Barley malt: More than beer

Last month, we explored how food processing can help to create nutritious food from our grains. This month let’s explore an example with our local Ontario barley. While barley is well-known for its use in beer, it can also be found in many items which we consume every day.

One of the most common ways barley is used is as barley malt. Barley malt is created through malting a process where barley is soaked and allowed to sprout. It is then roasted and dried, creating the malt.  The heat causes the starch in the barley to break down into sugar, changing its colour and making it sweeter. From there, malted barley can be used to make beer, but it could also be made into different ingredients, like malted barley flour, barley malt extract, and malt syrup.

Barley malt can serve several purposes, such as sweetening food, serving as a natural food colouring, binding food together, and imparting its own unique flavour. Malt still contains many of the nutrients found in barley, including minerals, B vitamins, and some fibre.

These qualities make barley malt a popular ingredient in many different items such as:

• Malt vinegar and certain breads, where malt helps speed up fermentation
• Breakfast cereals and granola, which may use barley malt as a sweetener instead of refined sugars, or to bind together clusters or flakes
• Candies and confections, where malt contributes both sweetness and a unique flavour
• Multi-grain cereals may include both barley malt and whole or rolled barley, meaning barley can appear in more than one form in a single bowl

There are lots of health benefits which come from eating barley. Beta-glucans found in barley, help to support steady energy levels and reduce blood sugar spikes. Whether it comes from barley or another one of our Ontario grains, getting fibre in your diet helps to prevent many chronic diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.

So next time you’re choosing what to buy at the grocery store, don’t overlook barley. Whether as a whole grain or as barley malt, it helps to create many of the delicious items we enjoy while contributing to our health.

Did you know that barley has been used in many unique ways over the years? Come read about how barley can be used as a caffeine-free coffee alternative.