What is Barley Powder?
Barley grains are dried and powdered to barley powder, used to make various vital medicines. Its compounds help lower blood sugar levels, blood pressure, cholesterol, promote weight loss, and solve digestive complications such as diarrhea, stomach pain, and inflammatory bowel conditions.
In food, barley is a source of vitamins, proteins, and fatty acids. Barley was among the earliest cultivated grains. Its plants grew in Egypt, Ethiopia, and Tibet before spreading to other countries. Barley flour is used in the united states to make baby foods, and in Africa, it is used for porridges.
How to grow and produce Barley powder
- Land preparation
Select a site to plant your seeds. The selected site must have well-drained soil.
Plough the land early to allow decomposition of organic matter. A large plantation uses a tractor disc plow which enables deep plowing in the soil, improves the soil aeration and drainage. Land ought to be prepared on time to allow timely planting.
Harrowing is done to break the large soil particles. The seeds require fine soil because they are small in size.
- Planting
You can use a planter with a seed hopper as well as a fertilizer hopper to plant the seeds in a large scale plantation. This is because barley seeds should be planted with appropriate spacing to be ready after 60-70 days.
- Harvesting
Ready barley is golden in color and brittle. During harvesting, the barley is cut, and the next step depends on its use. Barley is more prune to shuttling, so as to reduce its loss. It should be harvested before it’s fully matured and in the morning hours. A combine harvester can be used to harvest barley.
How do you Consume Barley Powder?
There are several ways in which you can use barley powder.
- The barley flakes are used as breakfast porridge instead of oats.
- It is also added to soups and stews.
- Barley flour and wheat flour are mixed and used in baking.