Keep yourself and your loved ones cool with this refreshing Lemon Barley Water!
Lemon barley water is a refreshing drink made with lemon barley cordial and soda water. This drink is similar to homemade lemonade. Make a pitcher of this to serve at a picnic, party or anytime a refreshing non-alcoholic drink is in order.
Lemon Barley Cordial
The base of this drink is a lemon barley cordial. The cordial is made by:
- Boiling pearl barley and lemon zest.
- Adding sugar, stirring to dissolve.
- Adding freshly squeezed lemon juice.
(See the recipe below for full details)
The cordial can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for at least a few weeks. In its simplest form, you can just dilute the cordial with plain tap water – it will be delicious – or you can go a step further by following this recipe to turn it into something a bit more special.
Lemon Barley Bitters
Transform your lemon barley cordial into a fizzy drink kids and adults will love. Combine the lemon barley cordial with soda water, top with a dash of bitters and serve on ice. Garnish it with mint leaves and lemon slices, and you will have a very pretty drink to serve up.
Serving Lemon Barley Water
Pre-mix the lemon barley cordial and soda water in a jug (pitcher). A glass pitcher is best, like this elegant Ladelle Sunflower Jug. The clear glass will show off the drink's lovely yellows and greens, while the sunflowers add a fun and retro feel – the perfect match to this drink!
This jug is great for holding any cold drink. It is made from high quality glass and it's heavy enough that you don't have to worry about it knocking over, yet light enough that it pours very smoothly. It's also a beautiful jug to display alongside your other glassware.
What to do with the leftover pearl barley?
When making lemon barley cordial you’ll be left with boiled pearl barley and lemon zest once you’ve strained away the liquid. You can either discard it, or add to soups or stews for extra bulk and flavour. The pearl barley won’t be fully cooked so just allow at least 15 minutes of extra cooking time if using in another recipe.
The leftover pearl barley and lemon zest can be stored in a zip lock bag in the fridge for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to three months.
Lemon Barley Water Recipe
Ingredients
Lemon Barley Cordial (makes approx. 1.7L, or approximately 3 jugs – will keep for several weeks)
- 2/3 cups of pearl barley (about 115 gm)
- Zest of 4 lemons
- 1.5 L boiling water
- 250 gm caster sugar (can be substituted with regular sugar)
- 200 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (roughly 4 lemons)
Lemon Barley Bitters (makes 800 ml, enough to fill one 950 ml pitcher similar to the Ladelle Sunflower Jug)
- 500 ml lemon barley cordial
- 300 ml soda water (can be substituted with sparkling water or plain water)
- Ice cubes
- Bitters (highly recommended but can be omitted if not available)
- Lemon slices (used as a garnish – can be omitted)
- Mint leaves (used as a garnish – can be omitted)
Method
Lemon Barley Cordial
- Wash the pearl barley – place the pearl barley in a strainer and rinse under a running tap.
- Boil the pearl barley and lemon zest – place pearl barley, lemon zest and water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to the boil, then boil on medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Weigh out the sugar – weigh out the sugar and place in a heatproof bowl, preferably one with a spout.
- Strain the pearl barley – strain the pearl barley mixture into the bowl with the sugar, then stir to dissolve the sugar. The pearl barley/lemon zest can either be discarded or used in another recipe.
- Add the lemon juice – add the lemon juice, give the liquid a stir then let it cool to room temperature.
- Store – pour the liquid into sterilised glass jars. Store in the fridge, where it will keep for at least a few weeks.
Lemon Barley Bitters
- Combine the cordial with soda water – combine the cordial with soda water in a jug. If you are using something other than a 950 ml capacity jug, then combine using a 5:3 ratio.
- Ice – fill glasses with ice, top with the cordial/soda water mixture.
- Bitters – add a dash of bitters, and give the glasses a gentle shake so the bitters drop beneath the surface, creating layers.
- Garnish – garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves.
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