Barley. More than just for soups, livestock or beer.

Although this is a truthfully delicious and nutritious grain, more than half of the barley grown in the US is used for beer. Most of what remains is used for livestock.

Finding whole barley outside of health food stores takes a little effort. Often most "whole" versions will still be missing the hull, so shop wisely. "Hulled barley" (meaning the hull is still on) has far more fiber and minerals than pearled barley which has been stripped of the germ and the bran and polished up to six times to give it a smooth surface.

Hulled barley should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or kept away from light, heat, and moisture. If kept in this manner it will stay fresh for up to several months. Since most all of the oils which could go rancid have already been removed, pearled barley can be kept at room temperature for a longer time.

Substitute hulled barley for any recipe where you see pearled barley, but keep in mind that it will take approximately two hours to cook, much longer than the 45 minutes recommended for pearled. You can start by pre-cooking the hulled barley well before it’s needed in the recipe. You can also serve it cooked alone with some simple seasoning as a side dish or in grain salads as you would wheat kernels.

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