Did you know we carry hulled barley in our bulk bins? YUP, we do.
I made a dish today with barley, mushroom & rosemary and the recipe called for pearled barley. I wondered what the difference between hulled barley and pearled barley was and if they were inter-changeable. Well, hulled barley IS whole grain barley with the tough inedible husk—called the spikelet—removed yet the bran remains, retaining all the nutritional value. Hulled barley is rich in dietary fiber. It also contains more iron and trace minerals than pearl barley, and more than four times the thiamin. Whereas pearled barley has the outer husk and bran removed making it a quicker cooking grain and it's polished, which reduces the nutritional value. You can substitute hulled barley for pearled barley, just plan on a bit more cooking time (40 minutes, UNLESS you're doing it in an electric pressure cooker and then the time, I found, is the same). Hulled barley has a pronounced flavor, which makes it an appealing ingredient in hearty, country-style soups and stews. I enhanced my dish with protein by adding baked extra firm tofu with an Asian blend of flavors. YUMMY on a bitter cold day!
(from Barb M.)
