How long does it take to cook pearl barley soup? How long does it take to cook pearl barley in a pan on the stove, in a slow cooker or steamed?

Pearl barley porridge is obtained by grinding barley grains, as a result of which only the husk and the top layer of grain are removed. This cereal has been known since ancient times, when it was widely prepared and eaten.

Now many people have forgotten about pearl barley and practically do not cook it, because they believe that this porridge turns out to be tough and completely tasteless. But that's not true. Let's take a closer look at the basic methods and recipes for preparing pearl barley porridge so that it turns out soft, tender and crumbly.

Useful properties of pearl barley porridge

Pearl barley rightfully belongs to healthy products, since it is a whole grain cereal, and therefore undergoes minimal processing, retaining all nutrients.

To benefit the body, pearl barley porridge must be eaten on a regular basis, since it contains the following vitamins:

group B– has a beneficial effect on the state of the nervous system, calming it;
vitamin A– necessary for the normal functioning of the visual organs;
vitamin E– acts as an antioxidant, it is also responsible for the condition of the nail plate and hair;
group D– promotes the growth and strengthening of bone tissue and joints;
vitamin PP– has a positive effect, improving the condition of the skin, preventing its premature aging.

Pearl barley porridge also contains other useful substances, microelements and macroelements, as well as amino acids.

For example, the fiber contained in pearl barley helps improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Hordecin - being a natural antibacterial component, allows you to cope with pathogenic microflora.

This cereal belongs to quite low-calorie foods, its calorie content is 320 kcal. Therefore, such porridge is often included as food when following a diet. Due to its beneficial properties, this product is included in the menu in children's, military and medical institutions.

During cooking, this cereal can increase in volume up to 5 times. This should be taken into account when choosing a container for preparing porridge.
It can be difficult to determine in advance the exact time for cooking pearl barley porridge, since many factors influence this process. Everything will depend on the quality of the grain, the utensils used for its preparation, as well as the cooking method. On average, the cooking process for this dish ranges from 1 to 1.5 hours.
The consistency of the finished porridge will depend on the amount of water in which the cereal was cooked. If you want to make pearl barley porridge crumbly, then for 1 glass of porridge, you need to take 2 glasses of water. If you cook pearl barley in a larger amount of liquid, for example, doubling the volume of water, then it will turn out viscous and viscous.

Popular recipes

Let's look at the basic recipes for cooking crumbly pearl barley in water. Since this porridge is made from whole grains, it will take a long time to cook. Many housewives use the method of pre-soaking the cereal, leaving the pearl barley porridge in water for the whole night.

This cooking method can significantly reduce cooking time, since the soaked grain becomes softer and cooks faster.

Preparing pearl barley with pre-soaking

Rinse the cereal well under running water. Fill it with water in the ratio of 1 glass of porridge to 1 liter of water. The grain should stand soaked for about 10 hours; it is better to leave it to stand overnight. In the morning, drain the excess liquid, boil the water and pour out the porridge.

Prepare this dish from time to time, stirring from time to time and checking the degree of its readiness. This will take approximately 20 minutes.

When the porridge is cooked, remove the container from the heat and cover with a lid. It is necessary to wrap the pan in a terry towel or thick cloth and leave it in this state for another 15–30 minutes. During this time, the dish will be fully prepared.

Cooking porridge without soaking

The grains are washed well and placed in boiling water. In such a way that the water protrudes 2 centimeters above the level of the porridge. You need to wait until the pearl barley boils, and then reduce the heat to minimum. Cook the cereal over this heat for 5 minutes.

After this time, strain the pearl barley porridge through a colander. Again, pour boiling water over the cereal and boil for 5.5 minutes. This manipulation must be carried out 6 times. In this case, each time the amount of water should increase so that it protrudes 1 centimeter more than the previous time. Each time the cooking time increases by 30 seconds.

The last time, pour boiling water over the cereal, you can salt it and add a little oil. When the porridge is ready, remove it from the heat and strain.

An ancient recipe for making pearl barley porridge

After this, the pan must be placed in an oven preheated to 125 degrees. In the oven, the pearl barley porridge should simmer for another 30–35 minutes. Before serving, the dish is seasoned with vegetable oil.

There is also a standard recipe for making pearl barley porridge, when the grain is placed in a saucepan, filled with cold water and simmered over low heat for 1–2 hours. In this case, the cereal must be constantly stirred and ensure that it does not burn.

Now you know how to properly cook crumbly pearl barley in water and you can pamper your loved ones with a tasty and healthy dish.

You will learn more about how to cook pearl barley porridge from the following video.

We often refuse pearl barley, and the reasons for refusal can be different: misconception about its calorie content, lack of knowledge about its incredible benefits, too long a cooking process... And this is wrong! There is no way to exclude army porridge, as people are accustomed to calling it.

Few housewives can boast of having a container of barley in their kitchen. And if he is present, then, as a rule, he is waiting in the wings to end up in a pickle. While many tasty dishes, and most importantly, healthy ones, can be prepared from this product.

In fact, properly prepared cereal has only 120 calories per 100 grams, while it has a whole range of vitamins, amino acids, protein and essential plant
fat

But you can cook pearl barley in different ways, and, contrary to the misconceptions of many people, there are quite a lot of ways to quickly prepare it.

It is important to maintain certain proportions. To obtain a crumbly mass, a ratio of 1 cup of grains per 1.5 liters of liquid is required. For a more viscous substance – 1 to 1000 ml. Before cooking barley grains, they must be soaked.

There are two types of soaking.

Long-term soaking is characterized by primary processing before. Rinse the cereal thoroughly in cold water until the liquid becomes completely clear. Leave for 6-7 hours or overnight. After this, we rinse the barley again, fill it with water and put it on the stove. After boiling, drain the water and add boiling water. After this treatment, the cereal should be cooked very carefully; after 20 minutes, constantly remove the grain and test for doneness.
A short soaking helps us get crumbly pearl barley porridge. By analogy with the previous method, wash the cereal, then leave for 4 hours. After this soaking, you need to cook for 50 minutes.

Is it possible, and most importantly, how to cook pearl barley without soaking? We thoroughly wash the grains - this will remove all small particles and flour that contribute to the formation of mucus after cooking the cereal. After washing, fill a glass of cereal with 1.5 liters of water and cook the cereal for 2-3 minutes. Drain the water and add fresh water in the same ratio. Wait for it to boil and then cook over low heat for 50-60 minutes. Ready.

Cooking methods

On the water. We will not dwell on this method, because... We examined it above in the processes of soaking cereals. The only thing you still need to know about this method is that if you want crumbly cereal, you need more water, if it’s viscous, you need a liter of water for one glass of pearl barley. It is also necessary to take into account that if the cereal has been stored for a long time, soaking is indispensable, and it must be washed thoroughly. It is this method that also talks about how to cook pearl barley for fishing. Our product is actively used when fishing for crucian carp.
With milk. Fill the pre-washed and soaked cereal with water and boil for 10-15 minutes. Drain the water and pour 4 cups of milk per cup of pearl barley into the pan. And cook until done. Add butter. Delicious porridge with milk is ready.
To Redmond. Before cooking, we use the long-term soaking method. Drain the water and place the mixture in. Add water and oil again - the liquid should cover by 1.5-2 cm. We set the device to “stewing” or “cooking” mode and cook for a little less than one hour.
In the oven. By analogy with all previous methods, we prepare cereals for cooking. Place in pots and fill with water in the same way as in the previous method. Place in an unheated oven and cook for 40 minutes at maximum temperature. There is no need to cover the pots with a lid. Add salt, butter and other ingredients to the prepared porridge.
IN . Boil the pre-soaked product on the stove for 3 minutes in two liters of water. Then we put it in a heat-resistant container in the microwave. Cook for 5 minutes at maximum temperature, then reduce the power by one or two notches and cook for 30 minutes. This is one of the fastest ways to cook pearl barley in water quickly.
In a steamer. Perhaps the ideal way to prepare delicious crumbly porridge while preserving all the beneficial components of this product. The only negative is that steaming will take quite a long time, on average an hour and a half. Place the long-soaked cereal into a container for steaming. And set the timer for 40 minutes. You need 2.5 liters of water per 1 cup of pearl barley. After the time has passed, add salt and add 1 glass of water or milk and leave for another 40-50 minutes. Let's try.
How to cook pearl barley in bags? Pearl barley is now sold in bags in stores - it is much more expensive, but it takes 20 minutes to prepare such grain. This cereal has already been pre-processed, but this does not mean that it has lost its beneficial properties. Barley belongs to the category of products that, as a result of heat and other treatments, lose excess calories, releasing other useful compounds, such as fiber. The following instructions are always written on the boxes: put a bag in a saucepan with water or milk, cook for 20 minutes on maximum heat, when ready, put the contents of the bag on a plate, add butter.

Pearl barley is a dietary product and therefore is perfect for breakfast in the form of regular porridge with butter, and will also serve as a side dish for almost any dish.

Let's look at the most popular recipes and, using their analogy, try to understand which methods of cooking pearl barley are best suited in certain cases.

One of the most popular soups in Russian cuisine, along with cabbage soup and borscht, is prepared according to the following recipe.

It is necessary to cook pearl barley for pickle until half cooked, or after a long soaking. Place 300 grams of beef in a 3-liter saucepan, add water, salt and cook for an hour. We take out the beef and cut it into cubes. Place cereals into the broth, chopped potatoes - 250 g. Fry carrots and onions.

Then cut 100 g of pickled or pickled cucumbers into small shavings and simmer them in beef broth for several minutes. Mix with carrots and onions. Add beef, onions, carrots and cucumbers to the broth with barley and potatoes. Add one glass of brine.

After boiling, let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes, add salt and spices. Let it brew for a while and sprinkle generously with herbs. The soup is ready, you can add sour cream and eat.

Of course, you need to cook some other kind of barley soup, for which you have enough imagination and ingredients, by analogy with this recipe.

Delicious pilaf is not only made from rice. It turns out that this dish can also be prepared from pearl barley. We will need:

First of all, boil the bacon (you can stew it). Fry finely chopped onions and carrots, add pieces of bacon. After frying the bacon a little, spread the tomato paste previously made from tomatoes. Salt, pepper and pour in the broth remaining after cooking the bacon.

The following methods are suitable for preparing pearl barley: in water, in a slow cooker and in a double boiler. Place the prepared cereal in a saucepan or cauldron. Close the lid and, similar to standard pilaf, let the water boil away. Add butter. You can eat.

How to cook pearl barley as a side dish?

It is in this form that it goes well with many main courses and is much healthier, as we have already mentioned, than pasta or rice. In fact, all of the above methods are suitable here, except perhaps “with milk”.

If you are a complete beginner cook and are still at your best with kitchen utensils, then you can watch a video on how to cook cereal with milk or make pearl barley porridge with stewed meat. There are plenty of such videos on the global network.

In childhood, everyone turned up their noses at this cereal, but then we did not understand its benefits, but the time has come to reconsider our attitude towards barley. And therefore you need to know how to cook crumbly pearl barley correctly and for how many minutes.

There are many recipes - with water without soaking, or porridge from it, in a slow cooker, pressure cooker or saucepan, observing the proportions. Only by mastering these culinary skills will our diet become not only healthy, but also incredibly tasty, and the cooking process itself will be a joy.

Shrapnel, bolts, shot 16, tarpaulin, all these names are firmly attached to pearl barley - the most popular army porridge. But for some reason today barley appears on our civilian tables very, very rarely.

And in vain, because these grains contain a whole vitamin and mineral complex. This is a set of amino acids we need, which together act as the most effective drug against influenza and acute respiratory infections. But even the holy scriptures mentioned this cereal, and royalty did not disdain such a hearty lunch.

Or maybe the whole point is that we simply don’t know how to cook it? That is why today’s article is devoted to how to properly cook pearl barley or simply pearl barley. However, before we plunge into the world of cooking with all its mysteries, let's study some of the nuances associated with this cereal.

Dietary pearl barley porridge

For some reason, over the years there has been an opinion that barley is the latest cereal crop that can be used in the diet. Yes, it’s difficult to argue here when the facts indicate that in dry form, 100 g of barley contains almost 320 kcal. But who eats unfinished grain?

But a rich porridge made from these cereals has only 120 calories, and besides, it is very, very nutritious, rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates, which is what is required for a diet or fasting diet.

Few people know that pearl barley should be eaten exclusively hot, because this way it is better absorbed by the body. And it tastes better too.

Proportions of cereal and water for ideal pearl barley porridge

In the process of cooking barley, to achieve a good result, it is imperative to observe the proportions of the components. However, in this matter we need to turn to our wishes and decide what consistency of the dish we want to get in the end.

This will determine how much dry matter and liquid we need. If crumbly pearl barley is a priority for a side dish, then the ratio of water to pearl barley will be 1:2½. However, for lovers of viscous porridge, you should take about one liter of water per glass of grain.

Pearl barley is, perhaps, one of those cereals, the preparation of which should begin long before the meal, because it takes about an hour to cook, and to be more precise, from 40 to 100 minutes.

However, it is impossible to indicate a specific cooking period, because it can vary depending on many factors.

Kind of pan.
Method of preparation.
Pre-soaking.
Varieties of cereals.
Grain sizes.

In addition, the age of the pearl barley can also affect the cooking speed, because the longer it is stored, the longer it will take for heat treatment. However, experienced housewives claim that you can make excellent porridge much faster. To do this, you need to wait until the pearl barley boils in the water. After this, drain the water, fill the container with liquid again and cook the dish until done at medium temperature.

But why complicate everything so much when you can simply soak the grains in boiling water for several hours and after that the whole culinary epic won’t take even half an hour.

How to cook pearl barley (barley porridge) in water correctly and for how long, video recipe

In the old days, pearl barley porridge was served at the royal table. Men associate it with a tasteless army mess. We offer an algorithm for how to cook pearl barley in order to preserve its beneficial properties and make the porridge crumbly.

How to cook pearl barley by soaking barley

Pearl barley, unlike other cereals, is cooked for quite a long time. To quickly cook pearl barley, the right solution would be to first soak it overnight in warm water. Thanks to this, the cereal will be saturated with liquid. Then you can cook a delicious and healthy breakfast in a matter of minutes.

How to do this? Simply, well-washed cereals should be placed in a deep container and pour boiling water, based on a ratio of 1:4. Well, if you determine it “by eye”, then you need to take as much water as it takes to cover the grains by 4 cm, and you need to soak them for 5 hours.

How to steam pearl barley in a thermos

In addition, there is another excellent cooking method. It not only significantly speeds up the process of subsequent cooking of whole barley grains, but also allows you to prepare delicious crumbly barley without worries and hassle. And the secret is this. Before boiling the cereal, you need to pour boiling water into it in a thermos for an hour and a half. Then transfer to a saucepan, add liquid and cook for 20 minutes.

And if 8 tbsp. Pour the washed pearl barley grains into a thermos with 700 ml of just boiled water and leave overnight, then by morning we will have excellent porridge ready. All that remains is to season it with salt or sugar and butter.

The choice of container for cooking should be approached with the utmost seriousness, since during the heat treatment process, pearl barley expands significantly in volume. And if, when soaked, it swells twice, then the boiled cereal increases five times, threatening to fall over the edge of an incorrectly selected saucepan.

Well, now, having learned all the details of pearl barley cooking, we can move directly to the methods and recipes for preparing this cereal.

How to deliciously cook pearl barley as a side dish

Despite its unpopularity, pearl barley is included in many of our favorite dishes, both first and second. For example, this cereal makes an excellent side dish; the main thing is to know how to prepare it correctly.

To cook truly tasty, crumbly, fluffy pearl barley, you should first soak the washed cereal (1 tbsp.) in boiling water (2 l) for several hours.
After this, put the swollen and washed grains in a saucepan, fill with fresh water (1 l) and put on maximum heat.
After boiling, let the barley cook for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat, close the container with a lid and cook the porridge until cooked (30 minutes).
When the water has evaporated and the cereal has become soft, add 50 grams of butter to it, add some salt to the side dish to taste and, with the lid closed, let the porridge simmer a little more.

Pearl barley milk porridge

Every soldier and kindergartener knows firsthand what a proper breakfast looks like. There is no doubt that for healthy fueling of the body at the beginning of a working day, the best solution would be to cook barley porridge. And this recipe is perfect for this action:

Preparing a milk breakfast from pearl barley must begin by soaking the grains (2 cups) in boiling water (2 liters), or by preliminary and short-term (10 minutes) cooking them in water.
Next, rinse the slightly boiled cereals and place them on a sieve to drain.
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, mix 1.5 cups of water and 3 cups of milk. Next, add pearl barley and 30 g of butter into the liquid. We also pour ½ tsp into the container. salt, 1.5 tbsp. sugar, then set everything to simmer over low heat under the lid until the porridge thickens.
And then add another 20 grams of oil and, wrapping the hot porridge in the pan in a blanket, let the dish brew for a while. But if you can’t bear it, you can immediately start eating.

Delicious pearl barley in a slow cooker

Over the past decade, the progress of kitchen technical supplies has been significantly modernized, and now the presence of a multicooker in the house does not surprise anyone. And the popularity of these smart pans is understandable. They practically prepare the dish themselves; all we have to do is load it with the necessary products and set the desired program.

In addition, this unit will not be difficult to cook delicious crumbly barley for breakfast or a side dish. In this miracle pan, even soaking pearl barley has its advantages. If you pour dry cereal with water and leave it overnight in the heating mode, then by morning you can get crumbly porridge. This can be equated to the effect of a thermos. But again, it is necessary to take into account the proportions of water. In this case, 1 multi cup of grain will require 3 multi cups of liquid.

But this is only one of the possible options for cooking this cereal. And this recipe will tell you how to deliciously cook crumbly pearl barley in water, say, for lunch.

We will need the following products: pearl barley (2 cups), water (4.5 cups), ghee (50 g), salt (1 tsp).
The barley must first be thoroughly rinsed so that the water becomes clear.
After that, having loaded all the ingredients into the bowl of the device, close its lid and set the “buckwheat” or “rice” program. In our case, the porridge will be prepared in a Redmond multicooker, so you need to keep in mind that some programs and characteristics of units from other companies may differ.
The discrepancy may even concern the cooking timer. For example, on average, barley cooks in a slow cooker for about 1 hour without pre-soaking. However, exactly how much time this procedure will take for a device from a particular company should be clarified in the annotation for the device.
After cooking is complete, it is necessary to let the porridge “breathe” with the lid open so that excess moisture evaporates.

This is how you can easily and naturally prepare an excellent side dish. However, this is not all the capabilities of this saucepan regarding this cereal, because barley in a slow cooker with milk turns out even more delicious.

To prepare porridge in a multicooker from any company, the same proportions for milk and dry product (3:1) are always used, based on which we will select the components. And all the details on how to cook barley porridge with milk in a slow cooker are described in this recipe.

Ingredients

Barley – 1 cup;
Milk – 3 glasses;
Sugar – 2 tbsp;
Salt – ½ tsp;
Oil – 2 tbsp;

Lazy barley cooked in a slow cooker

Before you start cooking, you need to rinse the pearl barley thoroughly and soak it in boiling water for 2-3 hours.
After this, we wash the swollen grains again and, together with milk, salt, sugar and butter, load them into the bowl of the unit.
Having set the “stewing” program for 3 hours, we can safely go about our business, and the multicooker itself will prepare an excellent breakfast or dinner.

Crumbled pearl barley in a pressure cooker

Undoubtedly, cooking in a multicooker is very, very convenient, especially for busy housewives, but this unit cannot be compared with an intelligent pressure cooker. This device, like no other, copes with the task clearly and quickly, which makes it number one among all kitchen assistants.

Such an amazing cooking speed is achieved by cooking under high pressure, which also has a very beneficial effect on the preservation of nutrients in products.

The recipe for how to properly prepare pearl barley for a side dish in a pressure cooker is similar to the technology for cooking in a slow cooker, however, there are some nuances here too:

For 1 cup of soaked cereal you will need only 2 cups of water or milk;
Having loaded the cereal and water into the bowl of the device, bring everything to a boil, spread with salt, sugar and butter to taste, and only then close the lid and set the program “cooking”, “porridge”, “buckwheat”, “rice” or any other, according to instructions for the device.
The cooking time for porridge is only 15 minutes.

How to cook pearl barley porridge in a double boiler

The question arises, why, with so many convenient and smart gadgets in the kitchen that show excellent culinary results, steam barley?

Everything is very simple, not even the most delicate cooking method can cook a side dish the way a double boiler does. Tender and crumbly, not dry, not sticky, retaining maximum vitamins - this is truly an ideal pearl barley porridge, the better of which you won’t find, no matter how hard you look.

However, this method still has its drawbacks, such as, for example, the fact that barley is cooked using steam for quite a long time, about one and a half hours. But this is still not a reason to retreat from such a healthy and tasty delicacy.

To prepare the side dish, you need to take 2.5 cups of water per 1 cup of cereal soaked overnight.
Load the ingredients into the steamer cup, close the lid of the unit and set the timer for 40 minutes.
After the allotted time, the cereal should be salted or sweetened; if you want milk porridge, then add 1 glass of milk, then set the mode again for 40 minutes and bring the dish to readiness.

Step-by-step cooking of pearl barley in the microwave

Recipes for making pearl barley as a side dish are truly amazing in their variety. And the point is not so much in the wide range of different aromatic additives, but in what particular cooking method we choose. Thanks to kitchen gadgets, this long-lasting cooking has appeared in a different light for us, and the quick preparation of pearl barley porridge has become a real gift.

For example, in a microwave oven, pearl barley cooks in just 35 minutes, while cooking in a saucepan will take twice as long. And this inspires optimism. However, you need to approach microwave cooking technology armed with this recipe.

Ingredients

Pearl barley – 230 g;
Water – 630 ml;
Salt – ½-1 tsp;
Butter – 2 tbsp;

How to quickly and deliciously cook pearl barley porridge at home

Place the soaked pearl barley in a microwave-safe container, fill it with water and, under a closed lid (with a hole), cook the porridge for 5 minutes at full power.
After this, take out the container, mix the cereal, add salt, season with oil and send it to cook again, but for half an hour and at medium power.
During the cooking process, the side dish should be stirred several times so that the porridge is cooked evenly.

You can also cook delicious barley porridge with milk in the microwave oven. To do this, place 1 cup of soaked cereal in a microwave-safe container, pour 1.5 cups of hot milk over it, add salt and sweeten to taste. Next, close the container with a lid (with the valve open) and cook breakfast for 20 minutes at a power of 400 W.

Super-healthy and tasty pearl barley in a pot in the oven

The craving for healthy eating has become a real boom today. On this basis, dear housewives, who carefully care about the well-being of their family, are beginning to actively include raw vegetables, grains, and steamed or steamed dishes in the menu.

It was this trend that prompted us to prepare something similar. How about barley in chicken broth in pots in the oven? This recipe does not take much time, but the seemingly simple dish turns out incredibly tasty and healthy.

Ingredients

Pearl barley – 1 cup;
Chicken broth – 2 l;
Coarse salt – 1-1.5 tsp;
Powdered black pepper – ¼ tsp;
Dry garlic – ½ tsp;

How to cook healthy pearl barley porridge

Wash the cereal, soaked overnight and doubled in volume, thoroughly and place it in ceramic containers, filling them 1/3 full. If we take into account that the average portion pot has a volume of 0.75 liters, then we will need 4 such containers, where each of them will have 0.5 tbsp. pearl barley
Next, pour the cereal with salted and spiced broth, 0.5 liters into each container, and place the ceramic containers covered with lids into the oven.
At a temperature of 190 o C, the porridge will cook for 60 minutes, and before serving, the dish must be flavored with butter and herbs.

In principle, you can cook pearl barley in pots using water. And what an amazing milk porridge you get in the oven from this cereal, just like from a Russian oven. But in this case, the proportions of grain and liquid, and the cooking technology itself will look slightly different.

For 1 cup of cereal we need 1 liter of milk, 40 grams of butter, ½ tsp. salt and 1-2 tbsp. Sahara.
Wash the grain thoroughly and boil in a saucepan for 20 minutes. You can also, instead of boiling, soak the cereal overnight in water, or steam it for an hour in boiling water in a thermos.
After this, transfer the barley into a saucepan with boiling milk, add salt, sweeten and cook for 15 minutes.
After this, pour the semi-finished porridge with milk into pots with a ladle, season with oil and put in the oven for half an hour at 190 o C.

And after 30 minutes we can enjoy a wonderful breakfast with the aroma of baked milk.

“Perle”, which means “pearl” in French, is the word that was once dubbed the most popular army porridge. And the point is not even that barley grain really looks like this sea jewel, but that pearl barley is truly the pearl of a healthy diet. And this is precisely why Peter 1 loved her very much in his time.

Unfortunately, today many housewives have forgotten how to cook pearl barley porridge deliciously. But let’s hope that the suggested tips will still help you regain lost skills on how to properly cook pearl barley using modern kitchen gadgets and some culinary tricks.

Pearl barley is a unique cereal that is useful for both adults and children. You can cook many dishes based on it and they will all be tasty and varied. Many people don’t like pearl barley for only one reason - it takes a long time to cook. Today I want to talk about how to cook pearl barley porridge in water without soaking. Using this recipe, you will quickly cook pearl barley and, I am sure, you will be pleased with the result. After all, the porridge turns out tasty and crumbly. Try it!

Ingredients

To prepare pearl barley in water without soaking you will need:
pearl barley - 1 cup;
water - 4.5-5 glasses;
salt - 0.5 tsp;
vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l.

Cooking steps

Pour 3 cups of cold water into the pan, add the washed pearl barley.

Bring to a boil and cook the pearl barley over low heat for 5-7 minutes from the moment it boils.

Then drain the water and place the cereal in a colander.

Rinse the pan, pour in 1.5-2 cups of water, add salt and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, and boil. Add the pearl barley and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated over low heat with the lid slightly open, stirring (about 20-25 minutes).

Pearl barley comes in different varieties, so the cooking time may increase by another 10 minutes. If I cook pearl barley porridge as a side dish, I simply add ghee or butter to the cooked porridge. I cover the pan and let the porridge brew for about 10-15 minutes. Barley cooked in water without pre-soaking turns out tasty and crumbly.

If I boil pearl barley to prepare a first course (pickle soup, for example), then I put the boiled ready-made cereal in a colander and rinse it (so that the soup does not become cloudy in the future). I also freeze ready-made pearl barley for first courses: I cool it and pack it in bags. It’s very convenient to take a bag of such boiled cereal out of the freezer and quickly cook a pickle. I also prepare this porridge for my husband for fishing. Try it!!!
Delicious and pleasant moments!

The old name for pearls is pearl. It is no coincidence that one of the oldest cereals known to us is called pearl barley. Our ancestors saw that it was very similar to small river pearls. And they were absolutely right, because its value for our body is great.

Actually pearl barley- these are barley grains that have undergone minimal processing, that is, the remaining part has been removed from them; we call it bran. Even in Soviet times, pearl barley was widely used in the catering system as a side dish because it was nourishing and healthy. But it was catering that cemented its reputation as government food with low taste. As with any other product, you just need to learn the secrets of making pearl barley. Then your diet will include not only a tasty dish, but also food rich in fiber and proteins, microelements and vitamins A, B, PP, E and D. There are dozens of recipes for barley dishes. We'll look at the simplest one first. So, how to cook pearl barley in water?

Deliciously cook pearl barley possible in two ways. One of them will require more time, the other less.

1 option for cooking pearl barley

First, you need to rinse the pearl barley thoroughly. This is a fairly dirty grain, so you will need to change more than one water to get truly clean grain. The photo shows how cloudy the water is after the first rinse.

Usually about 4-5 water changes are needed

.Some chefs recommend soaking pearl barley in yogurt, promising that in this case it will acquire an unusually delicate taste. But cook pearl barley correctly You can use regular water too. The main thing is that you should wait about 12 hours before cooking. Well-washed and pre-soaked pearl barley will not have a slippery and unappetizing appearance and a bluish color.

For a glass of cereal you should take 5 glasses of water. After 12 hours, the cereal will swell, increase in size and become soft. Now you can transfer it to a saucepan and cook after that for about an hour and a half.
You can also put a small piece of butter here or pour in a little vegetable oil.
Professionals advise placing cereal in boiling water. First, cook the pearl barley over high heat for several minutes, and then reduce it so that the porridge simmers.

If you want to get the perfect porridge, then take milk instead of water. It needs to be heated a little and then pour the swollen pearl barley into it. After the milk boils over high heat, place the pan in a water bath and continue to simmer the cereal for about 6 hours. Then it is flavored with butter and served either as a separate dish or as a side dish. In this case, the porridge will turn out crumbly and very tasty.

Instead of a water bath, you can use a less labor-intensive method: transfer the porridge into a pot or suitable container with a lid, and then put it in the oven for a couple of hours.

Another the secret of delicious pearl barley- This is adding salt at the very end of cooking.

Option 2: cook pearl barley without long soaking

Sometimes we don’t have that much time, but nevertheless we want to eat this particular porridge as a side dish. How to cook pearl barley without soaking so that it is no less tasty and crumbly? Are there any methods that answer the question “how to cook pearl barley” and do not require such a time investment? Of course there is.
For this, in the same way, you must first have a good rinse the cereal for several times. Then it should be soaked, but this time you can get by with 3-4 hours. Then put the grain in a saucepan, pour water in a ratio of 1:3 and put it on high heat. When the water boils, drain it and put it back on the stove. Now we wait about an hour, and after that we wrap the pan in a towel and wait for a while, usually about 15 minutes. You can add more oil.

Option 3: cook pearl barley without pre-soaking

How to cook pearl barley without pre-soaking and is it possible to do this? Culinary experts assure you that it is possible. We repeat all the stages of preparing the cereal, and then set it to cook over high heat. How long to cook pearl barley without soaking? From 40 minutes to an hour. Then the water is drained, butter is added and the porridge is allowed to brew for about 15 minutes.

Cooking pearl barley in a slow cooker

How to cook pearl barley differently? You can cook it in multicooker or in a rice cooker. Place the cereal ready for processing into a bowl and fill it with water in a ratio of 1:3. The water should be salted in advance.

Try not to put a lot of grain so that the water does not bubble up on top. You need to cook the porridge either on the “Buckwheat” mode or on the “Milk porridge” mode for about 2 hours. Then let it brew.

What and how else to cook pearl barley? You can also cook it in the microwave. In this case, the proportions of water and grain will be 1:1.5. Place the ingredients in a special bowl and cover it with a lid. Then we set the power to 400 Watts and the time to 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add oil and wrap with a towel for a while.

Barley dishes

You can prepare hundreds of dishes from pearl barley. These include delicious soups such as rassolnik, mushroom or just vegetable. Barley is good not only as a side dish, but also as a second course. You can make risotto, casserole, and even pilaf from it. And it turns out incredibly tasty. For example, in barley pilaf there will be that same standard when you see grain after grain in the finished dish.

For pilaf you need to chop the onions and carrots. It is better to cut the carrots into strips so that they do not fall apart during the cooking process.

Then fry them in hot vegetable oil.

After the vegetables have acquired a golden color, place the chicken in the cauldron and also lightly fry.

I usually pre-wash the pearl barley, soak it overnight, and then boil it until half cooked for about an hour. Then I add it to the chicken and vegetables and add water or broth so that the cereal is completely covered. And put it on low heat for another hour and a half. During this time, it is worth checking a couple of times whether the cereal is burning and whether there is a need to add water. This pilaf will be different from rice pilaf, but nevertheless very tasty.

There are even desserts made from pearl barley. And this is not only sweet porridge, but also extraordinary kozinaki.