WHAT KIND OF BARLEY?

You are looking at your recipe and it asks for one kind of barley. You go to the store and you see several different kinds on the shelf and wonder what is the difference?

Quick Cooking Barley - Quick cooking barley cooks in about 10-12 minutes, then you let it rest for 5 before serving. Because of the extra processing to make it cook quick it will not be quite as flavorful or nutty as other varieties. For each cup of barley that you cook, your recipe should ask for at least 2 cups of water. Different brands can have different tendancies, so be sure to read the bag for specifics.

Pearl Barley - Pearl barley cooks in 35 - 60 minutes and will become tender. It does have a bit of the nutty flavor, but not as much as whole grain barley. For each cup of barley that you cook, your recipe should ask for at least 3 cups of water. Different brands can have different tendancies, so be sure to read the bag for specifics.

Whole Grain Barley - Whole grain barley takes the longest to cook of all because it still contains all of the bran and some hull. You need to allow at least an hour and a half for cooking, and it will still be chewey. To alleviate some of the cooking time you can try soaking the barley over night, but this will only save you 15 - 20 minutes of cook time. For each cup of barley that you cook, you will need at least 3 cups of liquid in your recipe.