We’ve been into gin lately and looking for interesting things to do with it. When our CSA delivered some nice cucumbers we decided to try our hand at making cucumber gin.
For this infusion, I thinly sliced a medium-sized cucumber, using half for each of the one-pint mason jars you see pictured. Fill the jar with gin and shake well, shaking again two or three times per day while the cucumber is in the spirit.
It only takes a couple days to get a good flavor into your gin, and the color changes after only a few hours. Taste the gin daily after the first day in order to gauge the taste. Once you’ve reached the desired flavor, strain the gin and return to the jar, discarding the cucumber slices.
Good uses for cucumber gin are martinis, cucumber gimlets, my own cucumber cantaloupe cocktail, or even just a basic gin and tonic. Experiment a little and you’ll find more great uses for it.
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I read on another sight to peel the cucumber, to ensure the infusion doesn’t get bitter. Any truth to that? Does it matter??
I’ve read that before myself. I didn’t peel them here and it came out tasting fine. It’s possible that longer infusions with unpeeled cucumber may turn bitter but I only soaked mine a few days.
Be sure to taste it every day and strain it when it tastes ready and you should be fine.
Heyas Kenn – I thought I remembered you making Cucumber Gin.. anyhoo.. over the weekend I got introduced to a Scottish Gin called Hendricks – which is made with cucumbers.
It’s my new favorite.. I’m hooked!
I love Hendricks, it’s so good! But as a college student, it’s too expensive, so I’m just making my own now. I’ve read that refrigerating the infusion afterwards keeps the flavor from fading.
[...] Making your own cucumber-infused gin is shockingly easy. [...]
Begin with quality gin (ie, tanqueray , beefeaters, bombay) . A fifth of gin to one thinly sliced English cucumber (no seeds! you can’t use locally grown ones, ie like in the South). I just wash the cuke well, put the veggie peeler to it a bit …then very thinly slice it…you can keep some of the peel & it will not be bitter. You MAY WANT TO TASTE THE CUCUMBER BEFORE YOU put alot into the process, to make sure you have not gotten a bitter “dud”! Put all in a mason jar for 3-5 days- put plastic wrap with 2-3 holes in it on the top of jar. Stir the jar once a day…after 5 days, strain the cucumbers and enjoy “nectar of the GODS“!