Housewives know that pearl barley cooks well even without pre-soaking. However, this procedure will make barley grains even more tasty and healthy. How long should pearl barley be soaked before cooking dishes such as porridge and pickle? Depending on the dish, it takes from 2 to 15 hours. We present an overview of methods for preparing and cooking pearl barley.
Classic recipe using water with soaking
Many housewives recommend soaking pearl barley overnight and only cooking porridge from it in the morning. Yes, indeed, this is the simplest cooking method, which is called classic and is used by many.
What you will need:
- pearl barley – 250 grams,
- water – 1 liter,
- salt - a pinch.
You may also need a piece of butter, which we will put in the porridge after cooking it. but here it all depends on your preferences.
How to cook
Place the cereal in a deep bowl and rinse under running water. It is important that there are no husks and all kinds of debris left in it.
When this procedure is completed, place the washed grains in a large saucepan, fill it completely with water and leave for 10 - 12 hours, preferably from the evening until the morning.
When you start cooking porridge, we will need a saucepan. We pour clean cold water into it. It should be twice as much as cereal. Place on the fire, cover with a lid and let it boil.
As soon as the water boils, put the soaked cereal into it, rinse it, and be sure to cover with a lid. Some already add butter to the porridge at this stage. This way it will turn out even tastier and will not stick together.
The porridge should be cooked over low heat for about 40 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally as the grain may stick and burn. You can add salt 5 minutes before you turn off the heat.
After you turn off the gas, do not rush to immediately open the lid and place the porridge on plates. Let it sit in the pan for 20 minutes.
And if you also place the pearl barley in the oven after cooking and keep it there at a temperature of 180 degrees for 15 minutes, you will get a real delicacy.
How to cook pearl barley deliciously as a side dish without pre-soaking
Many people like to diversify their menu. And pearl barley porridge is used as a side dish. Agree, not the worst choice. But only if the cereal is actually cooked according to all the rules.
What you will need:
- pearl barley – 200 grams,
- water - liter.
- salt - to taste,
- vegetable oil (refined),
- butter for seasoning porridge.
Despite the fact that modern pearl barley is sold quite clean, before starting cooking it must be sorted and washed.
How to cook
We will rinse until the water becomes clear.
Then transfer the washed and clean cereals into a saucepan. Pour in 2 cups of cold water.
Now you can put the pan on the fire and bring it to a boil. After boiling, cook for 7 minutes.
Now the most interesting part begins - the water in which our cereal was cooked must be drained, the cereal should be thrown into a colander, and the pan should be rinsed. Place the cereal back into the pan and pour in a couple of glasses of cold water again.
Add salt and vegetable oil.
Place on the stove and turn on the gas. Bring to a boil, open the lid slightly and reduce the gas. Cook for about 30 minutes. After this time, add butter to the porridge and stir.
Cover the pan with a warm towel and be sure to let it sit for 20 minutes.
Our tasty and healthy side dish is ready. It can be served with both meat and vegetables. At the same time, pearl barley porridge in this quality is in no way inferior to mashed potatoes.
Basic Rules
Most often, novice housewives make a lot of mistakes, as a result of which the cereal turns out completely different from what it should be. To avoid disappointment, you must first become familiar with the rules. The recipe allows you to prepare crumbly porridge with a minimum of mucus. It is very good as a side dish with meat, mushrooms, fish and even just vegetables.
To be able to cook pearl barley porridge in water, you need to know the exact proportions.
- The ratio of pearl barley and water when cooking viscous porridge. To do this, take 1 tbsp. cereals and 4 tbsp. liquids.
- To cook crumbly porridge, you will need 1 tbsp. cereals and 2.5 water.
This is where people most often stumble. If there is not enough liquid, the porridge will be dry and tasteless. If there is a lot, then mucus forms, which only interferes. And, of course, you need to cook it correctly, following all the culinary recommendations.
How to cook crumbly pearl barley porridge - recipe with photo
Cooking tasty and crumbly pearl barley is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. The most important thing is to follow the cooking technology and strictly follow the recipe instructions.
What you will need:
- pearl barley – 1 cup,
- butter - a tablespoon,
- salt - teaspoon,
- water.
It should be borne in mind that the total cooking time will be approximately one and a half hours. After all, this cereal does not cook as quickly as we would like.
How to cook
Rinse the cereal as thoroughly as possible under running water. Place in a saucepan, where we will cook our pearl barley.
It is ideal to pour three glasses of boiling water over our porridge. Now add salt. But the most important thing is not to overdo it.
Turn on the heat as high as possible and bring the porridge to a boil. Cook over this heat for up to 7 minutes without a lid.
Now you can cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to minimum and cook, or rather, simmer our pearl barley for 30 - 40 minutes. Now you can turn off the gas.
Add a little butter to the pan and be sure to stir. Cover with a lid and, if desired, wrap in a warm towel.
In this state, the porridge should stand for about 30 minutes. After this, the crumbly and tasty pearl barley can be served. Neither children nor adults will refuse it.
Most popular questions
They are often asked by cooks, so it would be appropriate to collect them all together so that housewives can use them every day.
- So is it necessary to soak cereals before cooking? It is advisable, but if you have time, then you can do without it. But experts say that it is best to soak it. This way the porridge will be crumbly and tasty.
- How many times does pearl barley expand when cooked? It absorbs a lot of water and becomes about 5 times larger. Therefore, you need to select a pan with a good supply.
- When to salt cereals? Sooner or later, every housewife also faces this question. Most often, immediately after boiling, but if you forget, you can add salt during the cooking process or already ready.
- How to make porridge crumbly? It must first be soaked and boiled in a small amount of water so that it does not have time to fall apart.
Usually, just trying to cook this porridge once is enough to understand how easy and simple it is. If the result is not what you would like, then re-read all the recommendations again. Surely a mistake was made somewhere.
How to cook pearl barley for pickle sauce
It is preferable to cook pearl barley for pickle and soak it overnight. This way the porridge will cook faster and you won’t have to wait too long for it to be fully cooked.
What you will need:
- a glass of pearl barley,
- liter of water for soaking,
- salt - to taste.
To make the pickle really tasty, its main ingredient – pearl barley – must be prepared correctly.
How to cook
Sort the grains and rinse well under running water. Place in a saucepan, cover with water and leave to soak overnight. You can, of course, add water for the day, for example, in the morning, and cook soup in the evening. Here whoever likes it more.
After soaking, rinse the pearl barley well and place in a pan. Pour in water and bring to a boil. Cook after boiling for about 7 minutes.
Now you need to pour the water out of the saucepan again, rinse the cereal with water again, and now pour boiling water over it. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 40 - 50 minutes.
Don’t forget to add salt to the cereal during cooking. The cereal will be crumbly and not sticky. It is completely ready to be added to the pickle. Therefore, it can be transferred to the pan with soup no earlier than 10 minutes before the end of cooking.
Secret - it is best to boil pearl barley separately for first courses. And then add the finished mixture to the soup. If this is not done, the pickle will turn out cloudy and slimy.
Preparation before cooking
In order for the porridge to turn out crumbly, it must be properly prepared. To begin, pour the required amount onto a sheet of paper and sort through to remove all impurities. Among the barley grains there may be seeds of other plants, including weeds, as well as very unpleasant pebbles.
After this, wash thoroughly. This must be done in a significant volume of liquid. The pearl barley should be poured with cold water and rubbed between the palms. The solution will turn white. Drain it and rinse it 3-4 more times until there is no turbidity in the liquid. Such thorough rinsing ensures that the porridge will not be sticky or slippery.
In addition to regular cereals, pearl barley is also available in bags for cooking. It is completely ready for use; it does not need to be washed or processed in any other way.
Interesting. The calorie content of dry grains is quite high, but in the finished porridge, due to significant absorption of water, it does not exceed 110 kcal per 100 g. Another benefit of the dish is that its glycemic index is about 20-30 units.
How to properly cook barley in milk (milk porridge)
Milk pearl barley porridge is a favorite delicacy of many. it is often given in kindergartens and schools. And mothers cook this porridge for their children. But how to properly cook pearl barley in milk so that it turns out tasty and healthy?
What you will need:
- pearl barley – 100 grams,
- milk – 0.5 liters,
- salt – 1/4 teaspoon,
- sugar – 1/2 tablespoon,
- oil – 1 tablespoon.
This recipe for making pearl barley porridge also involves a long soaking process. This is very important - otherwise the cereal will have to cook for a long time. And if it is not completely cooked, it will be too tough and not tasty.
How to cook
To cook pearl barley porridge deliciously with milk, the cereal must be rinsed well with running water. Then put it in a bowl, add water and leave overnight. If you need to cook the porridge quickly, then 2 hours is enough.
After this, drain the cereal in a colander, rinse it again with water, and you can start cooking a tasty and healthy breakfast.
Pour water into the pearl barley until the liquid completely covers the barley. Add salt, put on the stove and bring to a boil.
Then reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes. As soon as the pearl barley becomes soft, pour milk into the pan, add sugar, and bring to a boil again.
Turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid and leave our porridge for 20 - 30 minutes. after this you can serve it, always with a piece of natural butter.
Rules for choosing quality cereals
The most delicious and healthy porridge is made from high-quality pearl barley. To choose the right product in the store, you must adhere to the basic rules:
- Package . First of all, pay attention to the integrity of the package; there should be no scratches, holes or strong dents on it. It is preferable to purchase cereals in transparent packaging - this way there is a greater chance that you will see bad grains and be able to make sure that there is no debris.
- Color . Before putting the package in the basket, you need to take a good look at the color of the grains, as this is one of the signs of a fresh or spoiled product. The color of the cereal varies from white to yellow. There is nothing bad if you come across grains of a greenish tint.
- Flowability . Well-dried cereals do not stick together in the package. To check the pearl barley for “flowability”, you need to turn the packaging over - if the grains roll individually, then the product is of high quality.
- Best before date . Be sure to read the information on the packaging to be sure of the freshness of the product. To do this, look for the “Best before” line, which indicates the date until which the product can be stored. Expired cereal is hard, it takes a long time to cook, and besides, old pearl barley loses some of its beneficial properties.
- Presence of garbage . If the packaging is made of transparent material, then it will be easier for you to determine whether there is debris in the cereal. The purer the pearl barley, the less time you will lose preparing the cereal before cooking.
How to cook pearl barley in a slow cooker correctly
Ideally, you should buy small grains - they will cook faster, and in terms of benefits they are not inferior to those made from whole grains. As in the classic version of cooking, the cereal must be sorted and washed well. And then be sure to leave it in water overnight. Without soaking in an amount of 5 parts water to 1 part grain, you won’t be able to cook delicious pearl barley porridge even in a slow cooker.
What you will need:
- a glass of cereal,
- a teaspoon of butter,
- a couple of small spoons of sugar,
- a pinch of salt,
- water – 2 glasses,
- milk – 4 glasses.
In a multicooker we will cook porridge in porridge mode.
How to cook
Place the prepared cereal into the multicooker bowl, add water, and then pour in the milk. Add butter, salt and sugar.
Close the lid, turn on the “porridge” mode and cook for about 90 minutes. Then leave for another 20 minutes. And serve hot.
If desired, you can add honey, jam to this porridge, sprinkle with sugar and put a piece of butter.
How to cook pearl barley in a saucepan
Barley is a universal porridge. You can cook it in different ways. But the easiest and most convenient way to do this is in a saucepan.
What you will need:
- cereal – 1 glass,
- water – 3 glasses,
- salt - a pinch.
How to cook
Sort the grains and rinse well under running water. If you wish, you can soak the pearl barley. This way it will cook faster and taste better.
After soaking, the cereal must be rinsed. Then add water and put on fire. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, add salt, cover and cook for about 40 - 50 minutes.
Remember - barley that has gone through the soaking process will cook for 40 minutes. Barley without soaking is cooked for 1 hour or a little longer.
When the cereal is completely cooked, do not rush to serve it immediately.
Leave the porridge in the pan for another 20 minutes and only then put it on plates.
Do I need to soak pearl barley before cooking?
When soaked, the grains become more tender and soft, and the cooking time is significantly reduced. If you refuse this procedure, you will have to cook the pearl barley longer, at least 1 hour.
I would also like to say that when the cereal is soaked, it gets rid of inhibitory substances that contribute to long-term storage. Despite this positive quality, these substances cause harm to the human body, so it is advisable to get rid of them by first soaking the pearl barley in water.
When soaking, excess starch is removed from the surface of the grains, which makes the boiled grains slimy. Therefore, to make the side dish crumbly, it is recommended to leave the pearl barley in water for a couple of hours.
Conclusion. It is not necessary to soak the pearl barley; it will still cook. But so that the cooking process ends faster and the dish turns out tasty and healthy, it is still advisable to soak the pearl barley overnight so that you can start cooking in the morning.
How to cook pearl barley in bags
Barley, which is sold in bags, is very convenient for cooking. True, in terms of cooking time it is no different from what we buy in regular loose form. However, many are quite happy with the fact that after preparing the porridge in this form, the pan will not have to be scraped off from the burnt cereal.
What you will need:
- pearl barley - 1 bag (Uvelka or any other),
- water - 1.5 liters,
- butter - 1 tablespoon,
- salt - 4 pinches.
When cooking porridge in bags, there is no need to stir it at all. And this is also a great plus of this option.
How to cook
Pour water into the pan, cover with a lid and put on fire. Boil.
After the liquid boils, place a bag of cereal here. Don't forget to salt the water.
Reduce heat to low. Cook the porridge without covering for 50 minutes.
After complete cooking, remove the bag of porridge with a fork, place in a colander or sieve and allow excess liquid to drain.
Cut the bag and place the porridge on a plate. Add butter and sugar if desired.
Interesting facts about pearl barley
- The pearl barley, beloved by many, got its name from the ancient Russian word “pearls.” And it means “pearl”. This is a real treasure trove of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
- This cereal is made from a whole barley kernel. In this case, a thorough cleaning of bran occurs. And the grinding process is carried out 6 times. That is why every grain of this porridge is so beautiful and smooth.
- Pearl barley is famous all over the world for its dietary properties. It contains a large amount of fiber and also helps remove all toxins and waste from the body. It also contains substances that prevent excessive fat deposition in the body.
- The barley must be completely cooked. You should not eat porridge undercooked - it can cause constipation and stomach irritation.
This porridge has been consumed for a long time. And they eat it to this day. It is an excellent antioxidant, contains phosphorus, which has a positive effect on brain activity, prevents increased cholesterol levels in the blood and takes an active part in the production of collagen.
Therefore, you should definitely love pearl barley porridge. And this can only be done if you prepare dishes from it according to all the rules!
Tags: Pearl barley porridge
