hulled

Hulled is an adjective used in agriculture and food processing to describe a seed, grain, or fruit from which the outer hull, husk, or shell has been removed. The hull is a protective layer surrounding the edible kernel; removal is called hulling and is a common preprocessing step before milling, cooking, or packaging. Hulled products typically cook faster and have a lighter texture than their unhulled counterparts, but may differ in fiber and micronutrient content because the hull often contains dietary fiber and minerals.

Common uses and examples include hulled barley, where the tough hull is removed while the bran and germ remain; pearl barley is more processed and has more of the outer layers milled away. Hulled oats, also known as oat groats, have the husk removed. Hulled sesame seeds are sesame seeds with their inedible hull removed, producing the lighter seeds used in many recipes. Hulled sunflower seeds and hulled pumpkin seeds refer to kernels with their outer shells removed. In rice, hulling removes the husk; brown rice has only the husk removed, while white rice undergoes further milling to remove the bran.

Nutritional and culinary considerations vary by crop. Hull removal can change texture, flavor, and cooking time, and may affect fiber and micronutrient levels depending on how much of the bran and germ remain in the product.