Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley - 30 oz

> COMPARISON WITH Bob's Red Mill Barley Hull-Less Whole 2Pk . Both nominally cook in about 1 hour. The Hulless can be cooked at least 3-5 hours and remain crunchy/chewy. The Pearl is fully cooked after 1 hour, and gets too mushy if cooked much longer. The crunchy/chewiness of Hulless is a nice contrast of texture as a minor component of a soup or in a salad, etc. The Pearl is tastier and more pleasing to the palate as a bowl of warm cereal, or as a major component of a dish. The Hulless is said to be healthier. > Recommendations: If this is your first barley purchase, then go for Pearl Barley. When you've decided that you are a barley lover, try the Hulless. > For two, I measure 1/4 cup in a 1-cup measuring cup, add water to a total of 1 cup, and then simmer on a low boil for 1 hour. That produces about 1 cup of cooked barley. You don't have to wait for the water to boil before adding the barley. Do not drain the barley if you plan to use it in a soup or stew. Drain and rinse if you plan to use it in a salad, such as a bean salad. Or, if you've cooked the barley in advance, just turn off the heat and leave the barley in the pot, and it will absorb any remaining water over the next hour. > Both Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley and Bob's Hulless Barley are surprisingly good. I've purchased other brands of pearl barley at my grocery store before, but "Bob's" is much better. > Compared to rice or pasta, barley has a more assertive flavor, and so goes best with beef (and probably mutton), but is fine with pork or chicken, or alone for that matter. > Barley has a low glycemic index, and so is a particularly good substitute for white rice for diabetics. I was very pleasantly surprised that my Latina wife accepted the substitution enthusiastically. We also use "Bob's" red bulgur as a substitute for grits. To our surprise, we like bulgur better than hominy grits. > Cooked diced sweet onions go spectacularly with the barley. Add a little cubed beef and you've got a great dish. I cook all three ingredients separately and mix them (with a little olive oil) before serving. For diabetics, the onions also serve as a filler diluting the concentration of carbohydrates. Also since Pearl puffs up 2X to 3X more than Hulless, it takes up a larger volume, filling your plate, and your stomach with comparatively fewer carbs. > Some folks cook barley to make broth ("barley water") and discard the cooked barley. If you are making soup, stew, or a casserole, don't discard the cooked barley. Adding barley to soup is very handy when you don't have a stock broth to use as a soup base, or prefer a vegetarian soup broth. To make a vegetarian soup base, I normally cook a whole onion or two down (for several hours) and pearl barley for several hours. > Check the price in your local store. I regularly buy packages at my local grocery for $3.49 each. > Click on “Stoney” just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask questions.

Anything made by Bob's Red Mill is good. This pearl barley is the best I have had. I cannot find it locally and am glad it is available here. Highly recommended products. Cooks well: Great to add to soups etc. Health benefits: Barley is a healthy choice for taste and fiber

The pearl barley is really good quality and the packaging was in excellent shape. I am more interested in the brand of barley but seller seems to handle its end well. Delivery was handled by Amazon. I am not excited about how the subscribe price was more than the regular price listed on Amazon but I think that is Amazon shenanigans (because it also happens with other subscribe items) and not this specific seller.

I rinse them then cook in my rice cooker. Comes out great and tastes good

Don't put it in a rice cooker or it will bubble over like oatmeal. It's great as part of fried rice. Just boil and strain it. Texture and shape are different from rice - it's wider and chewier.

When I had a recipe that called for Pearl Barley I ended up getting some Pearl Barley that was split and I couldn't use it in my Instant Pot because it turned to mush. So, unless your recipe calls for split Pearl Barley, make sure you get whole Pearl Barley! The Red Mill Pearl Barley is perfect. It cooks up correctly whether I use it in my Instant Pot or in a pot on the stove. The flavor and texture are exactly right too. I highly recommend.

Good

Great to cook with other grains which make good fiber+protein complimenting mixed vegetables