LBW

When I was small, my Grandad would make me hot lemon barley whenever I felt a bit sick. He'd make it from concentrate - but I recently found a recipe somewhere on the internet for making it from scratch (something which had never even occurred to me as possible before) and I have been making and enjoying jars of it pretty much every day since. I thought I would share this because its so ridiculously easy I can't even believe it. Also, for once in my life it was actually light in my kitchen while I'm making it so I can take photographs.

First up you need some pearl barley. This is 49p a bag from Waitrose and I pretty much live on the stuff. The barley water is the natural by-product of the barley cooking process which is nice. Once you have cooked your pearl barley to enjoy for your lunch/dinner (boil for about 20minutes bish bosh bash) strain the water into a receptacle and leave it to stand for a while - I generally leave it overnight. This allows the grim slimy part (GSP) to separate. I'm sure there is nothing wrong with this part in fact I only started letting it separate recently, so its not necessary to allow it to stand - I just don't like the sediment. You can see it lurking at the bottom of the jug up there. Let it settle to the bottom and pour the good stuff out. Bin the GSP.

So then you want to pour your barley water into a jar or something. Get some lemons and some honey. You can see this all happening in the picture above - I'm sure I didn't need to explain it. From 1 cup of barley you should get half/ three quarters of a pasta jar of barley water. I tend to then top the jar up so its almost full, its nicer a bit watered down (I personally don't like it to taste too much like barley it can be a bit odd - which is why I like to filter out the GSP)

Whack in some lemon juice. I use 2 lemons because I like it quite tart.You didn't need a picture for this either.

Add as much honey as you like to sweeten it a bit. I put in the amount above. I couldn't tell you how much that is because I just squidge it in. But doesn't it look pretty all settled at the bottom?

You don't have to add honey, using oranges instead of/as well as lemons also works. I tend to just use whatever citrus I have in. Make sure when you are taking photos of you putting the honey in that you are not looking through your camera at the jar because honey will go everywhere except into the jar. Its a bit sticky in my kitchen just now.

Put lid on jar. Shake jar until honey and liquid merge. Put in the fridge. Presto. Pretty much the easiest thing I've ever made and means no waste from barley cooking. Genius. I keep mine in a jar so I can take it to work with me, where people often assume I am drinking a urine sample. Oh what japes!

Also happening in my kitchen -

A bowl of yeast is bubbling away waiting to be turned into cake and yes, I'm making almond milk. Isn't everyone?