Food Storage Friday: Link Party and Mushroom Barley Rissotto

Can I Store Brown Rice In My Food Storage?  

No, brown rice does not store well.  Because of the fat stored in the rice kernel brown rice goes rancid quickly.  But there is hope,  you can store other grains like barley, or quinoa.  These grains cook up a lot like brown rice and have a longer shelf life. Barley has a shelf live of 8 years-- a lot longer than brown rice, but not forever like wheat.

 I cook barley the same way I cook rice, but you can cook it on the stove or in the rice maker too. 

In this recipe I did NOT rehydrate the vegetables before I added them.  There is so much liquid in this dish that there is no need to rehydrate the onions or the mushrooms before you add them.  If you don't have fresh herbs, you can leave them out or substitute dry (remember to use 1/2 as much).

Mushroom Barley Risotto

• 6 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth


• 6 tablespoons butter


• ¼ cup freeze dried onions


• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced


• 2 cups pearl barley, rinsed, drained

• 1 cup freeze dried mushrooms, broken into smaller pieces


• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)


• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives


• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley


• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1.       Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cover to keep warm. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add barley; stir until coated with butter, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup broth; simmer, stirring often, until broth is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until barley is tender but still firm to bite and risotto is creamy, about 45 minutes.

2.       Add mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, herbs, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to risotto; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

I adapted this recipe from a recipe I love from epicurious.

Food Storage Friday Link Party