Posted on by Deb

Thirst Quenching Lemon, Mint and Cucumber Water

Lemon-Mint-Cucumber-Water

The Steinbeck Festival, Tour of Hamilton Ranch

Hamilton Ranch, King City, CA

“I must depend on hearsay, on old photographs, on stories told, and on memories which are hazy and mixed with fable in trying to tell you about the Hamiltons. ”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

The annual Steinbeck Festival is held in Salinas each year. I try to attend at least one event that grows my Steinbeck knowledge. Even better is a learning experience that includes local history and the novel, East of Eden. This year a tour of the Hamilton Ranch in King City was an event I didn’t want to miss. Susan Shillinglaw, a local Steinbeck scholar and author was our tour guide.

East of Eden is a work of fiction that also includes Steinbeck family history, making it a very fascinating story. While John’s family history in the Salinas Valley unfolds the biblical parable of Cain and Abel is told with fictional characters. John Steinbeck includes his mother’s, Olive Hamilton, family members as main characters in the novel. Olive’s parents, Samuel and Liza Hamilton are featured prominently in the novel. It is the ranch of Samuel and Liza Hamilton that we visited on the tour.

Hills Hamilton Ranch

“When Samuel and Liza came to the Salinas Valley all the level land was taken, the rich bottoms, the little fertile creases in the hills, the forests, but there was still marginal land to be homesteaded and in the barren hills, to the east of what is now King City, Samuel Hamilton homesteaded.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Barn, Hamilton Ranch, King Cty, CA

Fence, Hamilton Ranch, King City, CA

“In the afternoon Samuel and Adam rode over the land. The wind came up as it did every afternoon and the yellow dust ran into the sky.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Located on private property the tour of Hamilton Ranch was a unique opportunity. Adding mystery and discovery to our Steinbeck curiosity the tour was the second Susan Shillinglaw has led on the ranch. Robert Grabb, whose family owns the Hamilton Ranch graciously shared his knowledge of the history, the remaining buildings and local Steinbeck stories. Visiting the ranch gave a glimpse into the time Steinbeck spent on the ranch as a child and later in high school recovering from pneumonia. The mammoth anvil from Sam Hamilton’s blacksmith shop remains at the ranch. The original Hamilton house has been patched together with another small house from the early 1900’s and has gone through a variety of remodels during the past century. California is so dry, there was no grass for the cattle that the Grabb’s usually raise on the ranch. They were sold early this year leaving a stark reminder of the dry years in the Salinas Valley that Steinbeck described in East of Eden.

Thirst Quenching Lemon, Mint and Cucumber Water

Essentials

The tour fell in the midst of our first California heat wave. When we arrived in King City at San Lorenzo Park’s Agricultural and Rural Life Museum the temperature had spiked to 93°. The park was an oasis of shaded picnic areas paired with fascinating exhibits of the history of agriculture in Monterey County. Inside the Agricultural and Rural Life Museum a huge glass dispenser was filled with crushed ice, water and cucumber slices. I savored a glass and then got another. At one point the weather app on my phone revealed it was 97°. Deep in Hamilton Canyon our cell service ceased. Hot and windy, the parched earth spewed dust which covered everything. So much so, I turned my camera lens down into my bag when I wasn’t shooting. Even with sunglasses, the dust and wind made my eyes water. Squinting and wiping my eyes, I kept shooting. Although we had bottled water to drink I longed for an ice filled glass with thirst quenching cucumber water. It was so dry that rattlesnakes had come down into the barn and house area of the ranch looking for food and water. When we arrived at the ranch, two rattlesnakes were in a barrel waiting for our viewing. A third rattlesnake was caught while we were at the ranch generating a frenzy of excitement. The setting was a spirited reminder of the hardships the Hamilton’s faced homesteading their ranch.

This isn’t so much of a recipe as an idea to imbue water with subtle flavor that satisfies our daily hydration needs. There are health benefits too. Without any added sugar or any other ingredients the water is fabulous. I make a huge pitcher to keep in the refrigerator, cleaning the pitcher and replacing the lemon, mint and cucumber every other day. When I leave the house I pack my travel thermos with ice and fill it with the infused water. If I’m energetic I will add mint and lemon to the thermos. The amount of mint, lemon and cucumber listed in the recipe is what I like in my water. The recipe is infinitely variable. Just cucumber is amazing and so is just mint. I imagine strawberries and mint would be fabulous. When my lemon balm and lemon verbena are overflowing their planters I will try them too.

Lemon, mint, and cucumber

Ingredients
32oz filtered water
4-6 sprigs fresh mint
1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
1/2C English cucumber slices
  1. Pour a cup of the water in the bottom of a large pitcher and add the mint sprigs. Crush the mint leaves and stems with a muddler or wooden spoon. Add the lemon and cucumber slices and the rest of the water. Make sure and remove the lemon seeds as they will add a slightly bitter flavor to the water.
  2. Chill the water for at least three hours, overnight is even better.

Barn, Hamilton Ranch, King City, CA

“If the land had been any good the Hamiltons would have been rich people. But the acres were harsh and dry. There were no springs, and the crust of topsoil was so thin that the flinty bones stuck through. Even the sagebrush struggled to exist, and the oak were dwarfed from lack of moisture. Even in reasonably good years there was so little feed that the cattle kept thin running about looking for enough to eat. From their barren hills the Hamiltons could look down to the west and see the richness of the bottom land and the greenness around the Salinas Valley.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

43 Replies to “Thirst Quenching Lemon, Mint and Cucumber Water”

  1. Pingback: » Highlights: Virgin Drinks

  5. Great idea for the summer and a brilliant post. I could feel the heat as I read it. The quotes are magical with the photos and your telling of the day.

    1. Thank you for the wonderful comment Beth! We fog dwellers are unaccustomed to such heat!

  6. The weather seems to have added to the event with a reminder of hot, dry days. And, as I sit here in our hot, humid weather, I’d love a glass of this refreshing, flavored water! This is exactly what I need to keep in supply for the summer.

    1. Thank you for the gracious comment Lisa! Right now I have a pitcher of cucumber mint water chilling for tomorrow!

  7. I love this refreshing recipe. And those images are truly beautiful. I’d hang them all over my walls if I could. Really. 🙂

  8. This post has me craving this water so, I’m debating running to the store for cucumber and mint right now! I can’t think of many things more refreshing on a hot summer day than this infused water.

    1. Thank you for the lovely comment Alyssa! It’s amazing how a spring of mint has changed my water drinking habits!

  9. I would love the Steinbeck celebration – he’s been a favorite author of mine since High School. And this water is such a great idea, especially for people who struggle to get enough hydration in. The flavor is very similar to one of my favorite smoothies. Thanks so much for the great inspiration!

    1. Thank you for the gracious comment Donalyn! Infusing water has helped me to enjoy drinking water, rather than drinking because it is good for me.

  10. Thanks for introducing me to the Festival as well as the Hamilton Ranch. Looks like a beautiful place. A very refreshing drink and perfect the 90 degree temps we’re hitting today. Thanks!

  11. Beautiful post Deb. Especially enjoyed the photos of Hamilton Ranch and learning a bit of it’s history.
    I’m not one to drink a lot of water, even though I know how good it is for me. I never think to jazz it up with lemon, mint, and cucumbers. You’ve inspired me. And with the warmer weather arriving in Southern CA, it’s the perfect time to give it a try.

    1. Thank you for the gracious comment Mary! I am not much of a water drinker either, but infusing the water has changed my habits!

  12. The land in that area of California is my favorite, the soft, brush covered hills always appealing to me as we travel through. There’s an area close to us, nearer to the Baja California border called Jamul, and the land is similar to the Hamilton ranch land, but is sparsely populated by old oak trees. Beautiful photos and thoughts of Steinbeck’s magic to enjoy this morning with my coffee. I’ll have to make some infused water. I’ve always enjoyed it when we stay at a nice hotel and they offer it in the reception area. Your herb & lemon combination sounds perfect.

    1. Thank you for the gracious comment Kelly! I’ve also had the infused water when traveling but never thought to try it at home. I have really enjoyed the subtle flavors!

  13. We offer infused water to people who come into our cancer support centre from herbs that we grow in the Centre’s garden. Cucumber and mint is always a favourite, but in the height of summer we sometimes pop strawberries or peach under the ice and let the flavour filter through. This idea is so refreshing and so simple to do. I should do it more often for myself. And gosh that sounds pretty harrowing about the rattlesnakes – yikes!

    1. Thank you for commenting Kellie! Oh peach and strawberry sound divine! I stayed away from the rattlesnakes, they were quite upset about being bothered!

  14. A classic Deb! How great to be able to visit in person and learn more at the same time. The bleak but beautiful landscape certainly sets the tone! And you must be reading my mind as I’ve been eying up my mint patch recently and thinking about delicious drinks!

    1. Thank you for commenting Deena! I’m hooked on infusing my water. The subtle flavor has made it easier for me to drink more water.

  16. I bet that tour was fascinating, and the heat and dust just brings it home to you how much we rely on modern comforts like refrigerators! I’ll have to try this water with cucumber. I sometimes chill some with lemon verbena or lemon balm in it.

  17. Another beautiful stunning post with a touching story. I love cucumber, mint and lemon water. Sometimes I use sparkling water.

  19. I love this story–it gives the background for this recipe (or subtle infusion, which I think is still pretty great) such depth and sincerity. I honestly can’t believe how well-integrated these aspects are on your blog! Thanks for the fantastic read and heat-wave saver!

    1. Oh Ala! Thank you so much! This is one post I just wasn’t sure about. With barely a recipe and photos taken in the heat, dust and wind I had thoughts of just letting it blow away….LOL

  20. I can think of nothing more refreshing on a hot day than your infused water. My mint plant is very happy (code for quite abundant!) so I will have to make a pitcher this week!

    1. Thank you for the lovely comment Laura! I am a tad jealous of your mint plant, mine has barely begun to emerge from winter. I drink so much more water when I take the time to infuse a wisp of flavor.

  21. I’ve never been to the Steinbeck Festival. It sounds wonderful! Thank you for sharing your experience 🙂

    The flavored water sounds lovely…very refreshing.

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