2 tablespoons pearl barley
1 lb. granulated white cane sugar
Pinch (1/16 teaspoon) cream of tartar
juice of 1/2 lemon
Rinse the barley. Place it in a saucepan with 1 cup (1/2 pint) cold fresh water. Bring to a boil. Drain, rinse barley with cold water.
Place barley back in saucepan. Add to it 3-1/2 cups (1-3/4 pints) cold fresh water.
Bring to boil, then cover and simmer. Cook this 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Remove from heat. Strain the barley water into a measuring cup. Measure out 18 fluid ounces of barley water (if there isn’t enough, add some more cold water to it).
Pour the barley water into the saucepan, and add the sugar and cream of tartar. Stir over low heat until dissolved, then turn up the heat.
Cook this mixture to the soft ball stage.
Add the lemon juice.
Cook to the hard crack stage – actually, about 2-3 minutes beyond this. You want the candy to be brittle and break into threads, but not stick to the teeth.
Pour the candy onto a buttered or marble slab. Fold the edges inward. Cut into strips with oiled scissors and let cool.
Note 1:
I’ve seen at different Web sites other recipes for “barley sugar candy” which contain only sugar syrup and lemon but no barley at all; apparently the name remains from a time when it actually did contain barley extract. In America this is called “hard candy.”
Note 2:
The extract known as “barley water” is supposed to have medicinal properties. It’s supposed to ease respiratory infections and stomach upset.