Raspberry lemonade

Spring is on the way!  The sun has been shining with great promise for the last week or so.  We have been spoilt with two sunny weekends in a row.  Last weekend I was so optimistic.  E hung the washing outside.  Sylvia blew bubbles for Zinc to chase about the yard.  I weeded the garden and started making lemon barley water.

Then we went to CERES cafe which was understandably busy but the service left a lot to be desired.  Not its finest hour.  The same might be said of the lemon barley water.  I have been thinking about Lucy's recipe for some time.  It has occurred to me at many times this winter while I have wondered about what to do with all the meyer lemons produced by our little tree.

The sunshine last weekend seemed right for a refreshing cool drink.  My mum had told me I need to pick the lemons.  I don't eat so many lemons in winter.  But it seemed they wouldn't wait for summer.  So I put on the barley to soak.

I rubbed the sugar in the lemon rinds.  Lucy says that this is satisfying work.  I agree.  It left my fingers with a wonderful lemon scent.  I love lemon zest more than lemon juice.  It has a pleasingly intense fragrance.  The juice is just too tart for my liking.  So you see, I am not the biggest lemon fan.  Lemons are usually (and often) a bit player in my recipes, rarely the star. 

Making lemon drink was a risk.  Blame the lemons.  They looked so gorgeous.  Our own harvest seemed too special to fritter away with a tablespoon here and there.  I have enjoyed lemon barley water in the past.  The very idea of it attracted me.  It reminds me of sitting watching the tennis on the telly in summer with Ken Rosewell advertising barley water.  When our visit to CERES was such a disappointment, I was looking forward to coming home to a nice glass of lemonade.

I love  my fizzy drinks so I had decided to make it more concentrated and add soda water.  We sat in the sun on the verandah and tasted it.  The drink was nice but it wasn't very sweet and tasted far too much of lemon for my tastes.  So I bought some frozen raspberries to add with a bit of honey.  After gritting my teeth as I sieved the raspberries into the lemon mixture, I finished making my drink not mid afternoon but after dinner!

The drink still tasted quite lemony but with added sweetness and fruitiness.  It hasn't been a huge hit but Sylvia and I have enjoyed a glass from time to time during the week.  Sylvia had a cold last week and wasn't eating much so I figured that she could do worse than have the lemon, honey and extra energy in the drink.

This is definitely a drink for summer.  Maybe if our lemon tree gives us fruit in the warmer weather I will have another go at a pink lemonade.  I am not so sure about the honey, which I found had a strong flavour but I think that raspberry and lemon (or lime) is a great flavour combination.  With some ice blocks and a sprig or two or mint, this would be a fine cooling drink on a hot day.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Banana buttermilk muffins
This time two years ago:The old and the new – date scones and vego loaf
This time four years ago: WTSIM ... Beggars Burgers

Raspberry lemonade - work in progress
lemon barley part from Lucy
makes almost 750ml concentrate

3 tbsp barley (optional)
500ml water
4 medium lemons
1/2 cup raw sugar
2 cups raspberries (I used frozen)
1/3 cup honey (or other sweetener)
soda water and ice cubes, to serve (about 3-4 parts soda water to each part of concentrate)

Bring water and barley to the boil and simmer for about 15.  (Or don't add the barley, esp if you want a gluten free drink.)

While barley is simmering, peel lemon peel off lemon using a vegetable peeler. Mix peel and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Use your hands to rub sugar into peel to release the oils.

When barley has finished simmering, pour barley and hot water over lemon peels and sugar. Leave to cool.

I then gently heated raspberries and honey in a small saucepan but next time I would try just adding raspberries and honey to barley and water to soften them.

Sieve raspberry and lemon mixture together.  Keep concentrate in the fridge and serve with soda water and ice cubes, to taste.

On the stereo:
Elton John's Greatest Hits