Summer Time Freshness! Feat 5 Coolers You Can Make At Home!

When the days start to feel like months and the nights are over in the blink of an eye, when your fuzzy blankets become a suffocating friend and the hot cup of coffee leaves behind sweats, when the sun shines brighter than our future and the birds get louder than ever, you know it's the beginning of a happy season or as you call it, Summer season!

And I know that the temptation of stepping out for a breezy walk or planning vacay with your friends and family, is beginning to fill you up with a lot of angst but you need to take a chill-pill and stay indoors now more than ever. 

Now that's where we come in. Since you can't go out to greet summer, your old friend, we are bringing summer season to you. An icy cool glass of your favourite beverage stacked with fruity goodness and rejuvenating elements made by your own safe hands should do for now.   

1. Milk Soda

Milk and soda are two things that don't get along until you mix them. A desi coolant recipe of all time from the land of over-enthused people, Punjab is a great #drinkfix for people who hate milk. And guess what? It's extremely easy to make. 

Image Courtesy: Taste Of Home

Ingredients:

Full Fat Milk

Strawberry Concentrated Squash

Soda/Seven-up

How to make milk soda?

• Boil the milk and let it chill in the refrigerator until cool.
• Fill half 3/4th part of your glass with this milk and add the strawberry concentrated squash to your likeness. Stir well.
• Pour soda/seven-up in the remaining glass and serve. No need to stir.

Side tip: I love the strawberry flavour but you can use squash of your liking.

2. Cucumber Mint

There is nothing that says Happy summers than a refreshing glass of cucumber mint and there are no two ingredients that have a stronger bond than cucumber and mint. With the amount of water, cucumber has, you can stay hydrated for a thousand years (Just exaggerating to make my point).

Image Courtesy: First Look, Then Cook

Ingredients:

Cucumber 

Sugar

Mint leaves 

Water 

How to make cucumber mint?

• Peel and chop the cucumber put it in a blender.
• Take 1 tsp of sugar, 6-8 mint leaves along with a cup of water and mix it with the chopped cucumber.
• Use a blender to do so. 
• Sieve out the lumpy part and add some black salt. Mix it well.
• Add 3 more cups of water in the resultant, garnish it with mint leaves and serve cold!

Side Tip: If you don't have mint leaves you can use basil leaves instead. 

3. Mediterranean Blush

Fancy a drink that is healthy, fruity and summer-fresh rejuvenating? Well, Mediterranean Blush has watermelon and orange which is not only a deadly combo but also has high nutritional value. Drink this instead of aerated ones and your mom will be the happiest person in the whole wide world!

Image Courtesy: Taste Of Home

Ingredients:

Watermelon

Orange

How to make Mediterranean Blush?

• Open up a watermelon and slice it up in chunks in a quantity enough to fill at least 2 cups. 
• Take a medium-sized orange and remove the peel.
• Put both the fruits in a blender. Don't forget to de-seed the watermelon.
• Blend and sieve.
• Garnish it with a nicely cut watermelon and serve.

Side Tip: You can even add mint leaves for some flavours. The cooler is sweet and healthy in itself but if you feel the need, use powdered sugar for extra sweetness. 

4. Muskmelon Juice

Not just a cooler but a high on fibre, dietary prefered drink that reduces body heat and controls blood pressure. This refreshing treat is like a doctor of cooler drinks. Muskmelon is also known for its antioxidants which means real good for immunity and god knows we really do need more of these right now.

Image Courtesy: Archana's Kitchen

Ingredients:

Muskmelon

Jaggery/Cane sugar

How to make muskmelon?

• Peel and slice up the juicy muskmelon and remove the seeds.
• Put it in the blender and add jaggery or cane sugar to your taste. 
• Blend and sieve. 
• Serve cold with ice.

Side tip: Taste your melon once so you know how much jaggery or cane sugar should be added. 

5. Aamras

Greetings of the season from everyone's favourite, Slayer of heat, Protector of the Human body, Father of all the drinks and the King of Fruits, Mango, the great! Believe it or not, Aamras is one of those things in our country that we are actually proud of and it is always prepared in a quantity that can be served to the entire neighbourhood. 

Image Courtesy: Srinu's 

Ingredients:

Riped Mango

Sugar

Cold Milk

Crushed Ice

How to make Aamras?

• Peel and chop the 1kg pulpy mangoes you bought for this very drink.
• Put it in the blender and add 1 cup of sugar. 
• Strain the mixture and add a single cup of milk. Mix it well.
• Take a glass filled with crushed ice as high as a quarter of the glass. Pour the mixture and serve it with love.

Side tip: If you want to make Aamras with a thinner density, add milk according to the taste and stir well. Don't go overboard though!

The season never looked so yummy at home!