How To Cook Unhulled Barley

If you've bought barley from Joseph's Grainery online or in a store, it's Unhulled Barley, which means that the hull is still in tact. Not only is Unhulled Barley our best seller online, but it also garners the most frequently asked question, "How do I cook Joseph's Grainery Barley?"  So we thought it was high time to create a video tutorial showing how simple and easy it is to cook unhulled barley.

If for some reason you can't watch the video, here is the printable recipe below:

How To Cook Unhulled Barley

by Joseph's Grainery

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The best way to cook unhulled barley.

Ingredients

• 1 part Joseph's Grainery Unhulled Barley
• 3 parts water, boiling

Instructions

• Soak the barley in water for at least 24 hours. Drain and rinse prior to cooking.
• Add the soaked barley to the boiling water. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until the barley kernels are tender.

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Slow Cooker Beef and Barley

This Beef and Barley Stew is made in the slow cooker, and can definitely make your evenings a little less hectic.   So simple to make, you literally put the ingredients in the crockpot and walk away for several hours.  With Joseph's Grainery brand Barley, you can eat some of the best barley grown on the Palouse - from our farm to your table.

So simple and easy, this slow cooker recipe for Beef and Barley Stew will surely become a staple in your family's menu.  Remember, with Joseph's Grainery Unhulled Barley, you must soak it overnight prior to cooking.  With this recipe, if soaked, the barley can cook for the same amount of time as the other ingredients in the slow cooker.

Beef n Barley in the Slow Cooker

by Joseph's Grainery

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Ingredients Beef Chuck Roast 1 c Joseph's Grainery Barley, soaked overnight prior to placing in slowcooker 1 onion, sliced 2 c baby carrots, sliced in half 8 oz red wine 4 c beef broth 2 cloves garlic, minced salt and pepper, to taste Instructions Place all ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, let cook on low for at least 8 hours.

What is Unhulled Barley vs Pearl Barley?

We are frequently asked, "What's the difference between Unhulled Barley and Pearl Barley?"  It can be quite confusing, as there are many different terms, names and types of processing that can be applied to barley.

Unhulled Barley

Here on Joseph's Grainery, you'll only find one type of Barley - unhulled.  Unhulled Barley is the purest, from-the-field barley that is edible.  It still has the whole hull in tact.  The only processing it has been through is cleaning (click here to see a video on how we clean grain), to sift out the impurities (dirt, chaff, etc).  Unhulled Barley is truly a whole grain.

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Joseph's Grainery Unhulled Barley is edible, it just needs to be soaked for 24 hours prior to cooking.
There are many uses for Unhulled Barley. If you're looking to sprout barley, this is the barley you will need.  Other forms of barley will NOT sprout (i.e. hulled, pearl, etc).

We have many happy customers who've malted and brewed with Joseph's Grainery Unhulled Barley. We have others who use the Unhulled Barley for a myriad of health benefits.

Pearl Barley

Pearl Barley is pearled (aka polished) to remove the hull and the outer bran layer.  Most of the barley you'll find in your local supermarket is probably pearl barley.  It cooks up without having to soak it prior to cooking.  Pearl barley is NOT a whole grain.

Many people prefer pearl barley over unhulled barley because of the quicker cooking time and lack of need for soaking prior to cooking.  

We're a little different, we prefer a true whole grain.  We'd rather soak the unhulled barley before cooking and cook for a bit longer.  Why?  We'd rather get all the fiber and other nutrients that are in the hull and outer bran layer.

Unhulled Barley

If you're looking for Unhulled Barley, that is, barley with the hull still in tact, you've found what you're looking for!  Joseph's Grainery Unhulled Barley is thoroughly cleaned and the hull is left on. 

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Barley is a cereal grain that can be used for malting and brewing, as well as in soups, stews, breads and other health foods. Barley has a rich, nutlike flavor and an appealing chewy, pasta like consistency. Barley is a great source of fiber and other important nutrients.

Because the hull is still on the grain, Joseph's Grainery Barley must be soaked overnight and then rinsed thoroughly before cooking. After rinsing, add one part barley to three and a half parts boiling water. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender (may take up to 90 minutes).  Want to learn How To Cook Barley?

You will receive thoroughly cleaned, all natural, Kosher Certified,  NON-GMO Joseph's Grainery Barley - From Our Farm To Your Table.

Irish Soda Bread with Barley Flour

Irish Soda Bread made with Barley Flour

MaMa keeps telling me that I'll need to wear green on Saturday or I'll get pinched.  I don't quite understand, but she tells me it has something to do with St. Patrick's Day.  So to get ready for the big pinch-fest, we thought we'd make a loaf of Irish Soda Bread with our Barley Flour.

Ingredients for Irish Soda Bread:

3 c Joseph's Grainery Barley Flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
2 c buttermilk (need a  buttermilk substitue?)
1/4 c unsalted butter, melted

Directions:  Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda.  Beat the egg and buttermilk together and add to the flour mixture.  Stir by hand until just combined.  Stir in the melted butter last and pour into the prepared pan.  Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

Thanks to Country Momma Cooks, where we originally found this recipe and adapted it to our whole grain version.

S'mores Bars with Whole Grain Flours

S'mores Bars made with Whole Grain Flours - A Gooey, Delicious Treat

 Looking for something to warm you up this Winter, but don't want to sit outside for a camp fire?  Meet one of my new favorite treats - S'mores Bars made with whole grain flours.  What a treat, although MaMa makes me eat these at the kitchen table, since they are a little messy and I'm a little messy.

Ingredients for S'mores Bars made with Whole Grain Flours:

1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/2 c brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 c Joseph's Grainery Soft White Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 c Joseph's Grainery Barley Flour
2 c graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 c marshmellows, mini size or quartered regular size
2 c chocolate chips

Directions:  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13 pan with foil.  Spray the foil with cooking spray.

In the bowl of your mixer, on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flours, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt.  Divide the dough in half and press half of the dough into the bottom of the pan.  Spread the marshmellows and  and chocolate chips out over the base.   Scatter the remaining dough over in clumps.  You don't need to cover the entire top, the marshmellow and chocolate chips will peek through.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from pan, peel off foil and cut into bars.

Love me some S'mores Bars!

This recipe was adapted from one found on MyRecipes.com.

Pulled Pork and Barley Soup

Perfect for a Fall Day - Pulled Pork and Barley Soup

We had some delicious pulled pork left over and MaMa wanted to use it up before it went bad.  This Pulled Pork and Barley Soup is the perfect way to use the pulled pork on a cool Fall day!  Originally the recipe was for a chicken barley soup that we found in Everyday Food, but MaMa adapted it to work with the pulled pork!

Ingredients for Pulled Pork and Barley Soup:

1 Tbs olive oil
4 carrots, diced small
4 celery stalks, diced small
1 medium onion, diced small
2 c pulled pork, leftovers work great
salt and pepper, to taste
6 c broth (we used chicken broth, as that's what we had)
2 tsp thyme
1 c barley, soaked overnight
2 c chopped spinach (frozen or fresh)

Directions:  In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the carrots, celery and onion, cook about 8 minutes, or until just tender.  Add the pork and season with salt and pepper.  Add the broth and thyme and bring to a boil.  Stir in the barley, cover, reduce heat and simmer until the barley is tender and cooked through, about 30 minutes.  Add the spinach and cook until wilted, which only takes about a minute.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Farming Update: Spring Barley

Joseph's Grainery Barley

We're finally getting a little bit of sunshine around here!  This has been a wet Spring that has caused us significant delays in planting, but as you can see the spring crops are up and coming along nicely.   What we need now is some growing weather.


Can you tell that my Grandpa likes to fly around to check his crops?  

Honey Multigrain Bread

Hot out of the oven - Honey Multigrain Bread 

MaMa's been on a quest to find a bread recipe that she can make on a regular basis for our family's bread needs, to this point, she's made breads that are definitely yummy, but may not be the best "all purpose" type bread.  She wants something that cuts into thin slices, will work for everything from sandwiches to toast.  Guess what?  She's found the recipe!  We loved this Honey Multigrain Bread.  It made wonderful sandwhiches.  We enjoyed it sliced, toasted and buttered for breakfast.  It was an all around great loaf of bread.

We adapted this recipe from one we found on My Fiance Likes It, So It Must Be Good.

Honey Multigrain Bread

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Ingredients:
1 1/2 c water, warm
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 c oats
3Tbs of honey
4 Tbs unsalted butter
1-2 tsp salt
4 c Joseph's Grainery Hard Red Whole Wheat Bread Flour
1 c Joseph's Grainery Barley Flour
oats, for dusting (optional)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the yeast and 1 c warm water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Then add the oats, honey, butter, and salt. Mix until butter has melted.

Stir in both flours and yeast. The dough will be relatively shaggy. Add water (in 1/2 cup increments) until you have a manageable dough.

In mixer, with dough hook, knead for about 7 to 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic.
Oil a large, clean bowl and form your dough into a ball. Turn dough ball to lightly cover with oil in bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a warm, damp towel and leave for about an hour until it has roughly doubled in size.

Turn dough ball onto floured surface again and punch down. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough out into a rectangle and fold like a business letter. Turn once and roll out and fold once more.

Fold in the sides to get a nicely shaped loaf. Grease a bread loaf pan and place dough, smooth side up in pan. Using a pastry brush, brush on enough milk to lightly coat the top. Lightly sprinkle oats on top, if desired. Cover with warm towel and let rise for another 30-45 minutes.
Cut 3 diagonal slashes on top of bread and place in oven on middle rack.
Place a baking sheet underneath and add about 1/2 to 1 cup of water.
Heat oven to 375 F and bake for about 45 minutes, or until outside is golden and bread is cooked through.

Cool on a wire rack before cutting.

Multigrain Chicken Soup

I don't know about where you're at, but it seems like Winter is definitely trying to stick around these parts...giving MaMa the perfect opportunity to try out her friend Patience's Multigrain Chicken Soup recipe.  Wow!  This is another Lil' Joe approved, kid friendly soup.  MaMa says it would be wonderful when someone's sick and needs a little homemade chicken soup.  It's good stuff!

Multigrain Chicken Soup with barley, rice & lentils.

Multigrain Chicken Soup

by Joseph's Grainery

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A hearty soup your whole family will love.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c brown rice, uncooked
• 1/3 c Joseph's Grainery Barley, soaked for 24 hours (see directions for soaking barley here)
• 2/3 c Joseph's Grainery Lentils
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs parsley
• 1 Tbs thyme
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 lb chicken, cut into cubes
• 8 c water
• 4 c chicken broth

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour or until all grains are tender. Check seasoning. If soup is too thick, add more water or broth to thin.

Perfect for a stormy Winter day - Multigrain Chicken Soup

Thanks again to MaMa's friend Patience for sharing this wonderful Multigrain Chicken Soup recipe!

Whole Grain Pumpkin Cake

MaMa and I thought it would be fun to mix things up at the Thanksgiving dinner table this year, so we're going to be sharing some fun whole grain twists on Turkey Day classics. First up, our favorite course, dessert! MaMa's really shaking things up, turning the traditional pumpkin pie into a Whole Grain Pumpkin Cake.

This double decker cake was a quintessential taste of Fall (MaMa wants to know how I know such a big word...she should know I'm a child prodigy...now let's just hope that I used the word correctly).

Whole Grain Pumpkin Cake

by Joseph's Grainery

Keywords: dessert barley flour soft white whole wheat pastry flour

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A luscious, moist whole grain pumpkin cake.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c Joseph's Grainery Soft White Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 c Joseph's Grainery Barley Flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 3/4 c brown sugar, packed
• 1 stick (1/2 c) butter, unsalted, softened
• 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 can, 15 oz pumpkin purée
• 1 tsp lemon juice

for Ginger Frosting:

• 6 Tbsp butter, unsalted at room temperature
• 1 pkg cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 c powdered sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 Tbsp Milk, if needed

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of your cake pans with parchment paper. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In the bowl of your mixer, combine the brown sugar, butter and oil until thick and smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Scrape the bottoms and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined. Stir in the pumpkin and then gradually the dry ingredients. Mix until evenly moistened and transfer to the prepared pans.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes for layers, as we did. Let cool on rack before frosting.

Directions for frosting:

• Combine the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a medium bowl, until they are light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating well. If needed, add a little milk to make it a sprerqdable consistency.

Enjoy! We know you will.

Berry Barley Scones

Berry Barley Scones fresh from the oven.

There are several great blackberry patches along MaMa's and my jogging route.  I ask everyday if we can pick blackberries.  Yesterday was the first morning we couldn't find a decent blackberry to pick. I didn't understand, I've been picking berries of these bushes and enjoying their bounty for a couple of months now, how are they just "all gone", as MaMa keeps telling me? 

A week or so ago when there were still a few blackberries to pick, MaMa and I took our bowl with us on our morning run.  That day we didn't do so much running, we did more picking (and tasting).  MaMa had also received some Driscoll's Raspberries.  With their wondeful flavor and color, we thought they'd be the perfect pairing with our freshly picked blackberries to make barley scones, and they were.  We ate these scones for breakfast and even snacked on them.

Berry Barley Scones

by Joseph's Grainery

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A tasty and healthy treat for tea time.

Ingredients (8 scones)

• 1 c + 2 Tbsp Joseph's Grainery Barley Flour
• 1 c all purpose flour
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 c buttermilk
• 1 egg
• Berries
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Sift together the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Using your hands, add the butter to the dry mixture and continue to cut it in until you have small bit the size of peas.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg, then add to the dry mix until it is combined.
• On a well floured surface, divide the dough into 2 pieces and pat each piece into a 7 inch disk that is about 3/4 inch thick. Cover one of the disks with fresh berries - as many as your heart desires and will fit.
• Place the 2nd disk on top of the berries. Coat with melted butter and cut the circle into eight triangular wedges. Place each of the wedges on a baking sheet, sprinkle sugar over them and bake for 22 minutes. Move to a rack to cool.

Dough reading to be rolled.

This recipe was inspired by one found in Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce. 

How To Cook Barley

Well, we had a fun weekend taking part in Colfax's Hullabaloo.  Grandma's poodle, Maggie (dressed in her tutu) and I participated in the annual Pet Parade, while Grandpa and MaMa were busy selling whole grains and freshly ground flours.  They tell me that our new Multigrain Pancake Mix sold like hotcakes (yes, pun intended). 

One of the most frequent questions of the weekend was, "How do you cook your Barley?"  Well, the way you would cook Joseph's Grainery Barley may be a bit different than the way you'd cook, say, pearl barley.  This is due to the fact that our barley still has the hull.  It's important to note that most of barley's nutrients are located in the hull, so without the hull, you aren't getting the full nutritional value of barley.

Joseph's Grainery Barley

1.  Soak the barley.
The most important step cooking barley is to soak the grains.  You'll want to soak the barley for at about 24 hours, so if you're wanting to make a soup or stew, you'll want to plan accordingly.  Place the barley in a container and cover it with double the amount of fresh water, then let it soak away!  Be sure to drain and rinse before cooking your barley recipes.

2.  Cook the barley.
There are several methods for cooking barley, MaMa's favorite way to cook it is in soups and stews.  If you are making a soup or stew, you'll want to make sure that you let the barley simmer in the soup/stew for at least 45 minutes.  Or you can put all of your ingredients in a crockpot and let everything cook all day.

If you're not making a soup or stew and you just want cooked barley, all you have to do is boil 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of barley.  Add the soaked barley, return to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for at least 45 minutes.

One of the most important things to note, no matter the method of cooking, is to NOT ADD SALT until the barley is completely done cooking!  The salt can keep the barley from becoming tender.

It's definitely the season for soups and stews, so go for it...add a handful of (soaked) barley to your favorite recipe and enjoy the wonderful health benefits of this mightly little whole grain.

Soft Barley Pretzels

These pretzels are a dream.  I had to open my eyes because I thought MaMa had taken me to the pretzel shop at the mall, only these were much better and probably a lot healthier for you too.  If you're looking for a real fun snack for your kids, a great party munchie for the upcoming World Cup games, or just looking for something fun, these pretzels are awesome!

You'll notice the the recipe calls for honey.  We'd been to the farmer's market and had some fresh honey on hand, so MaMa used that.  I got to taste a fingerful or the honey...it was good stuff!

Soft Barley Pretzels

by Joseph's Grainery

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A soft and chewy pretzel, perfect for the big game.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tsp Dry Active Yeast
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 c Joseph's Grainery Barley Flour
• 2 1/2 c all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 c baking soda
• salt and/or sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling over the pretzels.

Instructions

• In a large bowl add 1 1/2 c warm water (about 100 degrees) and honey to the yeast, stir to combine. Then add the flours and salt and stir again. On a floured surface, knead the dough for about 12 minutes (sometimes we just flour our hands and walk around the house kneading it in our hands). Use cooking spray to grease a large bowl, put the dough into the bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise for an hour and a half. It will double in size.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place the two racks at the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray. Cut the dough into 12 pieces and roll into long skinny "snakes". Shape into pretzels
• While you are waiting for the pretzels to rise (about 15 minutes), fill a large pot with 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. When the pretzels have finished rising, add 1/2 cup baking soda into the boiling water. Do this slowly or you'll have a big mess on your hands! Poach the pretzels 2 at a time, for 30 seconds a side. Transfer them to the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt or with a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake for 14 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through.

The pretzels are enjoying their baking soda bath.  It was amazing to see how they "puffed " up.

Pretzels ready for the oven.

These pretzels are devine straight out of the oven!

Recipe adapted from original found in Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by Kim Boyce

Barley n' Jam Crumble Bars

If you're looking for an instant-gratification-sugar-fix, this isn't the recipe.  They take about 2 hours start to finish, but they are sooooo worth it.  MaMa was sweeping up crumbs behind me, because they do live up to their name - they crumble.  MaMa says these bars are so delectable that she doesn't mind sweeping up the mess I make.  :)

We're inching closer and closer to the launch of our Whole Grain Flours!  Keep checking the side bar and you'll see them listed there when we're ready.  They'll be milled to order, so they'll be about as fresh as you can get without going and buying an expensive mill.  We've been working with the flours (as you can tell by the recipes we've been posting) for about a month now and we couldn't be happier with the way they are performing in the kitchen.  We're excited for you to try them!

Ingredients:

1/2 c Joseph's Grainery Barley Flour
1 c all purpose flour
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c jam (we used raspberry)

Crumble:
1 c old fashioned oats
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 c Joseph's Grainery Barley Flour
3 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 stick butter, melted & cooled

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x9 baking dish.  In a large bowl combine the flours, sugar and salt for the bottom layer of the bars.  Then add the melted butter and vanilla.  Stir.  Press the dough into the bottom of the pan.  Place the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place all of the ingredients, except the butter, for the crumble in your food processor.  Process for about 5 seconds.  Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the butter.  Stir with your hands so you create a crumbly mix.  Set aside.

Bake the frozen shortbread for 50 minutes at 275 degrees.  After that increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Spread the jam over the short bread and then top with the crumble mixture.  Bake for an additional 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

This recipe was adapted from the original found in Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by Kim Boyce.

Do You Know Where Your Food Comes From?

We do!  Here at Joseph's Grainery we can take you to the exact field where your whole grains are grown.  In a world where most people don't have a clue about what's in their food, more and more are finding it of utmost importance to know how the food they eat gets on their table.  This is a quest we find admirable.  Your health, waistline and family will thank you for it.  This will show you the exact field where your Joseph's Grainery Soft White Wheat and Barley are grown...enjoy!

Beef & Barley Stew

The perfect crockpot meal!  Put it in as you leave for work and dinner's ready when you get home!

Ingredients:

2 Tbls olive oil

1 1/2 lbs round steak, cut into bite-size pieces

1 yellow onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups baby carrots

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1 bay leaf

Freshly ground pepper to tast

1/4 c parsley, chopped

1/2 c Joseph's Grainery Barley

2 c Beef Stock or Broth

1/2 c dry red wine (optional)

16 oz mushrooms, quartered (optional)

Directions:  Add all ingredients to the crockpot.  Set the crockpot to low heat and allow to cook for 6 hours.

In the News...Again

We were in the Moscow Pullman Daily News awhile back and wanted to show you the article!  It's pretty similar to the article from the Lewiston Morning Tribune (they are owned by the same parent company).  We're just excited we made the news again!