Barley is a healthy form of whole grain and contains more than the recommended daily dose of fibre. It is also the staple diet of civilizations gone by and is easy to plant, grow and harvest. Barley comes in two types. These are the hurled barley sometimes called groat; and the pearl barley, which is very natural and healthy. More fibre content is in the pearl variety than the groat, especially because there is less processing involved to make the pearl. Derivatives of this come about as flaked barley, which is just scalloped, thin layers of the groat, and barley grits which are basically toasted pearl. These types are more than likely eaten raw, while the pearl and groat go into stews, salads or cereals. The groat variety is an excellent ingredient in soups and it can thicken the broth giving the overall meal extra body and flavour while making it more filling in small amounts. Barley is fermented to create beer, malts and more exotic blended beverages.
Required ingredients
- 2-3 cups of barley
- 4-6 cups of water
- 8 cups broth
- 1 tsp butter
- 1-2 bouillon cubes
- 1/4 cup sugar
- milk
Required Tools
- Deep saucepan
- Pot
- Bowl
- Strainer
- A Wooden Spoon
Instructions
Boiling into Cereal
- Place water in the sauce pan and bring to boiling
- Add a bouillon cube to the boiling water
- Stir the mixture then add the barley one cup at a time
- Add teaspoons of sugar with each cup of barley
- Cover and let simmer for 5-8 minutes
- When most of the water has evaporated add milk
- Stir continuously as you add the milk to ensure the mixture has a liquid consistency
- Remove from heat and add the last volume of milk
Making a Salad
- Place one cup of barley in a bowl and allow to soak in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes
- Place a strainer over the content of the bowl and drain the excess water
- Melt the teaspoon of butter into the saucepan
- Add the barley and lightly brown before removing
- Stir the barley into the salad of your choice
Making Soup
- Place one cup of barley in a bowl and let soak for 5 minutes
- Drain excess water with a strainer
- Add the barley to the pot of soup of your choice 10 minutes before removing from heat
Tips
- Ensure that when you strain the barley, all the impurities float to the surface of the water
- When making soups, the barley is the last item to go into the pot before you remove it from the stove or turn the heat off
- A non-stick saucepan is an alternative used to lightly toast the barley instead of butter
- Barley is less nutritious when overcooked. To keep as much of the fibre as possible consume the barley when it is merely brought to heat.
- Keep the barley in a sealed jar in a cool place to keep the freshness
- When making porridge add sugar to taste. Honey is a healthier substitute
- Barley is a good source of calcium as well and digests easily and safely by geriatric suffering from arthritis