If your garden produces more cucumbers than you can eat, try this cucumber-basil syrup recipe. It's great with seltzer water, in a gin and tonic, or with vodka on ice.
Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers
- 0.5 teaspoons salt
- 12 large basil leaves
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 large lemon , juiced
Instructions
-
1
Remove and discard ends from cucumbers. Very finely slice cucumbers; add to a bowl. Toss with salt; set aside until salt has drawn out a good amount of liquid, about 3 minutes.
-
2
Drain cucumbers in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, squeezing cucumbers a little but not too much. Reserve 1 cup cucumber liquid; discard remaining liquid.
-
3
Muddle basil in a bowl; add to cucumber liquid. Steep in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
-
4
Strain cucumber-basil liquid into a saucepan, squeezing basil well to extract any liquid. Stir in sugar; bring to a boil, then add lemon juice and reduce heat. Simmer until reaches 212 degrees F (100 degrees C) with a candy thermometer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
-
5
Cool slightly, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass bottle, then cool completely. Seal tightly and refrigerate.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
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