Thanks to its short growing season and hardiness, barley is able to grow in some of the more inhospitable areas of the world, such as the Swiss mountain regions and Tibet. It is also a popular crop in more northern parts.
Botanical facts
The growing season of barley, i.e. from sowing to harvest, is a mere 120 days. Generally it is sown in the autumn and harvested sometime in July, of course its growing season is longer as there is no growth in winter. There are differences depending on type of barley, area and weather conditions. If the harvest is early in the year it may be possible to grow another crop, say animal feed, winter peas or root vegetables.
On the barley ear with its characteristic long beard, the kernels are arranged in rows. Unlike wheat and rye, barley does not have a soft membrane (bran) but a hard husk which needs to be removed before further processing.
Places of origin
Barley quality varies greatly depending on its place of origin. The main producing regions of barley for export are:
- Canada
- Northern United States
- Russia
- France
- Syria
Processing
After a thorough cleaning process, the grains are “topped” which means their tips are cut off as this is where most of the pollution accumulates. In the trieur the grains are separated from any other seeds or impurities.
The main end products are (classification into 5 – 7 sizes)
Human foodstuff | animal feed |
|---|---|
- Pearl barley | - feed barley flakes |
Analysis
In its main components, barley is quite similar to wheat.
| Barley | Wheat |
|---|---|---|
Crude protein | 11 % | 12 % |
Crude fat | 2 % | 2 % |
Starch | 67 % | 70 % |
Minerals | 3 % | 2 % |
What is particularly noticeable is the high level of minerals.
Use
Pearl barley is mainly used in soups and stews. And in winter, these are hearty favourites for all the family.
And of course, there is also barley water; it can be made by boiling washed pearl barley, then straining it and pouring the hot water back over the barley pulp, add sugar, honey or fruit juice (lemon) to taste. It used to be used against fevers and is a well known nerve tonic.
