How to Cook Oatmeal
Ingredients
Directions
Bring the water to a boil in a pot.
Pour in the oatmeal and let it boil until it thickens.
Reduce the heat and let it simmer for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours.
If short on time, soak the oatmeal beforehand and stir while heating.
Cook in a double boiler to avoid scorching, keeping water in the bottom kettle.
Let it stand for a few minutes before serving.
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
- Oatmeal
- Coarse oats swell and soften as they absorb water, thickening the porridge.
- Water
- Hydrates the oats so their starch gelatinises, giving the porridge its body and moisture.
The step that matters
Keep the heat low during the long simmer. Oats thicken and can stick and scorch on the bottom of the pot over a long cook. Gentle heat or a double boiler spreads the heat evenly and prevents burning.
“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.
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