Cucumber and Pineapple Juice With a Touch of Mint Leaves

I'm seriously thinking about getting a mint plant at home. The main reason is that every time I need to use mint leaves in a recipe, usually one or two sprigs will do. However, if I buy it from a grocery store, the price for a small handful, which is way more than I actually need, is usually around $3 USD. A small pot of mint plant also costs the same in Taipei's local plant nursery.

What's preventing me from getting a potted mint plants is bugs, caterpillars to be exact. Nonsense as one might say. Believe me or not, the last mint plant I got actually attracted quite a number of unwanted "residents" and of course I gave away that plant pot as a result. I can't handle caterpillars, especially the whole purpose for the pot is that I want to eat the mint leaves, usually use them raw too.

Buggy memories kept coming through my head. Ok fine, I guess I'll just keep spending a little extra buying cleaned mint leaves for now. 

Cucumber and pineapple juice with a touch of mint leaves - 

Ingredients (for 1 big cup or 2 medium cups)?

• 1 cup trimmed and loosely packed pineapple
• 1 cup peeled and loosely packed apple
• 1/2 cup peeled and loosely packed cucumber
• Some mint leaves
• 2 cups ice water
• Some sugar water (optional) 

How?

Prepare the fruit by trimming/peeling and slicing them into smaller chunks. Peel and cut the cucumber into chunks too. Pick out about 1 sprig of mint leaves.

If you prefer a sweeter taste, then you might need some sugar water. Simply blend equal part of granulated sugar with equal part of water. Once the sugar has been fully dissolved, there you have it, the simple sugar water.

Bring out a blender, add 1 cup of pineapple, 1 cup of apple, 1/2 cup of cucumber, mint leaves, and 2 cups of ice water.

Blend till smooth, but there will be some specks of green from the mint leaves, which I find appealing. 

Taste and see if sugar water is needed. I like my juice the simple way so I didn't use any. On top of that, the pineapple used was quite sweet already.

Strained the juice if preferred. Again, I like to keep the pulps not just because it's healthier, in fact it's pretty delicious.

Pour to serving cups or glasses then garnish with fresh mint leaves on top. 

The use of cucumber and mint leaves definitely added that extra refreshing element to the juice. Think the other way around, It is also a bit like drinking herbal water glamoured with the sweetness from the pineapple and apple. 

I think I really nailed it this time. Mister loved the cucumber and pineapple juice, he finished the whole thing in like...two minutes!

Extended reading:

• Blueberry and mint lemonade (using lemon sparkling water)