Barley Water
Ingredients
Directions
Boil the pearl barley in 1 quart of water for 6 to 8 hours, replacing water as it evaporates.
Strain the mixture through a linen cloth.
Add a pinch of salt to the strained liquid.
Let the barley water cool before using.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Pearl barley
- Releases starch and soluble compounds into the water, giving the liquid body and a mild grain flavor.
The step that matters
Replacing water as it evaporates. Long simmering concentrates the liquid and can scorch the barley or leave it dry. Keeping the barley covered with water keeps the extraction even and the flavor clean.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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