Cucumber Mint Juice with Lemon
A pale green, ice-cold Mediterranean-style juice that tastes like a cool breeze: crisp cucumber, fresh mint and a bright squeeze of lemon, lightly sweetened with a green apple.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Makes
- About 2 glasses (16 oz / 480 ml total)
Steps
Before you start
- Chill the cucumbers, apple and serving glasses in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the juice is cold without needing much ice.
- This recipe needs a juicer (centrifugal or masticating). A blender plus fine mesh strainer option is given in the tips.
- Wash all produce well, even if you plan to peel it, so no dirt transfers from the skin to the flesh.
- Drink within 24 hours for the best flavor; the mint flavor fades and the color dulls over time.
Chill everything
- Place the whole cucumbers, apple and two tall glasses in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Cold produce gives a colder, fresher-tasting juice.
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Ready when: Cucumbers feel cool and firm to the touch
Wash and prep produce
- Wash the cucumbers, apple, lemon and mint under cool running water.
- Trim the cucumber ends and cut each cucumber into spears about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
- Pick the mint leaves off the stems and pat dry.
- Cut the apple into wedges, discarding the core.
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Ready when: Cucumber spears and apple wedges fit easily down the juicer chute
Tip: Cucumber skin is fine to juice and adds color and nutrients; peel only if it is waxed or you prefer a milder flavor.
Peel the lemon
- Cut the top and bottom off the lemon.
- Stand it up and slice away the peel and white pith in strips, following the curve of the fruit.
- Quarter it and flick out any seeds.
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Ready when: The lemon flesh is fully exposed with no white pith or seeds
Tip: Leftover pith makes the juice bitter, so be thorough.
Juice the mint
- Set up the juicer with a pitcher or jug underneath.
- Bunch the mint leaves into a tight ball and push them into the chute, following immediately with a cucumber spear so the cucumber pushes the mint through and extracts its juice.
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Ready when: The pulp coming out looks fairly dry and no whole mint leaves remain in the chute
Tip: Sandwiching leafy herbs between watery cucumber pieces gets far more juice from them.
Juice the rest
- Alternate the remaining cucumber spears with the apple wedges and lemon quarters, feeding them slowly through the chute.
- Juicing the lemon in the middle helps flush out the other flavors.
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Ready when: You have about 16 oz (480 ml) of pale green juice and the pulp is dry
Tip: Pause if the juicer foams up quickly and skim it after; cucumber juice can froth.
Stir and season
- Stir the juice well with a long spoon for 15 seconds to blend the flavors.
- If using, stir in the salt, which sharpens the cucumber and lemon.
- Taste and adjust: add a squeeze more lemon if you want it tarter.
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Ready when: Juice tastes bright, lightly sweet and clearly minty
Strain if desired
- For a very smooth juice, pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a second jug, pressing lightly with the back of a spoon.
- Skip this step if you like a little body in the juice.
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Ready when: Juice pours smoothly with no visible foam or flecks
Serve over ice
- Divide the ice between the two chilled glasses.
- Pour in the juice, about 8 oz (240 ml) each, and garnish each with a mint sprig.
- Serve right away.
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Ready when: Glasses are frosty and the juice is very cold
Tip: Slap the mint sprig gently between your palms before garnishing to release its aroma.
Good to know
Tips
- No juicer? Blend the chopped cucumbers, mint, lemon and apple with 1/4 cup (60 ml) cold water for 1 minute, then strain through a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag, pressing well.
- Choose firm, dark green cucumbers with no soft spots; they yield more juice and taste sweeter.
- Drink soon after juicing: oxidation dulls the flavor and color. A little lemon helps preserve both.
- For a sparkling version, pour 4 oz (120 ml) juice over ice and top with 4 oz (120 ml) chilled sparkling water.
Make ahead
"Juice up to 24 hours ahead. Pour into a jar filled to the top (to limit air), seal, and refrigerate. Stir or shake before serving and pour over fresh ice."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: no more than 1 hour. Refrigerator: up to 24 hours in a tightly sealed jar; flavor and color fade after the first day. Freezer: pour into ice cube trays, freeze up to 2 months and use the cubes to chill drinks or blend into smoothies. No reheating needed; serve cold."
Substitutions
- green apple → 1 small pear or 2 tsp (14 g) honey. Adds mild sweetness; stir honey in after juicing until dissolved.
- English (seedless) cucumbers → Persian or regular slicing cucumbers (same weight). Peel regular cucumbers if waxed or bitter-skinned, and remove large seeds if bitter.
- lemon → 1 large lime. Gives a slightly sharper, more floral flavor.
- fresh mint leaves → fresh basil leaves (same amount). Gives a sweeter, more peppery herbal flavor.