Barley Tea - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 ounces roasted barley (1/4 cup)
1 1/2 pints water
honey, can be added to help sooth sore throat
lemon, can be added to help sooth sore throat

Preparation

To make plain barley water i1/2 put two ounces of barley into a small saucepan along with 1-1/2 pints of water.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 minutes.
Strain through cheesecloth, forcing out all the juice.
Barley water is a very nutritious cooling drink that helps bring down fever.
It is also useful for those suffering from bronchitis and asthma.
To Roast barley(use pot or pearl barleyi1/2pearled barley being more refined than pot barley but making no difference to the tea).
In a hot a cast iron skillet until a drop of water sizzles when dropped into pan.
Measure barley into a sieve and rinse under cold running water.
Towel dry.
Put barley in skillet and dry roast, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for even toasting, until it turns golden.
Over-roasting will produce a coffee-like drink!
To make a caffeine-free coffee substitute, roast the barley until it is brown.
Cool and grind.
Then roast again until fragrant and very dark-- but not burnt.
Use in place of regular ground coffee, experimenting with amounts until desired strength is reached.