Who has Barley in their long term storage?
 

I am going to store about 50 lbs of barley for soups and such and was going to do the standard O2 absorber and 5 gal bucket with gamma seal lid and I was trying to ball park its shelf life.

I am torn between thinking it's going to be just like wheat (stores dang near forever) and it being like brow rice (a lot shorter storage due to mosture in the husk)

Any thoughts??

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

I have at least a hundred pounds of malted barley sitting right next to me. I will drink it instead of eating it though. Barley has been around a long time and it would be a good thing to have for planting purposes. I use corny kegs to keg instead of bottling my beer now and I was thinking what an excellent storage container they would make. Instead of vaccuum sealing you can pressure seal with co2 and this seems like a good way to go. Evacuate the oxygen by filling thru the out valve with a co2 tank. Viola!

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

It sounds like a great idea, but I can't drink alcohol.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

Does barleywine count? Cause I do have quite a few cases that'll be really yummy in about 7-8 years.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

Can't drink beer? Sorry.

Wasn't the porridge in the old days made of barley? I love it in soup and usually have a couple bags kicking around for beef soup. It doesn't seem to go bad quickly.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

Barley, as well as a variety of other grains, should be part of everyone's storage plan. Simply from a taste standpoint, variety is good. I also like spelt, kamut (older forms of wheat), and especially rye.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

Another barley fan here. I enjoy it in soups and stews. Has anyone tried it as a stand-alone side dish?

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

Probably more than you ever wanted to know...........

http://www.aaccnet.org/cerealfoodswo...FW-51-0004.pdf

scyth

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

I'm a barley fan too, but like woodman, I drink mine. Yes I've got it in my stores. It's malted barley, ready to brew with.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

i have a about 40 pounds in seal 5lb bags it great to add in soup an good for a snack . make a bowl with some raw honey

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

malted barley is also what is in most plain flours on the market as well as wheat.

personally i think it is better to have something that is still viable IE can be planted to grow more barley

you can always malt it later

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

I keep some in my long-term storage. I mostly use it in soups and stews. I've wondered about how long it will store well, too.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

I like it hot,
With soup from a pot,
I like it cold,
Even if it was 5 yrs old,
And never fear,
I even like it in my beer.

Seriously, I have some sans O2 in a jar in the pantry at least 5 yrs old and its fine in soups or stews. I have some malted barley that old in bags for beer making, too, and they are fine, as well. I'd just make sure it was in something sealed up good, and the O2 absorbers can't hurt.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

The barley we cook with is "pearl" barley that has been processed and polished to remove the hull and bran. I think this is similar to processed white rice that keeps forever compared to unprocessed brown rice. Don't know but I would think that the pearl barley would keep well.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

That was the kind I was looking to store as well I am glad the consensus is that it is going to last a long while. I love barley but I could never use 50lbs in a year.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

Brown rice grows rancid as it ages due primarily to the oils contained in the rice itself. I have always figured the the pearled barley would keep well.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

If you don't already have one, get a rice cooker. It'll cook up all other types of grains, too.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

I have one and use it frequently for rice, never thought about using it for barley, thanks! We eat a fair bit of bulgur wheat, I'll give it a try.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

Open pollinated/old world barley seed can be had here.........

http://www.ancientcerealgrains.org/

I got an order in last week, everything was on the up and up.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

Yes, I have barley. It is pearled barley. Because the outer shell is partially rubbed off I don't think it can last in storage as long as wheat. That hard outer shell of the wheat is a good barrier.

sb

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

I hardly ever use it for rice anymore! LOL! I'll throw in 3-6 different grains and cook them together. It will also do a good job on steel-cut oats.

Re: Who has Barley in there long term storage?
 

One more for the road,
I just used some 10 year old pearled barley that wasn't stored in the best of conditions,
I put some in a bowl then poured boiling water on it and let it soak for 1/2 hour. Then simmered it until almost tender.
The antique barley was fine in a stew of home grown veggies and venison,

Knowing that we ordered 25lbs of pearled barley from our local bulk food store and will vac pack it in mylar bags/buckets.
Good luck