JuicesAmericanEasy

Cucumber Mint Green Juice Cooler

Name: Cucumber Mint Green Juice Cooler
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 medium (about 12 oz total) (340 g) English cucumbers, washed, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch chunks; 2 medium (about 12 oz total) (340 g) green apples (Granny Smith), washed, cored, cut into 1-inch chunks, peel left on; 1 cup, packed (25 g) fresh mint leaves, stems removed, leaves rinsed; ⅓ cup (from about 3 limes) (80 ml) fresh lime juice, freshly squeezed, seeds removed; 3 tablespoons (63 g) honey or agave syrup; 1 cup (240 ml) cold water, very cold; 1 cup (140 g) ice cubes, for blending; 2 cups (480 ml) plain sparkling water, well chilled, unopened until serving; 2 cups (280 g) ice cubes, for serving; ⅛ teaspoon (0.7 g) fine sea salt; 4 sprigs plus 4 wheels (8 g) mint sprigs and thin lime wheels, for garnish (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A bright, frosty blended green juice mocktail made with cucumber, fresh mint, tart green apple and lime, strained until silky and topped with sparkling water for a refreshing, lightly sweet sip.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: —
Wait: 10 min
Total: 25 min
Makes: 4 drinks (about 10 oz / 300 ml each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

2 medium (about 12 oz total) (340 g) English cucumbers, washed, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 medium (about 12 oz total) (340 g) green apples (Granny Smith), washed, cored, cut into 1-inch chunks, peel left on
1 cup, packed (25 g) fresh mint leaves, stems removed, leaves rinsed
⅓ cup (from about 3 limes) (80 ml) fresh lime juice, freshly squeezed, seeds removed
3 tablespoons (63 g) honey or agave syrup
1 cup (240 ml) cold water, very cold
1 cup (140 g) ice cubes, for blending
2 cups (480 ml) plain sparkling water, well chilled, unopened until serving
2 cups (280 g) ice cubes, for serving
⅛ teaspoon (0.7 g) fine sea salt
4 sprigs plus 4 wheels (8 g) mint sprigs and thin lime wheels, for garnish (optional)

Equipment (7)

Blender (high-speed preferred)
Fine-mesh sieve
Large bowl or 1.5-quart (1.5 L) pitcher
Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
4 tall glasses (12 oz / 350 ml)
Citrus juicer or reamer
Chef's knife and cutting board

Steps

Before you start

Chill the cucumbers, apples, and sparkling water in the fridge for at least 2 hours so the drink is cold without diluting it too much.
Wash all produce well, including the cucumbers and apples, since the skin of the cucumber is blended.
Use a high-speed blender if you have one; with a standard blender, blend a little longer and strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
Freeze the glasses for 10 minutes if you want a frosty serving.

1
Prep the produce
- Wash the cucumbers, apples, and mint.
- Trim the cucumber ends and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks.
- Core the apples and cut into 1-inch chunks, leaving the peel on.
- Pick the mint leaves from the stems.
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Ready when: All pieces are roughly the same size so they blend evenly.
Tip: Leave the apple peel on for brighter color and extra fiber, but remove all seeds.
2
Juice the limes
- Squeeze the limes to get ⅓ cup (80 ml) juice.
- Pick out any seeds.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: You have ⅓ cup (80 ml) of juice with no seeds.
Tip: Roll limes firmly on the counter before cutting to get more juice.
3
Load the blender
- Add the cold water, lime juice, honey, and salt to the blender first, then the cucumber, apple, and mint.
- Top with 1 cup (140 g) ice.
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Ready when: Liquids are on the bottom and the ice is on top.
Tip: Adding liquid first helps the blades catch the produce and prevents air pockets.
4
Blend until smooth
- Start on low for 10 seconds, then increase to high and blend for 60 seconds in a high-speed blender (90 seconds in a standard blender), until no visible mint flecks or chunks remain.
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Ready when: The mixture is a uniform, pale green, frothy puree with no large chunks.
Tip: Do not over-blend for more than 2 minutes; heat from the motor warms the drink and dulls the mint flavor.
5
Strain the juice
- Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl or pitcher.
- Pour in the blended mixture in two batches, pressing the pulp with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Discard the pulp.
- You should have about 3½ cups (830 ml) juice.
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Ready when: The pulp left in the sieve looks dry and crumbly.
Tip: Pressing gently, rather than forcing, keeps bitter bits out of the juice.
6
Taste and chill
- Stir the juice and taste.
- Add another teaspoon of honey if your apples are very tart, or a squeeze more lime if it's too sweet.
- Refrigerate for 10 minutes while you prepare the glasses.
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Ready when: The juice is cold to the touch and balanced between sweet and tart.
Tip: Flavors dull once sparkling water is added, so the juice should taste slightly strong.
7
Fill the glasses
- Divide the 2 cups (280 g) serving ice among four 12-oz (350 ml) glasses.
- Pour about ¾ cup (200 ml) green juice into each glass.
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Ready when: Each glass is about two-thirds full.
Tip: Stir the juice before pouring, as it separates while standing.
8
Top and garnish
- Slowly pour ½ cup (120 ml) sparkling water into each glass, tilting the glass slightly to preserve bubbles.
- Stir once gently.
- Garnish with a mint sprig and lime wheel and serve immediately.
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Ready when: A light foam forms on top and the drink is lively with bubbles.
Tip: Add the sparkling water just before serving, or it will go flat.

Good to know

Tips

Use Granny Smith apples for the best balance of tartness and color; sweeter apples can make the drink taste flat and brown faster.
A tiny pinch of salt makes the cucumber and mint taste brighter and more refreshing.
For a creamier, fiber-rich version, skip straining and add an extra ½ cup (120 ml) water.
For an adults-only version, add 1 oz (30 ml) gin or white rum to each glass before topping with sparkling water.

Make ahead

"Make the strained green juice (through step 6) up to 24 hours ahead. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge, stir well, and add ice and sparkling water just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Unsweetened-with-soda juice base keeps refrigerated in an airtight jar for up to 24 hours (color and flavor fade after that). Do not store at room temperature for more than 1 hour. Freeze the base in ice cube trays for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge or blend cubes with sparkling water for a slushy. Once sparkling water is added, drink right away."

Substitutions

honey or agave syrup → Maple syrup or simple syrup. Use the same amount; maple adds a slightly deeper flavor. Use agave for a vegan option.
green apples (Granny Smith) → Green pear or 1 cup pineapple chunks. Pear is sweeter, so reduce honey to 2 tablespoons.
plain sparkling water → Club soda or lime-flavored seltzer. Choose unsweetened. Club soda adds a faint saltiness; reduce added salt if using.
fresh lime juice → Fresh lemon juice. Use the same amount for a slightly softer citrus flavor.