By request, here is my lemon barley water recipe. This was a Spring Equinox 2014 discovery that rocked our world. The ultimate version is made with bergamot lemons (I get my from The Organic Farm Shop in Cirencester when they’re available) and good Sicilian honey. But really any ol’ unwaxed lemons will do, and you can vary the honey to suit your tastes (or omit it completely which I sometimes do).

I usually boil the lemon rind with the barley but you can wait until after the barley’s cooked to add the rind to the hot water; just let it sit for a few hours to infuse. This way you get plain barley leftover that may be a bit more versatile for cooking.

Lemon Barley Water

Makes 6 cups.

• 3/4 cups pearl barley
• 6 cups water
• 2 lemons
• honey to taste (or other sweetener)

Method

1. Put the water in a saucepan. Peel the zest from the lemon and add to the water. Bring the water to a boil, then add the barley. Turn down the heat and let the barley simmer for 45 minutes until tender.
2. Strain the water from the barley, reserving the water.
3. Juice the lemons and add the juice to the barley water. Add honey to taste (I find 2 Tablespoons is pretty sufficient but add more or less to suit your tastes).
4. Drink hot or cold. Use the leftover barley to make an awesome salad or soup.