Pearl Barley Water with Fresh Lemon and Honey
Refreshing Simmered and Lightly Sweetened Grain Drink Served Cold
Jul 28, 2009
Flavored barley water can be served and enjoyed at any time of year, and it is most often drunk during the summer as a refreshing chilled drink. It can be made at home or purchased at the market, although there is more control of the ingredients if the recipe is made at home (where the addition of preservatives and other ingredients can be avoided) and can be sweetened to taste without oversweetening or undersweetening.
Barley water is a drink made from cooked barley grain or it can be made with barley flour. If made with grain barley, water is added and boiled then slowly simmered until the grain is very soft then finished in a number of ways. There are recipes that call for the water to be strained after reducing the liquid, after letting the mixture stand for several hours to allow the barley to really soften or strain as soon as the liquid is cooled. Recipes that call for barley flour call for a quick boil or simmer then straining.
Lemon, lime and orange are all popular flavorings to add to the cooked barley water, as are dried raisins or figs. If using a citrus juice, fresh squeezed lemon, lime or orange juice is added after straining and then sweetened. If using citrus zest or dried fruits, the citrus rind (white pith removed) or dried fruit is added to the mixture as it is being simmered. Spices such as cinnamon or ginger can also be used to flavor barley water. Sugar or honey are generally used as sweeteners.
The recipe below calls for straining after a slow simmer, then sweetened and flavored with peeled sliced lemons and honey. It is then allowed to cool and strained again. This recipe makes about 6 cups and will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
Pearl Barley Water with Fresh Lemon and Honey
Ingredients:
- 2 medium lemons, see preparation below
- 3 oz. pearl barley grain (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 pints water (6 cups)
- 3 1/2 oz. granulated sugar (about 1/2 cup), or to taste
- 1 Tbsp honey
Procedure:
- Finely grate the rind of the lemons, the yellow colored part only, avoiding any white pith. Reserve. Next, slice off the ends of each lemon and with a sharp paring knife, cut off the white pith and rest of the rind completely off the lemons. Slice each lemon into thin slices crosswise and reserve.
- Place the barley grain and water in a large saucepan or pot. Bring to a full boil, then reduce heat to a slow simmer.
- Add in the reserved finely grated lemon rind. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.
- Remove from heat and strain the liquid out into a heat proof mixing bowl, pressing on the solids to extract any liquid.
- Add in the sugar to taste, honey and the reserved sliced and peeled lemons. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Cool down the liquid, or let the barley water set on counter until it comes to room temperature.
- Strain the lemon barley water into jars or a covered pitcher and chill.
- Serve chilled over ice.
- Barley water will keep for about 5 days in the refrigerator. Stir well before serving.
For a recipe using pearl barley, try Pearl Barley Risotto with Shitake and Crimini Mushrooms.
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