Barley - Power Foods; includes recipe

Better Nutrition (1989-90), Jan, 1990 by Nancy Saltmarsh

Barley

Barley is one of the seven grains high in natural sugars and easy to digest. It has been used medicinally for many centuries in the form of barley water for digestive problems.

Barley is available in many forms. In the United States, the majority is ground or rolled for use in mixed feeds for animals. High quality barley may be made into malt by sprouting the grain and then drying it. Malt is used to make beer, liquor, malted milk beverages and flavorings. Barley flour contains natural sugar and is low in gluten, although it is not recommended for patients with gluten intolerance. Barley milk, made by squeezing out juice from cooked barley, can ease nausea and digestive complaints.

Whole barley, which is sometimes available in natural food stores, has only its outer hull removed. Its vitamin and mineral content is intact and it is significantly higher in protein, potassium, calcium and iron than pearl barley, according to Rebecca Wood in The Whole Foods Encyclopedia. "This grain cooks into a chewy sustaining dish. Try it plain, combined with another grain, combined with beans or cooked with extra water to make a breakfast porridge," said Wood.

Pearled, or pearl, barley, she said, has had its bran polished off and has lost all of its fiber and one-half of its protein, fat and minerals. Pearled barley is the most commonly available barley. Often the pearled barley found in natural food stores has undergone fewer pearlings than that found in a supermarket, as indicated by its larger size.

Barley flour is starchy, sweet and low in gluten. When baked it becomes a grayish color. Barley grass is the chlorophyll-rich grass of young barley which is consumed freshly juiced or dried and powdered.

Powdered barley leaves can be mixed with cold water or vegetable juice for a refreshing drink. Barley juice, a health food store product increasing in popularity, is made by squeezing the leaves of young barley plants, usually when the plants reach approximately 12 inches in height. The leaves of young barley are extremely efficient at absorbing nutrients from the soil. Consequently, barley juice is an excellent source of all the essential amino acids, chlorophyll and vitamins A, C and B-Complex.

Barley malt technically refers to malt sugar, which is a buff-colored crystalline powder. It is made by evaporating the water out of barley malt syrup. Malt sugar is becoming increasingly available in health food stores as a superior sugar replacement that is less sweet but adds a better texture and pleasing nutty flavor to baked goods. To prevent the hardening of malt sugar, store it in a closed glass jar in a cool, dry place. To prevent infestation, try to use it within six months of purchase, store it in glass jars or keep it in tightly closed sacks.

Liquid barley malt is available in barley extract and barley-corn malt. The extract is 100 percent barley malt and usually tastes as strong as blackstrap molasses. Barley malt is mostly carbohydrate although it contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals. It is the least expensive of the quality natural sweeteners.

Barley makes a gentle and healthful hot cereal for babies. Here is an easy recipe, found in The Color-Coded Allergy Cookbook by Gloria D. Autry & T.D. Allen:

Baby's Barley Cereal

1/4 cup salt-free butter 1/4 cup barley flour

Fruit and milk, if desired Cook oil and flour until mixture bubbles. Add 1 1/2 cups of water slowly, stirring constantly until thickened. Bring to boil 1 minute. Serve with fruit and milk, if desired.