How long should cucumber lemon and ginger water infuse?

You can drink it right away, but the cucumber and ginger flavor will be faint at first, so it will taste more like lemon water. For the best flavor, chill it for at least 1 hour. For a stronger cucumber and ginger flavor, let it infuse for 2 to 4 hours.

Do I need to peel the cucumber?

Not always. English cucumbers have thin skin and don’t need to be peeled. Garden cucumbers can be left unpeeled too, but peel them if the skin is waxed or bitter.

Can I use bottled lemon juice?

Fresh lemon tastes best for infused water. Bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch, but it usually has a sharper, less fresh flavor. Lemon slices also make the water prettier and give it a lighter, infused flavor.

Can I use ground ginger instead of fresh ginger?

I haven’t tested with ground ginger, so I can’t say for sure how well it would work. I don’t think it will dissolve well and may leave the water gritty.

Can I make one glass instead of a pitcher of lemon cucumber and ginger water?

For one glass, use 12 to 16 ounces of cold water, 2 to 3 thin cucumber slices, 1 thin lemon slice, and 1 to 2 thin slices of fresh ginger. Add the ginger slices to the glass first and gently muddle them with the end of a wooden spoon. Add the cucumber, lemon, and water, then let it sit for at least 10 to 15 minutes. The flavor will be light at first and get stronger the longer it sits.

Ginger Lemon and Cucumber Water - Three Little Chickpeas

Description

This ginger cucumber and lemon water is crisp, refreshing, and easy to make with fresh cucumber, lemon slices, and ginger. Thinly sliced and lightly muddled ginger adds a subtle spicy flavor, while cucumber and lemon make the water taste bright and fresh.

Ingredients

Scale

3 inches of fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
6 cups (1.42 liters) of water
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced

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Instructions

Add the sliced ginger and 6 cups of water to a pitcher.
The ginger slices will sink to the bottom. Use a wooden spoon or a muddler to lightly mash the ginger slices to release more flavor. No need to crush them or break them apart.
Remove the seeds from the lemon slices and skip the end pieces that are mostly pith and peel. Add the sliced cucumber and sliced lemon to the water.
Give the water a good stir.
Let it chill in the fridge for 1 hour for the flavors to infuse into the water.

Notes

Within 2 days, once the original batch is used, top off the pitcher with more water. The cucumber, lemon, and ginger can be reused once, though the second batch will have a lighter flavor. If you grated the ginger, the second batch won’t have the same strong ginger flavor.

For a stronger ginger flavor, grate only 2 inches of peeled ginger with a microplane instead of using slices. Gather the freshly grated ginger in the palm of your hand and squeeze it over the pitcher to release the liquid. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can, then discard the pulp.

Fresh ginger is best for this recipe. I don’t recommend ground ginger because it can make the water cloudy or gritty.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: beverage
Method: no bake
Cuisine: american