Barley water is a very nutritious, cooling drink that helps bring down fever. It is also useful for those suffering from bronchitis and asthma. Barley is not gluten-free, however, so if you need to avoid gluten please don’t try this remedy:
- Wash 1⁄2 cup of pearl barley and add it to a large pot with 1⁄2 gallon of cold water.
- Bring it to a simmer and let it cook for one hour.
- Strain the barley from the liquid, and set aside the liquid to cool. (You can discard the barley grains, but you may want to add the grains to soups or eat as a porridge – they are rich in fiber and other nutrients that don’t dissolve in the cooking water.)
- Squeeze in the juice of one fresh lemon, which adds bioflavonoids to boost the immune response. Add sugar or honey if desired, or simply add lemon or lime peel to taste, and add a piece of ice.
If you intend to use barley water as a fever remedy, you should make a rather thick and “milky” drink. If that’s the case, use double or triple the amount of barley.