Cooking Barley

Hi all,
I'm interested to know how to cook Barley ?
Can we cook and eat it or just drink water from boiling.
Can anyone tell how long to boil ?
Thanks
Mangai

Originally Posted by mangaii

Hi all,
I'm interested to know how to cook Barley ?
Can we cook and eat it or just drink water from boiling.
Can anyone tell how long to boil ?
Thanks
Mangai

Mangai
I usually cook in stove top .. till now I have not measured. Pearl barley requires more water to cook. so maybe 1: 3 ratio that is 3 water.
It does take long time to cook.
maybe you can try cooker too.
Do tell me also so I can cook it.

Hi AC Madam,
Thanks for your reply.I read about Barley and found that there are many varieties .I don't know how I can find out the type I have. Some recipes say soak some say cook directly.If anyone have any info please let me.
Thanks
Mangai

Originally Posted by mangaii

Hi AC Madam,
Thanks for your reply.I read about Barley and found that there are many varieties .I don't know how I can find out the type I have. Some recipes say soak some say cook directly.If anyone have any info please let me.
Thanks
Mangai

About Barley
Like wheat, barley consumption predates written history. Nomadic tribes began cultivating barley first as a cereal grain and soon after as a beer-brewing ingredient. Barley is full of vitamins and is a good source of fiber, complex carbohydrates and protein. Barley is low in fat and has no cholesterol.
While barley has a more distinctive flavor than rice, it, like rice, is a delicious base for soups, stews, salads, curries, casseroles and desserts.
Following are some common forms of barley available today:
Pearl barley is a whole-grain barley from which the outer hull has been removed. It is the most common form available. Pearl barley comes in both regular and quick-cooking forms.
Barley flakes make a delicious hot cereal. Cook them as you would oatmeal. Or, use barley flakes in baked goods.
Barley flour is a low-gluten flour. It can be used in baked items to add a distinctive flavor, but it should be combined with wheat flour to achieve the proper results. In general, you can replace up to 25% of the wheat flour with barley flout in yeast breads and up to 50% of the wheat flour with barley flour in cookies and quick breads.

Basic Cooked Pearl Barley
Makes 31/2 - 4 cups
Pearl barley requires no soaking. Take a couple of minutes to sort through it and remove any stones or extraneous materials that may have slipped through the packaging process. Instant or quick-cooking barley usually cooks in 10 to 12 minutes. Follow package directions for specifics.
1 cup regular pearl barley
3 cups water or stock
1/2 tsp. salt, if using water
Place barley, water and salt, if using, in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 45 minutes, until barley is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Fluff grains with a fork. Cool before refrigerating.

Hope this is helpful Mangai.

Dear AC...

Interesting and informative... Helped me too. Will try to buy Barley flakes next time. Thanks for sharing with us..