Author Topic: pearled barley  (Read 2779 times)

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Offline franksolich

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pearled barley
« on: May 09, 2008, 06:12:11 AM »
In my never-ending quest to devise the perfect diet that prevents or ameliorates conditions for which people seek pharmaceuticals, when I was at the grocery store last evening (Thursday evening), I noticed something called "pearled barley" (Brown's Best, produced by the Kelley Bean Co. of Morrill, Nebraska).

"Barley" has always just been a word to me; I never paid attention to it before.

I am wondering if it has the same fibrous content as authentic brown rice, and if it might be good with butter (real butter), in real beef or turkey gravy, along with frozen corn and peas.

It has zero saturated fats, zero trans fats, zero cholesterol, zero sodium, zero vitamin A, zero vitamin C, 24g total carbohydrates, 5g dietary fiber, zero sugars, 3g protein, zero calcium, 6% iron, 100 calories per 1/4th cup, zero calories from fat.  Its ingredients are simply "pearled barley," nothing added.

It looks like authentic brown rice.

One is confused by the instructions for cooking, the first line of which is "wash and sort."

It looks pretty clean to me, and how does one "sort" items of uniform size and shape?

It says to boil in a kettle, but one assumes a Corningware pot would do just as well.

It also says "boil in water for 2 minutes, cover and remove from heat."  And then "allow to stand one hour, then return to heat," after which ostensibly it is okay to mix in other stuff.

One wonders what might happen if one just boils it, and then adds the other stuff, rather than having it sit for a whole hour first.

I'm going to try this this coming weekend, just to see what happens.

I'm trying to compile recipes for a book, DUmmie Diets for Primitives, or somesuch title.
apres moi, le deluge

Offline Lord Undies

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Re: pearled barley
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2008, 06:35:48 AM »
I know most beers wouldn't be the same without Barley.

If memory serves, the pearl barley has been through a process which removes the hull (of course) and the bran.

As for sorting it, I have no idea.  Maybe little rocks get into the mix like in bags of beans.

Offline Flame

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Re: pearled barley
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2008, 06:50:36 AM »
Let us know how it turns out, Frank...the only time I use Barley is in my veggie soup.

Offline bijou

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Re: pearled barley
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2008, 07:20:30 AM »
Pearl Barley as it is know here is a great addition to soups and stews so it would be fine with a gravy or savoury sauce, you can also make a type of North African flat bread with it.  The recipe for that is rather time consuming but interesting and I'll post it when I get home for anyone who might want to try it. 

Here is a long list of barley recipes: http://www.barleyfoods.org/recipes.html



Offline franksolich

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Re: pearled barley
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2008, 07:38:35 AM »
Thanks, bijou; I will check this all out.

You know, I grew up in the of the premier wheat-producing states of the union, but never paid much attention to it.

It's sort of like blonde women; when they're a dime a dozen, one longs for brown- or black-haired women, and doesn't pay attention to the blonde women.

But I'm still confused about this "sort" business.  How does one "sort" the barley?
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Offline franksolich

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Re: pearled barley
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2008, 03:05:59 PM »
Okay, I tried that this afternoon, and thought it rather remarkable.

Then later, I thought, "Oh Hell, I just re-invented vegetable-beef-barley soup, and so there's nothing remarkable with it at all."

Damn, and here I thought I was on to something.

At least it'll be a good recipe in the cookbook for primitives.

Any other suggestions about foods high in fiber would be appreciated for my experimentation.

I think this cookbook for primitives would be a winner, but it needs more than one recipe.
apres moi, le deluge