Cucumber Soda & Other Ways To Use Cucumbers
Cucumber Soda & Other Ways To Use Cucumbers
During the summer months, there is one ingredient that I always like to have on hand: Cucumbers.
They are crisp, refreshing, and the ways you can use them (both in meals and in your beauty routine) are seemingly endless. Cucumbers are about 95% water, so just eating them on their own can help keep your body hydrated – they’re also a great source of Vitamin B, which gives you a nice little energy boost. And, another great side effect of eating a few cucumber slices in the morning? They contain chemicals that help kill of bacteria in your mouth, making your breath fresher and mouth cleaner :). Here are some other great ways to use cucumbers!
Cucumber Water
I don’t think there’s anything more refreshing than cucumber water on a hot summer day. They add the perfect amount of flavor and subtle sweetness to ordinary water. I like to add several slices to a mason jar of water and let it sit overnight to really infuse with flavor. You can re-use the cucumbers a few times as well – sometimes when I finish the water I like to eat a few slices to enjoy some of the benefits mentioned above!
Homemade Cucumber Soda
This might be my new favorite thing – and it is SO easy to make. Chop up half of a large cucumber (or if the cucumber is smaller you can use the whole thing), and add to a medium sized mason jar filled with boiling water. Add half a cup of sugar – this step is optional, though – or you can substitute your favorite natural sweetener. I put my mason jar out in the sun for a couple of hours to let it fully infuse.
To make the soda, fill a glass with seltzer and then top it off with some of the “syrup” – you can add as much or as little as you want, depending on your taste. Be warned though, it’s slightly addicting!
Face & Hair Mask
We’ve all seen cucumbers being used on the eyes to reduce puffiness – so it should come as no surprise that cucumber is an excellent ingredient for facial masks! Mix one plain yogurt with a half a cucumber to create this mask that can be used on the face AND hair – it’s incredibly cooling on the skin, helps to reduce redness and blemishes, and is also great after you’ve spent some time in the sun! You can also use it on your hair – cucumbers contain silicon and sulfate, which stimulate hair growth and help make your hair extra shiny.
What are your favorite ways to use cucumbers? Got any good recipes to share? Leave them in the comments!
Follow FP Julia on Twitter.