What do you do in your kitchen when prepping ahead? Added this week to our list of prepped ahead foods in the pantry is this cooked barley. Come and see how easy it is to have cooked and ready to go packages of barley in your freezer!
Barley is often used in soup, especially beef and barley soup which is delicious!
But barley offers so much more for your meal plans, especially when we cook and plan ahead. A fair amount of the cooking I do during the day is prep cooking. And while this might seem contrary in relationship to talking about easy meals I make for my husband and I, it is not. Many families do what they refer to as a reset on the weekend. A day set aside for refilling the pantry, for the week ahead. Preparing all the needed recipes for the food they call upon for a quick meal, without running out to the store. In my daughter's home, on her reset day, she will make waffles, French toast or biscuits to store in the freezer for a quick breakfast for her young son. Or get a pot roast or a meat loaf into the slow cooker to use in quick and easy recipes later in the week. In my kitchen, I reset during the week...
Some of the items on my reset list include...
Cooked brown rice, mayonnaise, granola, pickled red onions, and barley. All of these items have one thing in common, they are called upon for easy meals, and with a reset available when needed. And that is the secret to a well stocked pantry. It allows you to make a meal easily with what you have on hand, without a run to the store. Plus you can customize what you prepare in your own reset. By using the ingredients you prefer. Today I added cooked barley to my reset list. Why? Because cooked barley is a powerhouse of nutrition and fiber. Plus it is the fiber your gut needs. Once cooked and ready to go, it is perfect to add to salads, a stir fry or simply serve on it's own as a side dish.
Pearled or hulled? Which is your favorite barley?
We choose hulled barley to be able to get the beneficial fiber it offers along with the germ for nutrition. Hulled barley is exactly what the name implies, it has had the hull removed, and nothing more. Whereas pearled barley is hulled and then polished. That polishing process removes much of the bran and the germ impacting the nutritional value of the grain. Pearl barley therefore cooks a little faster than hulled or whole grain barley. The process I am sharing today is for hulled barley. Using a traditional method of soaking before being cooked in the pressure cooker.
Additional thoughts on this recipe:
Barley is often dusty from being harvested and having the hull removed. You may want to rinse before you soak it.
You will want to put the barley to soak the evening before to cook in the morning. Or is preferred, start the soaking in the morning to cook after dinner. The choice is yours based upon the other chores you need to accomplish.
You may cook more than one cup of barley at a time, which I do. Since my IP is small, I cook two cups of barley at a time, offering four packages of barley for the freezer.
Do not forget the salt, this will not lead to any over salted flavor when you go to serve it.
Ingredients needed for this recipe:
- hulled barley
- salt
- water
You will also need the following:
- pressure cooker, electric or stovetop
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- a medium sized bowl
- a wire mesh colander
- storage containers with lids
- serving bowl
Now we are ready to begin!
How to Cook Barley in the Instant Pot.
inspired by all those who came before me!
2 c hulled barley
1 t salt
4 1/4 c water
Start the soaking process the day before: place the barley in a large mixing bowl and cover with water. I prefer a large bowl and simply fill it with water to cover the barley by twice in volume. That way I do not have to watch the water level to make sure it continues to cover the barley. And get on with the day's chores and activities.
To cook: drain the barley well, rinse well and let drain until water has stopped running off the barley kernels.
Place the drained barley in the Instant Pot, add the water and the salt. Cover with the lid, securing to the locked position and close the vent.
Set the cooking time for 25 minutes.
When cooked, let rest for 5 minutes NPR. Carefully open the vent, and when the steam and pressure have escaped, remove the lid.
Carefully stir with a silicone spatula and let the barley cool if being made for freezer storage. When cool, transfer to four storage containers, seal with the lids and store in the freezer.
If serving now, dish up and serve!
Storage options for Cooked Barley in Your IP. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days, or packing in freezer containers and freeze for up to three months. To serve frozen barley, remover from the freezer and let thaw in the refrigerator.
UPDATE:
For your convenience, a "copy and paste" version of Cooked Barley in Your IP has
been included below.
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Printable "copy and paste" version:
How to Cook Barley in the Instant Pot.
inspired by all those who came before me!
2 c hulled barley
1 t salt
4 1/4 c water
Start the soaking process the day before: place the barley in a large mixing bowl and cover with water. I prefer a large bowl and simply fill it with water to cover the barley by twice in volume. That way I do not have to watch the water level to make sure it continues to cover the barley. And get on with the day's chores and activities.
To cook: drain the barley well, rinse well and let drain until water has stopped running off the barley kernels.
Place the drained barley in the Instant Pot, add the water and the salt. Cover with the lid, securing to the locked position and close the vent.
Set the cooking time for 25 minutes. When cooked, let rest for 5 minutes NPR. Carefully open the vent, and when the steam and pressure have escaped, remove the lid.
Carefully stir with a silicone spatula and let the barley cool if being made for freezer storage. When cool, transfer to four storage containers, seal with the lids and store in the freezer.
If serving now, dish up and serve!
Storage options for Cooked Barley in Your IP. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days, or packing in freezer containers and freeze for up to three months. To serve frozen barley, remover from the freezer and let thaw in the refrigerator.
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