Goya Foods Barley, Dry, 16 Ounce (Pack of 24)

I was having a very difficult time finding 1 pound bags of barley on the grocery store shelves around here lately. Pandemic supply chain disruption? Russian invasion of Ukraine global food supply disruption? I don't know. I just couldn't find any pearled barley where I used to buy it. I've been familiar and satisfied with the Goya brand for years. Tried a different familiar company's "quick 10 minute barley" in some homemade soup recently but the grains disintegrated into mush, probably since I cook my soups the long-simmering old fashioned way. The quick kind costs more than this barley, too. If you're in a hurry, however, the 10-minute kind might be useful for some purposes.I didn't really want to have to buy 24 single 1 pound bags of barley at once to get a normal price that I was used to. But now I don't regret that I did it that way. I was really pleased to see that the "best by" expiration date is a full 2-1/2 years beyond my purchase date! I will definitely use all of this product long before then.As a matter of fact, since I have it on hand, I'm using barley either mixed with brown rice or instead of it. Also worth noting: the PROTEIN CONTENT of 1 serving/1/4cup of dry barley is 5 grams, as opposed to only 3 grams of protein for the same amount of dry brown rice. I have always loved the springy texture of cooked barley.Naturally, it just makes sense to cook a lot when you have the time and plan ahead for leftovers which can be kept in the refrigerator for several days and easily reheated. I often freeze portions of my hearty soups to zap later on in the microwave oven on those days when I just don't want to have to cook from scratch. My own cooking is so much better than some ready-made convenience crap full of unknown ingredients.I am not vegetarian but I consume minimal amounts of meat. Along with this barley I also boost the protein content of my dishes with my favorite legume, blackeye peas! With some beef or chicken to start the broth, spices, and whatever vegetables I have on hand, I always come up with a product that satisfies me, often to sop up with my own home baked or other good quality bread!