This is just a theory. At various times of the year, farmers used to rely on gangs of itinerant workers for harvest, sheep shearing, picking out etc. The custom was that the farmer would provide food and drink. Frequently the drink was beer. It's hard to know what's going on in the mind of a sheep, but it's reasonable to assume that a sheep would rather be de-fleeced by a sober sheerer than one feeling the effects of five pints of the local peculiar. Beer's name and content are both derived from barley, so lemon barley water may have been a substitute for beer and that's why it was once given to center court players at Wimbledon.
Ingredients
1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon pearl barley
6 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
2 pints (1 liter) of water
Equipment
3 pint enamel pan
Method
Put the pearl barley into the pan, cover with water. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and pour off the water, the pearl barley stays conveniently on the bottom of the pan. Refill the pan with two pints of water. Cut the lemon in two, squeeze the juice out of each half and put the remains of the fruit in the liquid and add the sugar. Bring the liquid to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Give the pan a stir once every few minutes and press any remaining juice from the lemons. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes. When the liquid is cool enough to safely pour it into a serving jug, pour it into a serving jug and place in the fridge until pleasantly cool.
Comment
Vary the amount of sugar according to taste.
Page Created: 2nd July 2001