Boiling Pre-soaked Barley ratio

by Bessie
(Georgia)

I read your recipe for boiled barley. I measured out 1 cup of hulled barley, and I soaked it over night. I got out my pot, and put in 3 cups of water, then I went to add the barley after I drained and rinsed it. It was now 2 cups instead of one! Should I then put 3 more cups of water in or was the ratio for the dried barley considering it would grow after soaking? Thanks!

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Sassy Sez: Hi Bessie! The instructions on the Boiled Barley page read:

"Begin by mixing your pre-soaked barley and water together in a pot (with a lid). The ratio of barley to water is 3 cups water for every 1 cup of barley."

I can see the reason for your confusion. The ratio is 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of barley BEFORE it was soaked, regardless of how b-i-g the barley has grown after soaking.

So if you start out with 1 cup of barley, then soak it, you would add 3 cups of water when cooking.

If you start out with 2 cups of barley, then soak it, you would add 6 cups of water when cooking.

Hope that clears things up.

I will go ahead and fix that on my site to make it more clear. Thanks. :O) xo