Pot barley is mostly used in soups and stews, where it serves both as a thickener and a grain addition, but it also makes a nice side dish or salad.
Pot barley, also known as scotch barley, is husked and coarsely ground. It is polished like pearl barley, but to a lesser extent, so the kernels are less refined, retaining more of the bran layer than the pearl one.
The kernels are not as small as pearl barley, so pot barley takes a little longer to cook.
In Scotland, it is used to make bannock. Pearl barley is also used to make barley water, usually sweetened and flavoured with orange or lemon.
In everyday cooking, this versatile grain can be used in salads, hearty soups, stews and pilaf as well as orzotto, an Italian dish similar to risotto but using pearl barley in place of rice.
Try our Guide to Grains for some old favourites and new ideas.
These Organic Pot Barley are available in a range of sizes, all packed in Plastic Free packaging. We use plant-based cellulose bags for these products. Cellulose Plastic Free packaging is biodegradable, simply scrunch up to create air pockets and add to your home compost. It will take around 1-2 months to biodegrade. Or it can be added to general waste, it will break down into vegetable matter.