[Nursing department 651]

Oatmeal, Barley or Rice Water.  From the Grain:  Use two tablespoonfuls of grain to a quart of water.  The grain should have been previously soaked over night or at least for a few hours.  When required for an emergency the soaking may be dispensed with and the grain boiled for five minutes instead.  The water in which the grain was soaked should be poured off and fresh water added before cooking.  The grain should be boiled for several hours, water being added from time to time to keep the quantity up to a quart.  Strain.  This makes a somewhat thin, watery gruel.  From prepared flours:  Various brands of prepared grain flours are on the market, such, for example, as Robinson’s Barley flour.  These are all somewhat similar in preparation.  From two rounded teaspoonfuls to a tablespoonful of the prepared flour is added to a pint of boiling water and this is boiled from fifteen to thirty minutes and then strained.  No previous soaking is required.

CEREALS AND CEREAL GRUELS.

Either the grain itself or the specially prepared flour may be used.  When the grains are used they should be spread on a clean table and all foreign substances removed.  If the whole grains be used, it is well to wash them, after picking them over, with two or three changes of cold water.  Cereals are best cooked in a double boiler.  The lower part should be filled about one-third full of water and, if more is added during the soaking, it should always be boiling hot.  The cereal should be boiled over the fire for ten or fifteen minutes.  The water should be boiled first and then salted.  The cereal is added gradually and the whole stirred to prevent it from burning.  It should then be placed in the double boiler and steamed until thoroughly cooked.  Cereals, like other starchy foods, require thorough cooking.  Most recipes allow too short a time.  Oatmeal, especially, should be mentioned.  It develops a better flavor if cooked for three hours or more, and is better when it is prepared the day before and reheated when used.  It should be just thin enough to pour when taken out of boiler, and when cooled should form a jelly.

Any cereal mush may be thinned with water, milk or cream and made into a gruel, or the gruel may be made directly from the grain or flour.  Gruels should be thin, not too sweet nor too highly flavored, and served very hot.  Milk gruels should be made in a double boiler.  Gruels can be made more nutritious by the addition of whipped egg, either the white or yolk or both, and the various concentrated food products.

When cereal flours are used, the flour should be rubbed to a smooth paste with a little cold water and added slowly to boiling water, stirring constantly until it is thoroughly mixed.

[652 Mothers’ remedies]

Length of time to cook cereals.