formula for a refreshing beverage.
What you might be looking for is “cucumber and lemon water.” It is known as a special concoction, rumored to have detoxification properties, but is it?
The logic behind “detoxing” is when we steep fruits in plain water, it can flush toxins out of your body. The thing is, “there is little to no evidence that detox diets remove any toxins,” says nutritionist Adda Bjarnadottir.
Regular consumption of this fruity water, on the other hand, is known to improve digestion, moods and promote weight loss. All of this is true, which would also happen if you were to drink… lots of water.
The bottom line is that you can benefit from drinking detox water, as you would with just plain water. Our beverage, however, is even better than detox water.
How Healthy Is Cucumber Lemon Juice?
Unlike detox water with fruit slices steeped in it, our drink is made from the actual juices of cucumbers and lemons. One serving of this cucumber and lemon juice can provide you with the following benefits:
1. Cucumbers
If cucumbers are famous for one thing, it is their fluid content, which makes up 98% of this crisp fruit. Eat/juice 6-7 average-sized cucumbers, and you can meet half of your daily recommended water intake.
The downside to cucumbers is that they have a limited nutritional profile compared to other fruits. We fixed that by including a healthy amount of lemon juice.
2. Lemons
This yellow fruit has been known to have remedial effects on our health, thanks to its nutritional content.
For starters, lemons are rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant that bears certain health benefits:
Vitamin C can boost the immune system by reducing free radicals that cause oxidative stress that damages your cells. Oxidative stress is the leading cause of severe diseases like cancer, diabetes, metabolic disorders, and more.
According to Healthline, anemia is a condition that commonly stems from iron deficiency. By consuming iron-rich foods and foods packed with vitamin C, you can have sufficient iron and thus ward off anemia.
The fruit is also rich in citric acid, which gives lemons their signature tanginess and has a remedial effect. One study showed that citric acid helps prevent kidney stones by creating a less-favorable environment for the condition to develop.
For more drinks that are packed with vitamin C, check out our best lemon juice recipe collection.
Cucumber Lemon Juice Calories
One glass of beverage made out of this cucumber and lemon juice recipe gives you around 71 calories. Most of it comes from sugar, which accounts for less than 10 grams per serving, way less than what’s recommended:
| Daily Calories | Calories from Added Sugar (10%) | Daily Recommended Added Sugar |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 200 | 51 grams |
| 2100 | 210 | 54 grams |
| 2700 | 270 | 70 grams |
How to Make Cucumber and Lemon Juice
Here are the steps for our cucumber and lemon juice recipe:
Juice
Add other ingredients
Pour and serve
You can omit cucumbers and make a healthy drink with just honey or a sweet and easy lemonade if you’d like to. On the other hand, it’s just as easy to turn this into homemade buttermilk using milk and lemon juice.
How Long Does Cucumber Lemon Juice Last?
We stored our leftover juice in the fridge covered with cling wrap, and it tasted fine after 4 days. The juice was a little light in color, but the flavor remained unchanged.
Here’s how to keep your juice as long as possible:
- Wash your hands thoroughly before juicing, as well as any kitchen equipment (spoon, bowl, glasses, containers, etc.). This basic act eliminates bacteria present, which, if skipped, can result in a spoiled drink.
- To reduce the chance of bacterial contamination, limit as much air exposure as possible. You can use an airtight container, a Ziploc bag, or simply place cling wrap over the holding glass/cup.
For more delicious drinks, check out our top healthy juice recipes and best cucumber juice roundup.
If you love lemons and cucumbers, check out the best way to make ACV, and our favorite summer drink with lemon juice.
Cucumber and Lemon Juice Recipe
Ingredients
- 30 oz cucumbers halved and deseeded
- 6 basil leaves
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Juice: Feed prepped cucumbers and basil leaves into a running juicer. Collect the juice in a large pitcher.
- Add other ingredients: Add lemon juice and sugar to the pitcher and stir to dissolve.
- Pour and serve: Pour the juice into serving glasses and serve.
Nutrition
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