Of course! This is for Mouse Barley (Hordeum murinum), which is extremely invasive and crowds out our native grasslands. There's history of it being eaten when all else fails but I haven't been able to find an efficient method anywhere, making this all the more exciting :) Iāll copy and paste the post just made by Pascal Baudar on the facebook Foraging California page:
Considered an "invasive" weed, Wild Barley (Hordeum murinum) can be found in your yard, in the forests, in the street, it's everywhere in Southern California! I even find some in the local mountains!Ā
A couple of weeks ago, my friend Billy visited me at my studio in the mountains and we were discussing the various techniques to extract grains and seeds. Some plants can be quite challenging and itās definitely the case with Wild Barley.Ā
While you can extract decent grains by hand, the process is arduous and not very productive. During the discussion about ancient techniques, one possible process came out: Chaff Burning. I did a quick test with a lighter and the method seemed promising.
Chaff burning has been practiced by various cultures throughout history, particularly in traditional agricultural societies and even possibly by hunters-gatherers as one way to easily extract grains for more challenging plants. It is still practiced in India, Pakistan and parts of Asia.Ā
And so today was the test, I took a bunch of dried wild barley and simply set it on fire. I can improve the method and next time Iāll stir with a stick while itās on fire but it worked quite well although I had to set it on fire 3-4 times after stirring.Ā
In the near future I'll try placing the barley in a metal strainer or mesh on top of a wood fire and shake it, probably closer to what our ancestors would have done.Ā
Anyhow, I ācleanedā the resulting grains by rubbing them in a strainer and even using my stone grinder to gently remove any leftover burned chaff. Placed the content in a bowl and shook it in the strong wind outside which got rid of any loose chaff and other impurities. It was quite easy and took maybe 5 minutes to do all the steps. The grains are slightly parched in the process which is a bonus as many wild seeds and grains were often parched for easier consumption.Ā
Iām excited by the results and it is completely doable to collect enough in one day to make a decent bread or a bunch of flatbreads.Ā
One of my main positive solutions is to look at those unwanted plants as a food source. There are many benefits to foraging wild edible seeds and grains. One of the main advantages is that they are a nutrient dense and sustainable food source. Wild seeds and grains are often higher in protein, fiber, and minerals than their domesticated counterparts. They are also less reliant on irrigation, pesticides, and other inputs, making them an environmentally friendly option.Ā
Who knew? That pesky āinvasiveā plant can be quite useful. Sometimes we forget that we are alive today because our ancestors ate such plants, maybe wild barley deserve some respect too!Ā
Iāll keep working with that plant and experiment with other techniques as well.
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