Barley Sugar

Barley Sugar is a traditional British recipe, based on Robert Kemp Philp's recipe of 1859, for a classic sweet (candy) of sugar heated until melted and cooked to setting point that's flavoured with lemon juice, cooled on a marble slab and cut into strips that are twisted into spirals. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Barley Sugar.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

80 minutes

Total Time:

100 minutes

Makes:

20+

Rating:

Tags : British Recipes

This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Barley Sugar that's derived from Robert Kemp Philp's 1859 volume, The Dictionary of Daily Wants. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.

Original Recipe

BARLEY SUGAR.—Clarify the quantity of sugar required, and boil it to that degree, that upon dipping in a wooden stick and plunging it in cold water, the sugar becomes crisp and will snap; flavour with lemon juice, or oil of lemons; rub a little fresh butter over a stone or marble slab, and pour the sugar along it in narrow strips; twist it to a spiral form while warm; and when it becomes cold, mark it across with a knife, and it will break into any lengths desired.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

500g sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

Add the sugar to a pan and bring to a boil, without stirring. Continue boiling until the sugar reaches the Hard Crack Stage (when you drop a bit of this syrup into cold water, it will solidify into threads that, when removed from the water, are brittle and will shatter). Take off the heat and beat in the lemon juice.

Butter a marble slab, pour over the sugar mixture in a series of narrow strips. Whilst still warm twist these strips into spirals then allow to cool completely before marking across with a knife and snapping to the desired length.

Find more Traditional Victorian Recipes Here