Barley Surviving

Nobody said you had to store only wheat; there are plenty of other tasty grains you can add to your year’s supply. Take barley, for instance. With its chewy texture and mild flavor, barley makes a delicious cooked cereal or pilaf to serve with meat, poultry, fish, or a vegetable dinner. Here’s how to make these dishes.

Cereal: Crack pearl barley—barley with its husk and germ removed—in the same way you would crack wheat. Cook for twenty-five minutes, using three cups water (lightly salted) per 3/4 cup dry barley. For a more hearty cereal, cook grains of whole barley in the same manner for one hour. Or for variety, cook white rice and barley together; both grains are tender in about the same time.

Hot barley cereal tastes great with milk, fruit, or butter and sugar.

Barley Pilaf: Cook whole barley grains as for cereal, using three cups beef or chicken broth (in place of the water) per cup of barley. If you wish, add raisins and curry powder (to taste) to the cooking liquid before adding barley. For added crunchiness, stir in chopped nuts before serving. Sauteed onions and mushrooms are also delicious in barley pilaf, as are chopped and sauteed celery or green pepper.

You can also use barley to extend beef, lamb, and vegetable soups and stews. The Scottish people have done it for centuries. Just add 1/4 cup pearl barley to your recipe.—Relief Society General Board