We're not so good at drinking the recommended 64 ounces of water a day. Unfortunately, many of our ounces come in the form of soda, coffee, and, occasionally.... gin. We have found that keeping tap water cold in the fridge makes drinking it easier, and adding cucumbers — something we usually see in spas — is a flavorful, springtime trick.
For starters, it looks pretty. We're more inclined to reach for the pitcher when it catches our eye. The cucumber taste is subtle, but it still gives plain tap water a little personality.
It takes an hour or two for the cucumbers to infuse the water with flavor, so give it some time before you drink or serve it to guests. We think all of those pale green cucumbers floating in the pitcher would look lovely on a lunch table. We've also seen cucumbers with lemons. Of course, that combination is getting closer to how we like our gin. Back to water...
Do you add things to water? Does anyone know of a health benefit of adding cucumber, other than simply helping us to stay hydrated?
More encouragement for drinking tap water:
And a cause for concern:
(Image: Elizabeth Passarella)
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I can't imagine the taste of cucumber water. But since the picture is so darling, I think I'll try it!
The cucumber water looks good, but now what I really want is a gin!
Ooo, gin. That sounds good for this evening.
Also, no one, not even people who pass it on, can tell you where that 64 oz came from. You need to drink however much you need to drink so you don't feel thirsty and it can come from anything that isn't alcoholic. I loathe being told to drink more water. It drives me crazy because there is zero evidence for it. The only reason I drink iced herbal tea all day is to stay awake at work.
Ha! Gin might make you happier but I like citrus in my water. Lemons are the usual staple but limes are decent too. Orange is a nice change, as is grapefruit. Herbs are another option. In fact, I like to make a syrup using herbs and sugar. Just a couple of spoonfuls in water or club soda or tea is enough to jazz things up.
The recommendation of 64oz/day is actually made up - there is no scientific basis for it. However, it is a very good approximation of what people generally need. The official recommendation is 1ml per calorie consumed (so, 2L/day if you eat 2000 cal/day).
I don't know of any special health benefits the cucumber would impart - they're not terribly nutrient-dense. But they're pretty and may encourage you to drink more - that's worth something.
I like my water with Emergen-C (vitamin C and B vitamins). 2 packets per pint is perfect.
The first time I saw this I was living in Sweden and wondering what cucumber slices were doing floating in water. Little did I know it would become my favorite addition to water because it gives it a little boost of cooling crisp flavor. Cucumbers are naturally cooler than room temperature (which is why you put them on your eyes to get the puffiness down) so they also help keep the water a tad cooler than normal.
Add sliced turnips too... Basil Leaf Cafe in Chicago serves cucumbers and turnips in their water and it tastes delicious!
During the summer my hair salon puts out for their clients one of those big glass jars with a spigot. In it is ice cold water with round slices of cucumbers and oranges floating. It's very pretty to look at and oh, so refreshing!
mint leaves. (obviously)
usually spearmint, which grows like a weed outside.
I think there's a natural, subtle sweetness with cucumber-infused water. Maybe it's just my imagination, but my partner and I recently spent a weekend away, and found ourselves at a deli on several occasions where there were four pitchers of water (one plain, one with lemon, one with cucumber, one with basil). We kept returning to the cucumber, even though I start most days with lemony waters.
But it's more than alcohol that counteracts water's hydrating and therefore enlivening/invigorating effects...coffees (and I suppose black teas) are also culprits.
I love making mint water! Mint leaves were already mentioned, and that's one way to make mint water (and a very good fresh way), but I don't usually have fresh mint available. So, I've taken to using peppermint essential oil. Just one drop of this essential oil in a gallon of water gives the water a nice refreshing light minty taste. Yummy!
Japan has Ice Cucumber Pepsi!
http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=1812
I like the spa classic recipe of adding a few mint sprigs to my cucumber water. The taste is very refreshing.
Club Deluxe in San Francisco has a delicious Spa Collins on the menu with finely sliced cucumbers that become a tasty treat after your drink is done. I love to stop by and refresh when I'm in the Haight.
I'm fond of doing a non-alcoholic version with water (sparkling or still), ginger, cucumber, and mint if I have some on hand.
Perfection!
http://www.squareonevodka.com/TownSquare/TS_MixologyArt/documents/SpaCollinsFinal.pdf
It looks refreshing and I plan to try it. Last summer I went to a wedding and one of the cocktails served was a cucumber martini. I had never tried one and was skeptical, but liked it. I couldn't get the recipe, but my date and I spent an afternoon experimenting and came up with our version that tasted exactly like the drink we had at the wedding. Here is our recipe, in case anyone is interested in trying it:
CUCUMBER MARTINI
(1 serving; measurements are approximate……….by the time we got the flavor right, we had a good buzz on and were no longer using exact measurements!!! )
2 shots gin
1 shot fresh-squeezed cucumber juice
1 shot Midori
½ shot sweetened lime juice
Cucumber slice for garnish
I love to keep a pitcher of water with slices of oranges and lemons in it for a refreshing beverage! Beautiful and flavorful--but you have to love citrus.
Also currently hooked on Pink Grapefruit Perrier water...only 2 mg of sodium per serving and a shocking 35 mg of calcium per serving! Great as a mixer for summer libations!
You can also throw in some mint leaves for a nice bright addition to Cucumber water.
I love my water ice cold or with lemon slices. A real heaven in summer.