Lemon Barley Water - Tastes from the Lost Victorian City

In conjunction with our 'Lost Victorian City' exhibition, we've dug into the archives to recover some of the tastes of Victorian London. Some might be familiar, others less so, but we'll have fun along the way! The following recipe comes from an 1889 publication called "Instruction in Cookery" published by the School Board for London. The book would have been awarded as a prize to pupils who successfully completed the cookery syllabus.

Cookery recipes at this time can often reveal fascinating insights into cookery during the Victorian period. Technology which we perhaps take for granted now - refrigeration and controllable oven and hob settings being the most prominent examples. 

This time, we've recreated the classic Lemon Barley Water! Why not try the recipe yourself...

Barley Water recipe, 1889

Ingredients:

• 1 oz pearl barley (about 30 g)
• 1 qt. Cold water (about 1 litre)
• Lemon or orange rind and sugar to taste

Method: -

Just cover the barley with cold water, let it boil up and strain it away / Then add the quart of water and lemon or orange rind, simmer one hour, and strain and sweeten to taste.

N.B. - This makes quite a nourishing drink when allowed to simmer the full hour; and if acids can be taken, the lemon or orange juice is an improvement, and is sometimes much liked by working men as a summer drink.

Our experience...

As with a lot of recipes of the time, some of the instructions can be a little vague - "Lemon or orange rind and sugar to taste" for example. We used the grated zest of one large lemon, and a couple of teaspoons of granulated sugar. Boiling for an hour seemed excessive, but we persevered! Once the mix had been cooked for an hour, we stuck in in a bottle, and let if cool before the all important taste test! 

The result - some slightly lemony, sugary water. Disappointing! 

But...

Then we re-read the recipe and noticed the all important note at the end - "...if acids can be taken, the lemon or orange juice is an improvement". Doh!

After adding the lemon juice to the drink, we tasted again and - Success! Classic lemon barley water for a summers day! We think it's suitable for everyone on a hot summers day - not just Victorian working men as indicated in the recipe!

Your turn - 

If you've tried this out for yourself, let us know what you think by using, #LostVictorianCityRecipe on social media.

Want to try your hand at more? Why not reconnect with old time favourites like Rock cake, Pea soup, Figgy pudding? Perhaps you'd like something more challenging? Would you like to try your hand at Goblet Pie, Tea cup pudding, Mince Meat (it's actually vegan!!), Roly-Poly Pudding? We've digitised the whole book for you to explore!