Barley, the forgotten grain

Of all the grains we’ve written about here on TheSurvivalMom, barley has never been mentioned. In fact, up until a few months ago, I never gave barley a thought. Lately, though, I’ve been incorporating more barley into my recipes at home and have to say, I’m enjoying it’s hearty flavor and texture.

Malting barley. Image by chromalux.

There are many reasons to use, and store, barley. This amazing grain can actually fight diabetes, but wait! There’s more!

it has more fiber than oats, both soluble and insoluble
it has tons of antioxidants
it has a very low glycemic index score
it is high in protein

I was astonished to learn about all the health benefits of barley. In fact, in a recent study, men who ate a diet high in barley consumption had their cholesterol levels drop by as much as 20%! In spite of that, more than 75% of all barley grown in the United States is used either for livestock feed or in beer-making! For those of you planning on making your own beer, you might want to get barley established in your garden now!

There are few grains more versatile in cooking than barley. It can be chopped, ground, cracked, boiled to make a tea, and even cooked in a rice cooker! Try adding a couple of tablespoons to your favorite soup, stew, and casserole recipes for great texture and flavor. Remember to add extra liquid, since the barley absorbs liquid as it cooks.

Naturally, adding barley to a food storage plan is a smart move. What is commonly sold in grocery stores is pearled barley, which has had the thin hull removed by a grinder. This version of barley will have a longer shelf life than hulled barley. Hulled barley has the hull in place and is more nutritious. However, as is the case with brown rice, the hull contains oil, which becomes rancid over time. For storage of either variety, keep them in airtight containers in a cool place. If wrapped tightly to protect against moisture, they can even be stored in the fridge or freezer.

Mother Earth News recently wrote about barley hereand included four delicious sounding recipes, including one for Chocolate Barley Bundt Cake!

(6) Readers Comments

Andrea
February 27, 2010 at 10:15 pm

I love barley! We use it in soups all the time, plus it's good as a side dish when it's cooked in broth. I've also used it as a stretcher in meatloaf. I have quite a few pounds put up in my food stores as it's such an easy versatile grain.

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Red Icculus
March 1, 2010 at 2:30 am

We store hard red winter wheat and quinoa for the same reasons. The only thing is that whole wheat can't be used in all baking and quinoa has to be parboiled before use. If barley could be de-germed or stored long-term, I would definitely put it into our food storage for the benefits in your article.

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PollyS
March 13, 2010 at 5:37 pm

We love barley. It's great grind to lighten ww bread, pilafs are wonderful, it's a great addition to soups and gives a meaty tooth feel.
The only negative is it takes much longer to cook than rice. So plan accordingly.

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LizLong
April 18, 2010 at 3:47 am

Whatever it is you're stocking, it might be time to get it in. NOW. Like, change your browser window and buy time. (HUGE ditto on dehydrated beef, and any sheep products you might want.) While Pravda is clearly a propaganda machine, that doesn't mean it's all wrong. They often bring up points I don't see elsewhere, or not until later. And I have done fact-checking intermittently on it with other online sources and not found any evidence that it is not to be trusted, at least not any more than any of our major news outlets are. Maybe it'll all clear up in a few days and nothing will come of it. But still….
http://english.pravda.ru/world/europe/17-04-2010/…

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- TheSurvivalMom
  April 19, 2010 at 8:13 am
  
  It doesn't seem like that volcano is anywhere near being finished with its' eruption. All that ash will certainly affect the climate. It's just a matter of where it will cause the most change.
  
  Reply
  - LizLong
    April 19, 2010 at 2:51 pm
    
    All of this is from what I've been able to find online. In the past when it has erupted, it has effected the UK as well due to it's proximity. It is spring, when baby sheep and cattle are born, and the little ones are more susceptible to the effects of flourine gases. The ones on Iceland would certainly be affected, and potentially the ones in the UK as well, depending on duration. Volcano E produces flourine gas. (It's not good for people or horses either.) Also, the eruption is apparently diminishing a bit right now, but it has managed to erupt for months to over a year at a time before, and this isn't its first eruption this year. So even if flights can resume soon, that doesn't really mean it's over just yet. And it's usually a warning that its big sister nearby will blow soon.
    
    And a little factoid that none of our MSM seems interested in: the ash cloud will probably reach CANADA by tomorrow, possibly as far as Boston and NYC by later in the day. The London Times mentioned it, but the BBC has a visual. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8629127.stm
    
    I know it could turn out to not be a major thing long-term, it's just…. Well, it COULD be a game changer!
    
    Reply