How to cook pearl barley correctly

Useful properties of pearl barley
Rules for choosing quality cereals
How to properly store pearl barley at home
Do I need to soak pearl barley before cooking?
How to soak pearl barley before cooking
How long to cook pearl barley until done?
How to cook pearl barley porridge with milk
How to cook pearl barley porridge in a slow cooker
How to cook pearl barley as a side dish without soaking
Mistakes when cooking pearl barley

Properly cooked pearl barley can become the main ingredient in healthy and satisfying dishes. By adding raisins, pieces of dried apricots or berries, you can get a delicious breakfast that all children will enjoy. And to make a complete lunch, add meat snacks and vegetable stew to the boiled pearl barley.

The most appetizing and high-quality pearl barley porridge is obtained by correctly calculating the proportion of water and cereal. Before cooking, the cereal is first separated from the remaining husks, dust and plant debris by rinsing several times in cold water. Read this article about how and how much to cook pearl barley and how to choose the right grain.

Useful properties of pearl barley

Pearl barley is made from peeled barley grains, and as you know, this cereal crop is rich in nutrients and brings many benefits to the body.

First of all, I would like to talk about what substances the cereal contains. It contains a lot of fiber, which helps cleanse the body, as well as proteins, fats, amino acids, and polysaccharides. The composition includes trace elements such as copper, iron, molybdenum, manganese, zinc, and selenium. The microelements found in pearl barley include magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and sodium. The grains also contain vitamins B, A, D, E and PP.

Beneficial properties of pearl barley for humans:

helps improve bowel function and reduces the risk of constipation;
pearl barley contains vitamin PP, which improves the condition of skin, hair and nails;
B vitamins included in pearl barley porridge improve the functioning of the nervous system and have a positive effect on sleep and appetite;
contains many amino acids that have a rejuvenating effect;
with regular use, immunity increases and the functioning of the endocrine system improves;
saturates with energy for the whole day. There is no feeling of hunger for a long time.

Rules for choosing quality cereals

The most delicious and healthy porridge is made from high-quality pearl barley. To choose the right product in the store, you must adhere to the basic rules:

Package . First of all, pay attention to the integrity of the package; there should be no scratches, holes or strong dents on it. It is preferable to purchase cereals in transparent packaging - this way there is a greater chance that you will see bad grains and be able to make sure that there is no debris.
Color . Before putting the package in the basket, you need to take a good look at the color of the grains, as this is one of the signs of a fresh or spoiled product. The color of the cereal varies from white to yellow. There is nothing bad if you come across grains of a greenish tint.
Flowability . Well-dried cereals do not stick together in the package. To check the pearl barley for “flowability”, you need to turn the packaging over - if the grains roll individually, then the product is of high quality.
Best before date . Be sure to read the information on the packaging to be sure of the freshness of the product. To do this, look for the “Best before” line, which indicates the date until which the product can be stored. Expired cereal is hard, it takes a long time to cook, and besides, old pearl barley loses some of its beneficial properties.
Presence of garbage . If the packaging is made of transparent material, then it will be easier for you to determine whether there is debris in the cereal. The purer the pearl barley, the less time you will lose preparing the cereal before cooking.

Do I need to soak pearl barley before cooking?

When soaked, the grains become more tender and soft, and the cooking time is significantly reduced. If you refuse this procedure, you will have to cook the pearl barley longer, at least 1 hour.

I would also like to say that when the cereal is soaked, it gets rid of inhibitory substances that contribute to long-term storage. Despite this positive quality, these substances cause harm to the human body, so it is advisable to get rid of them by first soaking the pearl barley in water.

When soaking, excess starch is removed from the surface of the grains, which makes the boiled grains slimy. Therefore, to make the side dish crumbly, it is recommended to leave the pearl barley in water for a couple of hours.

Conclusion. It is not necessary to soak the pearl barley; it will still cook. But so that the cooking process ends faster and the dish turns out tasty and healthy, it is still advisable to soak the pearl barley overnight so that you can start cooking in the morning.

How to soak pearl barley before cooking

The process of soaking barley does not take much effort and time. It is necessary to have cereals, a deep bowl and drinking water on hand. When choosing the size of the container, keep in mind that the cereal swells and doubles in size.

Rinse the grains well in several waters and remove debris. Then pour into a glass container and fill with cold water so that it completely covers the cereal. If you plan to cook porridge from pearl barley, then soak it for 2-3 hours. For pickle, you need to use maximum crumbly cereal, so it is kept in water for 5 to 12 hours.

Good to know. When the soaking process is complete, drain the water from the container and rinse the cereal again. This procedure will help get rid of mucus and remaining debris.

Features of cooking pearl barley for soup

If you need cereal for pickle soup or any other soup, then you should not cook it together with other ingredients. Otherwise, the broth will turn out cloudy and viscous. Therefore, the pearl barley should be boiled in any convenient way until tender, drained in a colander and rinsed with water. After this, add to the first dish 5-7 minutes before the end of cooking.

It is very convenient to make preparations for these purposes: freeze the cooled porridge in small portions in bags, and then use it as needed.

Barley is an undeservedly forgotten healthy cereal. It's actually not difficult to prepare. As a side dish, it can be combined with almost any salty or sweet ingredients, and is much cheaper than other cereals.

How long to cook pearl barley until done?

The duration of preparation of pearl barley is influenced by two factors:

Shelf life . Fresh grains cook faster than stale ones.
Soaking . When adding dry cereal to water, the cooking process increases significantly.

To get a crumbly side dish, you need to cook the pre-soaked grains for 40 minutes from the moment of boiling; rich porridge is cooked a little longer - about 1 hour. Without pre-soaking, pearl barley is boiled for up to 1.5 hours, but sometimes 1 hour is enough.

How to cook pearl barley porridge with milk

Pearl barley porridge is rarely found on our tables, which is absolutely undeserved. After all, it ranks first in terms of the amount of useful substances, and barley porridge is very tasty if prepared correctly. Below we will share a proven recipe for barley milk porridge.

Ingredients:

peeled pearl barley - 1 cup (200 ml);
milk - 1 liter;
butter - 30 grams;
cream - 100 ml;
salt - 0.5 teaspoon;
sugar - 0.5 tablespoon.

Preparation:

Initially, prepare the cereal for cooking porridge - remove any vegetable debris and rinse thoroughly in water. Then transfer to a saucepan, cover with cold water and leave for at least 3 hours. Although you can leave the pearl barley to soak overnight.
Now the main “highlight” of the recipe is the selection of dishes. To make the dish truly tasty, you need to cook it in two pans (one larger and the other smaller).
Place the soaked pearl barley in a colander and then transfer it to a saucepan with milk. Bring the milk to a boil. Heat water in a large saucepan.
Place a small saucepan with milk and cereal in a large container of boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat on the stove to low. Cover the pan with porridge with a lid.
Simmer the porridge in a “water bath” for 3 hours. Periodically monitor the water level in the large saucepan and add boiling water if necessary.
With this cooking method, the likelihood of the food burning is minimized. Stir the porridge a couple of times so that the grains cook evenly.
Add salt, sugar and cream to the porridge at the very end, and place a piece of butter in the dish just before serving.
Taste the porridge - if the grains are soft, then you can say with confidence that the dish is ready. You can turn off the stove.
Place the hot porridge into bowls and serve. Bon appetit.

Recipes for proven dishes with barley

Mushroom soup with turkey and barley

Barley, turkey, which can be replaced with chicken, vegetable broth and frozen porcini mushrooms (fried champignons or oyster mushrooms can be substituted) are the basis of a light but satisfying soup .

Mushroom soup with turkey and barley

Lenten mushroom soup with barley

Lenten mushroom soup with barley is so aromatic and tasty that even those who do not restrict themselves in diet will like it. In addition, it is very filling and thick, which, again, will appeal to many. If you like a thicker version, simply reduce the amount of water or broth.

Lenten mushroom soup with barley

Greek salad with pearl barley

Greek salad is one of my favorite salads. Bright, tasty and easy to prepare. We suggest making it more interesting. Vegetable salad with pearl barley will pleasantly surprise everyone.

Greek salad with pearl barley

Lenten cabbage rolls with mushrooms and pearl barley

Lenten cabbage rolls with mushrooms and pearl barley will appeal not only to those who strictly observe Orthodox traditions or vegetarians, but also to convinced meat eaters. To save money, use only champignons or oyster mushrooms.

Lenten cabbage rolls with mushrooms and pearl barley

Barley stewed in milk

Porridge cooked in a water bath. Tender, creamy, healthy for children and adults.

Barley stewed in milk

Barley with vegetables

This is exactly the case when pearl barley is fried in a dry frying pan and then boiled. You can see the result in the photo. Isn't it delicious?! And here is the recipe . If you want, you can add not only these vegetables to the pearl barley, but also pumpkin, eggplant or zucchini.

Barley with vegetables

How to cook pearl barley porridge in a slow cooker

The easiest way to prepare pearl barley porridge is using a slow cooker. The main advantage is that you do not need to constantly stir the dish during cooking. You will definitely get a stunning result, but only if all proportions are observed.

Ingredients:

pearl barley - 1 cup;
drinking water - 1.5 glasses;
milk - 1.5 cups;
salt - to taste;
sugar - 1 tablespoon;
butter - 1 piece.

Preparation:

Rinse the grains in a bowl of water several times, and then soak for a couple of hours to swell the grains. Place the prepared pearl barley in a colander and rinse thoroughly under running cold water.
Bring water and milk to a boil. Place the cereal in the multicooker bowl, add milk and water, as well as sugar and salt.
Start cooking the porridge in the “Pilaf” or “Stew” mode. Set the time manually, first set it to 50 minutes. Close the multicooker lid tightly.
After the time has passed, add a piece of butter to the dish. And then select the “Keep Warm” mode. Let the dish sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
The dish is ready, you can put it on plates and serve it to the table. The dish turns out to be very tasty when complemented with dried fruits, jam, honey or berries. Bon appetit.

Porridge in the microwave

Many people use a microwave oven exclusively to reheat already cooked food. In fact, this kitchen appliance has many more functions. How to cook crumbly pearl barley in the microwave? To do this you need to follow these instructions:

Pearl barley must be washed well and pre-soaked for an hour in hot water;
after which you need to add water, salt, sugar, spices, butter to taste and place the barley in the microwave;
at medium power it should be cooked for 30–35 minutes;
At the same time, it is recommended to stir the porridge periodically so that it cooks evenly; this should be done approximately once every 10–15 minutes.

At the end of the cooking time, wrap the container with porridge in a warm towel and leave for 30 minutes.

How to cook pearl barley as a side dish without soaking

It was said earlier that the most delicious dish comes from pre-soaked grains. But you don’t always have free time, because you may want to cook pearl barley for a side dish completely spontaneously. Dry cereal will make a wonderful side dish for meat and fish dishes, but it will take much longer to prepare.

Ingredients:

pearl barley - 1 cup;
drinking water - 5 glasses;
sunflower oil - 1 tablespoon;
salt - 0.5 tsp.

Preparation:

First, sort through the grains, choosing the highest quality grains (without dark spots or damage). Rinse the barley and change the water several times until it becomes clear. Remove floating debris.
Pour the cereal into a saucepan and add 3 cups of water. Place the dishes on the stove. When the water boils, reduce the heat on the stove to low and cook for 7 minutes. Place the pearl barley in a colander and drain the water.
Place the pearl barley into a clean saucepan, pour in sunflower oil and water (2 cups). Be sure to add salt. Cook from the moment of boiling for 20 to 25 minutes over low heat. Open the lid slightly, do not close it completely. To prevent the dish from burning on the pan, you need to stir it frequently with a spoon.
After the specified period of time, taste the side dish. If the grains are hard, increase the cooking time by 5-10 minutes, add hot water if necessary.
Turn off the stove. Place the pan on the table, wrap it well and let the dish brew for about 15 minutes. Pearl barley prepared according to this recipe turns out crumbly and very, very tasty.

Alternative cooking methods

You can significantly save time and effort if you use modern household devices when preparing pearl barley porridge in water. It could be:

oven;
multicooker;
microwave;
rice cooker;
thermos.

Each method gives the porridge a special flavor.

"Glass" pearl barley in the oven

This old Estonian recipe is very popular. You will need clay or ceramic pots for baking in the oven and the following products:

1 cup pearl barley;
2–3 glasses of water;
salt, sugar, butter - to taste.

Soak the cereal for several hours or overnight, then place it in pots and pour very hot water (boiling water) 2 centimeters above the grains. Do not cover dishes with lids. Set the oven to 220 degrees, and while it is still warm, place the pots of cereal. It will take 40 minutes to prepare.

Take out the finished porridge, add butter, sugar or salt to it to taste.

Barley porridge in a pot, cooked in the oven

Using the oven, you can cook regular porridge. Many housewives prefer to cook pearl barley porridge until half cooked, and then put it in the oven for 15–20 minutes to “cook.”

In a slow cooker

To prepare porridge in a slow cooker you will need:

1 cup pearl barley;
3 glasses of water.

Other products are according to taste and desire.

Thanks to the multicooker, pearl barley porridge turns out tender and crumbly

Prepare and wash the cereal, soak in cold water for 2 hours. If you don’t have much time, pour boiling water over clean pearl barley for 10 minutes.
Place the soaked cereal, drain the water, and pour it into the multicooker bowl. Fill with water. You can add a little butter or just grease the bottom of the bowl with it.
Set the “Porridge” or “Buckwheat” mode. The device itself will set the timer for the desired time.
When the multicooker beeps indicating the food is ready, remove the lid, stir the contents and add salt to taste.

In the microwave

For this recipe you will need:

1 cup pearl barley;
1.5 glasses of water;
salt, butter.

Washed cereals need to be soaked for several hours. Drain the used water, put the pearl barley in a regular saucepan, and fill with fresh water.
Bring to a boil, cook for no more than 3 minutes. Place the pearl barley in a colander or sieve and rinse.
Place the semi-finished cereal in a heat-resistant bowl, add water, add salt, cover the contents with a lid and place in the microwave.
Set the device to maximum power for 5 minutes. After some time, reduce the power to about 350 W and cook for another half hour.
If the dish seems damp to you, add a little water and keep the porridge in the microwave for another 5 minutes. At the end of the process, add butter.

In the rice cooker

A rice cooker is a very convenient device designed specifically for preparing cereals. With its help, you can easily and quickly deal with pearl barley.

A rice cooker is an excellent device for cooking porridge.

You will need:

1 glass of cereal;
3 glasses of water;
1 teaspoon salt.

Wash the pearl barley thoroughly so that no flour dust remains. Fill with water and leave for a couple of hours.
Allow the liquid to drain and place the cereal into the rice cooker. Fill with 3 glasses of water. Close the lid and set the “Cooking” mode. It will take 1 hour to prepare, if you did not soak the pearl barley beforehand - from 1.5 to 2 hours.
After finishing cooking, leave the pearl barley for 20 minutes in the heating mode. After this, you can add salt and season the dish with oil.

Mistakes when cooking pearl barley

Sometimes novice housewives make mistakes because of which the pearl barley turns out not tasty. Let's look at them:

The dish burned to the bottom of the pan during cooking. This usually occurs from non-compliance with the proportion of water and cereal. A small amount of liquid is quickly absorbed, and the barley burns during the cooking process. Sometimes this problem happens when cooking over high heat.
Unpleasant smell of cooked porridge. Most likely, the cereal was stored together with products that have a strong smell (black pepper and other seasonings). If the product's expiration date has expired, it is also possible that the porridge will have an unpleasant odor.
The pearl barley porridge turned out viscous and sticky. Porridge cooked from poorly washed cereals most often turns out sticky. You cannot use pearl barley that has been stored in a damp place.

You can prepare a lot of nutritious and healthy dishes from pearl barley, so it’s worth buying this product in the store at least occasionally. Moreover, now you know different ways to cook pearl barley.

Step-by-step instructions for cooking pearl barley without soaking

Sort the grains and rinse thoroughly.
Pour 3 cups of water into a saucepan and put on fire.
After boiling, pour 1 cup of pearl barley into it. Boil it over high heat for 2-3 minutes.
Drain the liquid and fill the product with fresh water (also 3 cups).
When the water boils, reduce the heat level and cook for 50 minutes. Check readiness.
Drain off excess water. Add the oil, stir and let stand for up to 10 minutes. with the lid closed.

One of the main secrets of properly prepared pearl barley porridge is thorough washing of the cereal. It is advisable to add water several times during the process. When washing, you can rub the cereals between your fingers, so the husks will come off, and the porridge will turn out crumbly.

If you want to prepare crumbly porridge, you need to take 1 full glass of cereal for 2.5-3 glasses of liquid. For those who like viscous porridge, you need to take 1 liter of water for the same amount of pearl barley.

Cooking time depends on when the grain was grown. The longer it is stored, the longer it will have to be cooked.