Barley
Barley or hordeum vulgare, is said to have originated in Asia and has been eaten by man since early times. Flat unleavened breads would be made from barley and the Greeks made a kind of barley porridge, which they called Alphita. On its own, barley produces close textured but sweet-tasting bread.
Barley grows well in the British climate and 2000 years ago was the main cereal used for milling or boiling and eating as a grain or porridge. Today it is produced in considerable quantities by farmers for the brewing industry.
It is a grass with a swollen grain which is similar in appearance to common wheat. It is a fairly hardy crop and grows well in poor conditions and is sewn in autumn or spring.
When barley is harvested it is encased in an inedible outer skin which must be removed to release the grain in a process often known as pearling.
At Doves Farm we sell pearled barley and kibbled barley as well as organic and non-organic barley flour. The flour is often used in traditional Middle Eastern cuisine (in soups & stews) as well as in Scotland for bannocks and biscuits.
