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Drink

Simple Decoction of Pearl Barley

A simple decoction made by simmering pearl barley in water and straining the liquid.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 2 ingredients
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Simple Decoction of Pearl Barley

Ingredients

Directions

The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.

Prepare

  1. Rinse the pearl barley under cold water.

  2. In a pot, combine the rinsed barley and water.

Cook and serve

  1. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

  2. Strain the mixture to remove the barley, and serve the liquid warm.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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 flavour into the water, giving the decoction its body and taste.
Water
Extracts soluble compounds from the barley and forms the liquid base.

“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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