Preparation of Barley or Oats for Infants
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the meal
Grind whole barleycorns or oats in a coffee mill after washing and drying them.
Cook the porridge
Boil 1 teaspoon of the ground meal in ½ pint of water with a pinch of salt for 15 minutes.
Strain the mixture through a linen cloth or fine muslin.
Make the younger infant version
For younger infants, mix 1 teaspoon of ground barley or oats in a jug with ½ pint of boiling water.
Let it stand, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, then strain carefully.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Barley or oats
- Provides the starch that thickens the liquid into a smooth, porridge-like texture.
- Water
- Hydrates the ground grain so its starch swells and the mixture becomes liquid.
The step that matters
Straining the mixture. Straining through linen or fine muslin removes the coarser grain particles, leaving a smooth texture that is easier for a young infant to swallow.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.