How to cook barley? First, for hulled barley only, soak the dry grains. Then, cook the grains. Last, drain and garnish. These are a description of how to cook barley. Please read on for more details.

How To Cook Barley?

Stove Top

1. Add one and a half cups (350 ml) of water or vegetable broth, one cup (108 g) of rinsed barley, and one and a half teaspoons (3 g) of salt to a large pot. Bring the pot to a boil while partially covered with a lid.
2. For 25 to 30 minutes, turn down the heat to a low simmer. Although you can reuse the vegetable cooking broth if you are making soup, there might be some extra water that you can drain. Give it a 10-minute rest period.
3. Use a fork to fluff before serving.

Instant Pot

1. Salt, water, and rinsed barley should all be added to the pot. The vent should be sealed off.
2. 20 minutes of cooking time at a high pressure setting.
3. Until it is safe to open, let the pressure naturally subside for 15 minutes.
4. Drain if necessary, then turn on the Instant Pot.
5. After serving, fluff with a fork.

Rice Cooker

1. Pour 2 parts liquid and 1 part liquid barley into the rice cooker. Add salt to taste. 
2. Then, choose “Brown Rice” as the dish type. Wait until the temperature readout changes to “Warm.” 
3. Open the lid, give it a 15-minute rest, then drain as necessary.
4. After forking, serve after fluffing.

What Is Barley?

Barley is a cereal grain that is rich in protein and fiber. It’s frequently used to make bread or added to stews and soups.

Cheap, tasty, and easily accessible in most grocery stores is barley. Despite being around for ages, it is not as well-known as grains like quinoa or rice, for example.

Barley Types 

Depending on the type of barley you use, the cooking time will vary.

Hulled Barley: Hullless barley is still regarded as a whole grain because only the outer layer is taken off during processing. Although it takes longer to cook, it is more nutrient-dense. However, this can be minimized by soaking the hulled barley for a few hours prior to cooking. It is available at the majority of stocked grocery stores and health food stores.

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Pearled Barley: Pearled barley undergoes polishing during processing and is not regarded as a whole grain because the outer husk and bran have been removed. It still has a good number of nutrients, though. The polished barley cooks much more quickly but also allows for more starch to be released. Although it can sometimes become a little less fluffy and chewy when served on its own, pearled barley’s starchiness makes it ideal for thickening up soups or stews. Nearly every grocery store carries pearled barley.

Barley Is It Free Of Gluten?

Barley should not be consumed by those who follow a gluten-free diet because it contains gluten. The gluten-free grain that most closely resembles barley in recipes that call for it is brown rice. In a pinch, quinoa would also be suitable.

How Are Barley Series Served?

The uses for barley are endless. It goes well with just about anything because of its mild flavor.

The most common way to prepare barley in food is to add it to soups and stews, where it helps to thicken and fill them up.

Uncooked barley can be added to soup during the cooking process along with the other ingredients. When you store the soup in this case, the barley will keep growing.

Barley can be cooked separately and added to the soup when serving if you prefer chewy barley.

Additionally, barley tastes great cold and makes a tasty side dish or ingredient for salads. It’s also very well-liked as a foundation for grain and veggie bowls.

Even as a cereal for breakfast, you can serve it.

How Long Does Barley Need To Cook?

Depending on the kind of barley and the method being used, different amounts of time are needed to cook it.

Compared to pearl barley, pot barley takes longer to cook. Pot barley cooks in the Instant Pot for 25 minutes or approximately 50 minutes on the stovetop and in the oven.

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Pot barley takes longer to cook than pearl barley. Pearl barley can be prepared in the Instant Pot in 20 minutes or on the stovetop and in the oven in about 35 minutes.

How To Clean And Prep Barley For Cooking

In general, it’s advised to rinse barley before cooking it, especially if you bought it in a bag.

Place the barley in a bowl and cover it with water so that it is covered by 1 to 2 inches. Drain the water, rub it with your fingers once more, and so on. Rinse the grain under running water after transferring it to a mesh strainer. Shake to get rid of the extra water.

How Much Does Cooked Barley Expand?

The volume of uncooked barley increases threefold when cooked. Three cups of cooked barley can be made from one cup of raw barley.

Should I Cook Barley Before Adding It To Soups Or Stews?

According to the recipe, yes. You can cook barley right in the soup or stew if you have a large enough pot and enough broth. It will taste delicious because it will ingest the broth’s flavor. 

The majority of the liquid will be absorbed, so plan accordingly.

In my opinion, barley tastes better cooked separately before being added to soups. This enables me to drain and rinse it after cooking. The extra starches that might have made the soup too thick or resemble a stew are eliminated as a result.

Conclusion

Above talked about how to cook barley. It is easy. Just follow these steps. 

To begin with, soak the dry grains of barley that has been hulled only. Cook the grains after that. Drain and garnish at the end.