I recently did some research on Barley water, and found some good information. This information is not easy to find, nor common so I thought I would share what I learned. I was initially searching for Asthma remedies when I came across this. But it would appear that Barley water is actually a "magic potion" of sorts. Don't discard your cooked barley afterwards either, as the barnyard animals would love to take care of it for you. This is just a compilation of different recipes and thoughts that i found on the matter. I have not authored any of this, or claim any rights to the info.
I also found a great article on the difference between Hulled and Pearled Barley
here:
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There is a booklet that is out of print, "Cookies for Dinner" by Faye Parker Reeves, and I have heard so many fantastic things from it. (I can no longer find a copy, but I spoke to the author today and it is currently being updated and a new version will be out soon.) My mom sent me this recipe out of it:
Faye’s method:
1½ t. to 1 T. barley
1 quart clean water, preferably distilled
After pouring off the cooked liquid, add 1 t. cream of tartar. Or add ¼ t. per cup
when you drink it.
Faye heats the water to almost boiling; pours it onto the barely; and lets it sit from 3
to 24 hours. Then she pours off the liquid and drinks it throughout the day.
Ruth’s method:
Ruth cooks her barley like rice, adds a gallon of water, keeps it in the refrigerator so
she has a week’s (or more) supply. Ruth drinks one cup of barley water with ¼ t.
cream of tartar every morning and is now off her asthma medication.
(Posted w/ permission from Faye.)
Home-made Barley Water
Barley water is a traditionally acclaimed drink which will support and nourish the kidneys in times of stress. It is an integral part of a kidney cleansing program, which will produce tremendous overall benefits.
You will need:
1/2 cup of whole barley
5 cups of water
1/4 of a Cinnamon stick
Grated Ginger
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
How to make:
Place the whole barley, water, the cinnamon stick, some grated ginger into a pan and simmer for 20 minutes.
After cooling, strain the mixture and finally add fresh lemon juice for extra flavour.
Drink between 1 and 3 cups daily
Ginger and Lemon Barley Water
2 litres water
1 cup caster sugar
150 grams pearl barley, washed and drained
2 lemons
100 grams fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
Remove the peel from the lemons, being careful not to leave any pith on the peel. Once this is done, juice the lemons.
Place the water and sugar into a saucepan and on a gentle heat, keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon peel, ginger slices and pearl barley and allow to simmer for 30 minutes before removing from the heat.
Strain through muslin to remove the barley, lemon and ginger pieces and allow to cool.
When cold add the lemon juice - taste, and if necessary add more sugar if desired. Store in the fridge and serve over ice.
Lemon and orange barley water
I make my own barley water, a humble water with a simple history, probably English, and very refreshing on those fine summer days.
1 cup pearl barley (I would suggest Hulled instead)
2 litres filtered water
rind of 1 lemon
rind of 2 oranges
brown sugar to taste (about 2-4 tbsp)
juice of 4 lemons
juice of 4 oranges
Method
Put the barley in a fine sieve and rinse under cold running water to remove dirt or dust. Place in a pot and cover with the filtered water. Bring to the boil then simmer on low, covered, for 40 minutes.
Strain, keeping the liquid and discarding the barley. While the liquid is still hot, add the lemon and orange rind and the sugar.
Stir well. Leave to cool, then stir in the lemon and orange juice.Strain, discarding the rind, and refrigerate. Makes 2 litres.
Lemon barley water
It immediately conjures up the magical image of white-clothed tennis players sipping the refreshing cordial during the change of ends at Wimbledon. Time please …
Makes 1.35 litres
Takes 10 minutes to make, plus cooling
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Ingredients
2 organic unwaxed lemons
50g caster suger
125g pearl barley
1. Finely grate the zest from the lemons and place in a large glass bowl with caster sugar. Rinse pearl barley and add to the bowl with 1.2 litres boiling water. Stir well and leave to cool.
2. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and mix into the cooled barley water. Strain through a sieve and chill. Serve with lots of ice and the strawberry cream cheese sandwiches.
I have tried barley water when suffering a severe asthma attack, and I can testify that it worked better and faster than an inhaler. (unsure who said this)
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FAQ:
* Does the water need to be stored in the fridge or is it safe on the counter? It is safe on the counter for the first 6 to 12 hours.
* How often should someone with breathing difficulties drink the water? As often as they want to. My sister drinks it every morning. After some friends learned about barley water, they don't drink anything else. It is food. You can't over dose on it. However, it may cause a cleanse and you may have symptoms for a while.
* What to do with all the barley you cook? My sister throws it away. My Chiropractor eats it. I used to save it in the freezer, and make beef barley soup. Maybe you can come up with another suggestion.
* Can you freeze the cooked barley? Yes, absolutely. I did freeze some, but I forgot to label it. My son threw it away. Thank you for the reminder. I do not drink it on a regular basis. So, I want to have some for emergencies, and having it in ice cubes would be the best way to do that.
Until Friday evening, I would have told you that the cream of tartar is very necessary. However, since then, 2 people have told me the barley water works wonders even without the cream of tartar.
I have never thought about sealing/bottling barley water. Yes, I think that would be great. Leave the barley in it.
I made some rather strong barley water, put it into ice cubes, and planned to transfer them to a plastic bag. Before it got into the plastic bag, my son threw away the cubes from the tray. I guess I should try it again.
However, in an emergency, just pouring warm water on the barley, and drinking it will do something. My other sister throws a few kernels into a cup, pours hot water on it, waits 5 to 10 minutes, and drinks it.
I just thought of another way to have this on hand, just in case of emergency mind you. Go to Harmon's and buy a bottle. It is expensive. But, one bottle would be enough to give us time to make a batch.
Be sure to get the raw barley.
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Sooo, after reading this 2 plus days ago, I came home and soaked some barley overnight and have drank my barley water, cream of tartar mixture for 2 mornings now. I love it! No, I don't have major breathing problems. I am stuffed up all the time just to make life a little miserable. I can smell things again!! Thanks so much
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In the recipe to make Barley Water, it calls for a pinch of salt.
Leave it out.
When cooking any grain, salt toughens the outer layers, and keeps the minerals from being released. If you want the taste of salt, add it after it is cooked. This rule goes for all grains, including rice.
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I have to say this stuff is great. I was having problems breathing all night and this morning was having a mild asthma attack (first one in over 3 years).X and XXX helped, they had some and both I and my husband drank it down and within minutes I could breathe again without feeling like my lungs would explode!!
Cream of tartar is a very good source of Potassium
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Most of the above info came from the following thread on a forum:
