I am fairly new to cooking with whole grains for side dishes/main dishes. Today I sauted onion, barley and slivered almonds. Came time to add the beef broth, spices and bake for 1 1/2 hrs. and now 5 hours later the barley is still crunchy. I had ordered the hulled barley from our coop. I know that it is alot different from pearled barley but what have I done wrong? Should I have soaked it or cracked it first? The recipe called for pearled barley so that is the reason for the 1 1/2 hrs. but so far the added time as not made a difference.

-- (Mamafila@aol.com), January 21, 2002

Answers

What was the temp of your oven for baking? I wouldn't have sauted the barley first. Instead I'd have simmered it a bit in the cooking liquid or water, before putting it into the baking dish and oven.

Barley is good and I cook with it often. Sometimes I mix brown rice and barley and cook the same as for the brown rice. Makes a nice change from just plain rice all the time. Also drop a handful or two into just about all soups, stews, etc. And sometimes I cook just the barley alone. Cook the same as brown rice - that's a little longer than the more common white rice.

Keep at it! You will enjoy cooking with whole grains once you get more used to it.

-- Carol - in Virginia (carollm@rockbridge.net), January 21, 2002.

Carol, the recipe called for 350 degrees and 1 1/2 hours baking time uncovered. Would a cover have worked better with barley as well as with rice? I will try it again your way to see if it will work. Thanks!

-- (Mamafila@aol.com), January 21, 2002.

I just had to smile, I have had the same thing happen so many times and I cook lots of barley! barley is possibly the pickiest grain when it come to aborbing water if the pores in the grain are filled with fat it doesn't want to soak up, if the stock is too rich it won't soak up, if the other ingredients use up the water the barley stays hard. If I want it to work with out fail, I presoak or par-boil mine.

-- Thumper (slrldr@yahoo.com), January 22, 2002.

I find this very fascinating. I searched in my considerable collection of whole grain cooking and only found recipes for lightly milled (pearled) barley, except for one that said to use a pressure cooker. Now I will have to try........I frequently use pearled barley in soups and stews and barley flour. Never hulled, unmilled barley.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 22, 2002.

I'm definitely going to try the recipe again, but just presoak the barley first. Thank you so much for all the help it all makes sense.

-- (Mamafila@aol.com in Central WA), January 22, 2002.

From a bag of "hulled barley" from "Bob's Red Mill." Cooking hulled barley: 1C. barley 3 1/2 C. water Boil, then simmer 40 minutes. 50 minutes if less firm barley is desired. Hope this helps, Maggie.

-- Maggie (ruby@isp360.net), January 22, 2002.

I just made some the other day. I lightly toast mine (In a heavy bottomed dry pan-stir constantly until golden) and it improved the flavor a lot. My son did not know it was barly and wanted to know how I got the "rice" so big and fat!

-- Lynelle (x2ldp@aol.com), January 23, 2002.

Lynelle: That's what the recipe called for except with oil. You did yours in a dry pan and that's apparently what Thmper says makes the difference. Thanks for the idea. Now would you toast it before parboiling or after as in fried rice? Marie

-- (Mamafila@aol.com), January 23, 2002.

If you want a toasty flavor do it dry, then soak. Fry it after it is cooked each way will taste different.

-- Thumper (slrldr@yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.