This week, Roy and I were flipping through a few recipes which were supplied by one of our close friends when we came across a recipe for Lemon Barley Water. Roy thought this recipe sounded very strange indeed, but for me, the name brought back memories of hot afternoons and time spent with my Great Grandmother and Great Aunt. Lemon Barley Water was a very popular drink in the past, being a health tonic as well as simply a very refreshing tipple. Roy suggested that we give it a go and see whether it was as nice as I remembered, and was very impressed with the resulting drink. He thought it would be simply perfect for a hot day. So this week, Roy Creates A Deliciously Refreshing Old Fashioned Drink – Lemon Barley Water.
You Will Need:
- ½ a cup of pearl barley
- 7 cups of water
- 3 lemons
- 2 tablespoons of castor sugar
Method:
- Start by putting the barley into a strainer and thoroughly washing it to remove any grit
- Transfer the barley to a large pot
- Grate the rind of all three lemons and add to the barley
- Add the water and bring the pot to the boil.
- Boil the barley for 30 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- When the liquid is cold, strain through a fine sieve, collecting the liquid in a large bowl. Discard the barley and any other solids.
- Juice the three lemons and add the juice to the barley water
- Stir in the sugar until it is dissolved
- Transfer to bottles and store in the refrigerator.
- This drink can be drunk undiluted, or else add it to lemonade.