Potential Barley shortage??

[British Red]

I found out recently from a neighbour that the Ukraine, as well as being a major exporter of wheat is a major exporter of barley

Time for some strategic stocking up :?

Beer kits by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Interesting to note that two items were "to follow". In the first lock down almost all homebrew items sold out!



Shortage invoice to follow by English Countrylife, on Flickr

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Good point. It could just be a knock on effect of folk panic buying though. I've got to be honest beer is not high on my priority list.

On the other hand I've been loving pearl barley in stews recently. Makes a nice alternative to other seeds, pulses and beans.

 

[British Red]

Ahh if there's no comforting pint after a day's hard graft, my world is a little less pleasant - home brew of course

 

[Toddy]

I tried to buy Broth Mix today. Sainsbury's had none, Tesco had none, B&M's had none, but I did find two packs (all that was left) in Home Bargains.
Full of barley, peas, lentils, etc.,

I did buy Beremeal recently though, so I'm fine for that. Pearl barley though, it's kind of a staple. Lovely drinks in Summer using it too.

Barley grows well in the UK. Maybe we need to pay attention to encouraging home grown.

M

 

[Kadushu]

Pearl barley and dumplings in a lamb stew... The stuff of foodgasms followed by a 5 hour food coma. Ahhhhh.

 

[Toddy]

White pudding made with barley and oatmeal seasoned with pepper and salt and some ground mace, and oh, it's a very good thing

 

[Broch]

As long as it doesn't affect the supply of single malt

 

[British Red]

Don't even joke about that

 

[Robson Valley]

Canadian prairie grain farmers have been working on the gamble for the best bang for their buck for crops this summer.
Barley, lentils and durum wheat (pasta) look like the best bets.

You might consider laying in a dozen+ units of several shapes of pasta. It keeps for years and years. Durum ain't going to get any cheaper, particularly with climate change risks. Now. Not next November, now.

I've got maybe 15kg different shapes put away and lots of semolina (durum) flour for the times I get the hots to make my own.

Don't count on seeing snow-white barley by itself this autumn. Mature and ripe is off white but the taste goes up. Should be lots of that diverted from feed grain usage. Pet owners won't skimp to save on darling woofie's best kibble so that barley ought to rise as well.

 

[Winnet]

As long as it doesn't affect the supply of single malt

Good excuse to stock up now then.

G

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[British Red]

Well, I suppose it's the prudent thing to do...

 

[British Red]

Canadian prairie grain farmers have been working on the gamble for the best bang for their buck for crops this summer.
Barley, lentils and durum wheat (pasta) look like the best bets.

You might consider laying in a dozen+ units of several shapes of pasta. It keeps for years and years. Durum ain't going to get any cheaper, particularly with climate change risks. Now. Not next November, now.

I've got maybe 15kg different shapes put away and lots of semolina (durum) flour for the times I get the hots to make my own.

Don't count on seeing snow-white barley by itself this autumn. Mature and ripe is off white but the taste goes up. Should be lots of that diverted from feed grain usage. Pet owners won't skimp to save on darling woofie's best kibble so that barley ought to rise as well.

Makes a pleasant change for farmers to be in control!

 

[FerlasDave]

Not just barley…. I can recommend stocking up on flour too as that’s the other major import.

 

[Broch]

Good excuse to stock up now then.

G

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Mmm... I may have difficulty persuading the missus that I ned more

 

[British Red]

Not just barley…. I can recommend stocking up on flour too as that’s the other major import.

On a more serious note, if anyone does stock up on flour, it's worth taking a few minutes to preserve it properly. Flour can easily last two years with a little effort

 

[Robson Valley]

The Canadian Wheat Marketing Board exercised some price control for the hexaploid bread wheats that Canada is so famous for. Best on the planet. High drought resistance, good fungus resistance, stem strength and so on.
But, farmers were always free to grow whatever and do their best to market that to whatever buyers they could find.

Cousins of mine scored an enormous barley deal with a branch of a BIG beer brewery. They did well!
Others banded together and sell 747 loads of lentils in the far east. Arabs can afford to do those things. Endless stories like that.

Look into the pasta business. Sure, Italy can grow some very fine Durum semolina but it won't last forever. Four popular brands of home pasta machines: Imperial, Schule, Marcato, Atlas. I really like my Imperia machine and have used it a lot.
The factory cutter make spaghettini and linguini. Then, you can always roll herbs and spices into the sheet as well.
Get a raviolamp and a pastabike. Make Tortelli molds, etc.

 

[Toddy]

@Robson Valley

There is a lovely Youtube channel called Pasta Grannies, and those old ladies who have made pasta all their days rarely use machines. They use their hands to shape and the simplest of tools.
It's as much fun to watch as the Japanese Grannies one


Links,

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCedsqpl7jaIb8BiaUFuC9KQ

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeiPqmB7Cs8V_DRiiqwkiZg

 

[Robson Valley]

I had to put up with a childhood of either macaroni or spaghetti or Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee canned ravioi, the pinnacle of pasta. My neighbor makes her pasta in a well of flour on the bench. Rolls it out, rolls it up and cuts linguini with a huge knife.

I'm really happy with the Imperia machine. I've used a Schule machine, sloppy, wiggly gears. I have seen the Marcato and the Atlas but I have not had the chance to use either one of those. Funny how they all look suspiciously similar.

If you're accustomed to making soups and stews (I am not), time now to put away 5 kg barley, 10 might be even better. Keeps for decades when kept properly dry.

 

[Toddy]

Hodmedod's sell British peas, grains, etc.,

They have barley, and they're actively engaged in encouraging farmers to grow it.

A Field of Naked Barley

Hodmedod is working with East Anglia Food Link and a group of farmers to revive production of naked barley, for sale as whole grains and flour from the autumn.

hodmedods.co.uk