The aftermath of porridge.

[Howardh]

Made a delicious bowl of porridge this morning, lovely on a cold day.

But....how do you cope with the aftermath, the hard-as-concrete leftovers in the pan which detergent (and bleach) won't shift , and using a plastic scrubber simply transfers half the nuclear fall-out onto that making things worse....

And it's a so-called non-stick pan. What am I doing wrong???

 

[42626]

I cook porridge in a glass bowl in the microwave. After decanting into my cereal bowl, a quick rinse and the glass bowl is clean.

 

[Howardh]

I cook porridge in a glass bowl in the microwave. After decanting into my cereal bowl, a quick rinse and the glass bowl is clean.

Good shout. I'll try that!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

When I make it, I just make it straight in the cereal bowl ( NB check it's a microwave safe bowl first ) so there's even less washing up to do.

 

[krus_aragon]

I use a non-stick milk pan, and wash it out immediately once I've transferred its contents to a bowl. That bowl will likewise be in water once I've finished eating.

 

[Domh245]

I'm with krus_aragon on this, washing up (or at the very least, leave soaking) immediately after the food has been 'plated', ditto trying to wash things like chopping boards and knives as I go. By washing up the bulk of the stuff before eating it's then ready to put away afterwards, perhaps with a brief going over with a dishtowel.

 

[Belperpete]

I'm with krus_aragon on this, washing up (or at the very least, leave soaking) immediately after the food has been 'plated', ditto trying to wash things like chopping boards and knives as I go. By washing up the bulk of the stuff before eating it's then ready to put away afterwards, perhaps with a brief going over with a dishtowel.

I was taught by my parents to always put suacepans in soak (or just fill with water) as soon as you have emptied them, whatever you're cooking. Makes the subsequent washing up so much easier. Likewise as krus-argon says, either wash the bowl, or at least put it in soak, as soon as you have finished eating the porridge.

But I am with Muggridge on this one. If you are making porridge for one, heating the milk on the cooker is inefficient and slow. Put the milk in the eating bowl, microwave it, then add the oats.

 

[Howardh]

It's the soaking straight after cooking that's doing no good. I'm gonna do the microwave option.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

But I am with Mugridge on this one. If you are making porridge for one, heating the milk on the cooker is inefficient and slow. Put the milk in the eating bowl, microwave it, then add the oats.

That's not quite how I do it... though of course this will vary according to how creamy you like it and I'm guessing that like with things like train liveries and seats etc there's no two people who like it the same way. I put the oats in the bowl and add boiling water from the kettle and stir until all the oats are properly wet, then microwave it, then add a bit of milk after microwaving and stir that in. If I'm making it for my daugter, ske likes syrup on it after that. if I'm making it for myself, I don't put syrup on it but I do put a load of demera sugar on it.

 

[yorksrob]

One rents the box set of 'Going Straight' of course !

 

[krus_aragon]

But I am with Muggridge on this one. If you are making porridge for one, heating the milk on the cooker is inefficient and slow. Put the milk in the eating bowl, microwave it, then add the oats.

I tend to leave the oats and milk etc. sat in the pan for a while before cooking*, which cuts down on the heating time required. My mum was a devotee of the microwave approach, until she bought an electric pressure cooker, and now uses that on a daily basis.

*e.g. while seeing to the kids' breakfast

 

[Belperpete]

My mum was a devotee of the microwave approach, until she bought an electric pressure cooker, and now uses that on a daily basis.

Using a pressure cooker for porridge? That sounds like sledge-hammer to crack a walnut, unless she is making a lot of porridge.

 

[furnessvale]

But I am with Muggridge on this one. If you are making porridge for one, heating the milk on the cooker is inefficient and slow. Put the milk in the eating bowl, microwave it, then add the oats.

I thought we were discussing porridge. What concoction of the devil is that?

Porridge is made with water and a sprinkle of salt when cooking. No milk, sugar, honey or any other devillish things. Even the oats must be properly milled. Mornflake know how to do it. Quaker, Scotts etc. mill the life out of them until they are dust.

 

[Howardh]

I thought we were discussing porridge. What concoction of the devil is that?

Porridge is made with water and a sprinkle of salt when cooking. No milk, sugar, honey or any other devillish things.

That sounds horrendous!
When I started this thread thought I might just get one answer to solve my problem (I did - microwave in a bowl) but of course it's gonna turn into open warfare and a thousand-post thread about how to cook/eat porridge .

Sorry.

 

[furnessvale]

That sounds horrendous!
When I started this thread thought I might just get one answer to solve my problem (I did - microwave in a bowl) but of course it's gonna turn into open warfare and a thousand-post thread about how to cook/eat porridge .

Sorry.

You are correct. All pans, cutlery and cockery involved with porridge must be immersed in water immediately. If not, what is left in the pan could be used to build the bridges for HS2.

 

[krus_aragon]

Using a pressure cooker for porridge? That sounds like sledge-hammer to crack a walnut, unless she is making a lot of porridge.

Single servings. She places a bowl inside the pressure cooker, and sets the timer for a few minutes. When it's done, the machine beeps and turns itself off.

I was baffled at first too, but it's nothing like a conventional pressure cooker on the hob.

 

[scotrail158713]

You are correct. All pans, cutlery and cockery involved with porridge must be immersed in water immediately. If not, what is left in the pan could be used to build the bridges for HS2.

I was taught by my parents to always put suacepans in soak (or just fill with water) as soon as you have emptied them, whatever you're cooking. Makes the subsequent washing up so much easier. Likewise as krus-argon says, either wash the bowl, or at least put it in soak, as soon as you have finished eating the porridge.

Correct.
Just give a frying pan a minute or two. I did it immediately after frying an egg once and my kitchen then resembled 17th century London.

 

[MidlandsChap]

Wash out straight away and dont cook it on too high a temperature.

 

[kermit]

If you have a close fitting lid that will effectively seal the pan shut, leave it to cool, and the leftover porridge will lift off easily. Same applies to burned on stuff on the sides of a casserole or oven proof dish (eg lasagne) - if you are able to seal the top while the whole thing cools down, after a couple of hours the condensation will magically turn washing up (or scraping out leftovers) from a nightmare to a doddle. It's my only life hack!

 

[philjo]

I usually pour a mug of boiling water from the kettle onto a mug full of jumbo oats in a stainless steel saucepan and sprinkle with cinnamon. Put on a medium heat on the hob. Stir with a wooden spoon. The Porridge is ready in less than 3 minutes and usually pours into a bowl leaving the pan almost clean unless the gas was too high so the pan washes quite quickly.
I then pour cold milk onto the porridge in the bowl.

if I add cold milk to the porridge before cooking or use the so called fast oats it does take somewhat longer to clean the pan. In that case, the fill with cold water and leave it to soak. After an hour or so it is usually easy to clean.

 

[hexagon789]

Porridge is made with water and a sprinkle of salt when cooking. No milk, sugar, honey or any other devillish things. Even the oats must be properly milled. Mornflake know how to do it. Quaker, Scotts etc. mill the life out of them until they are dust.

I quite agree, in Scotland it's oats, water and a pinch of salt. Anything else and it's no' porridge!

 

[Bevan Price]

I thought we were discussing porridge. What concoction of the devil is that?

Porridge is made with water and a sprinkle of salt when cooking. No milk, sugar, honey or any other devillish things. Even the oats must be properly milled. Mornflake know how to do it. Quaker, Scotts etc. mill the life out of them until they are dust.

I agree, including about Mornflake, which are the best I have encountered. Once tried a Supermarket brand - cheaper, but contained small deceased insects inside their sealed bags.
Heat rapidly on hotplate until water boils, then leave to "thicken" for a few minutes. Soak remnants in pan, then scrape remnants out of pan and feed to the local blackbird.

 

[krus_aragon]

On the topic of oats, I must admit that I buy at the cheaper end of the scale; in our household they're just as likely to be made into homemade flapjack. But by comparison, the (standard) oats you get in Canada are huge, up to a centimetre in length!

 

[AndrewE]

I was taught by my parents to always put suacepans in soak ....

as recommended by Mrs Beeton!

On the topic of oats, I must admit that I buy at the cheaper end of the scale; in our household they're just as likely to be made into homemade flapjack. But by comparison, the (standard) oats you get in Canada are huge, up to a centimetre in length!

Stop bragging, we know everything is bigger the other side of the pond! Our oats are smaller.
(And another plug for Mornflake, made in Crewe and the UK's biggest buyer of oat grain, I was told by a one-time trader.) We have ordinary oats - Mornflake not being over- (i.e too pre-) cooked, unlike most brands, and JUMBO oats, which are a lot coarser, and even less-thoroughly cooked.
If you like your porridge slimy, try Redybrek!

 

[GusB]

I thought we were discussing porridge. What concoction of the devil is that?

Porridge is made with water and a sprinkle of salt when cooking. No milk, sugar, honey or any other devillish things. Even the oats must be properly milled. Mornflake know how to do it. Quaker, Scotts etc. mill the life out of them until they are dust.

I quite agree, in Scotland it's oats, water and a pinch of salt. Anything else and it's no' porridge!

Wheesht!

When I was a kid I regularly had Ready-Brek, but my late father decided that it was too expensive compared to "proper" porridge oats, and decided that I should have it "how it's supposed to be made". His propensity to over-salt things meant that I didn't touch the stuff in nearly 40 years. When clearing out the cupboards recently I found a box of "Oat So Simple" (Golden Syrup variety). It was a bit bland, but a handful of sultanas later it turned out to be quite a nice breakfast.

If you told me how I should have my steak cooked, I'd tell you to do one. I don't see why porridge should be any different.

 

[SteveP29]

I was taught by my parents to always put suacepans in soak (or just fill with water) as soon as you have emptied them, whatever you're cooking. Makes the subsequent washing up so much easier. Likewise as krus-argon says, either wash the bowl, or at least put it in soak, as soon as you have finished eating the porridge.

I was as well, my stepkids don't do any washing up at home and we have no dishwasher (except muggins here) I often feel like the bowls need sandblasting to get the solidified corn flakes or coco pops off them once they've been sitting all day.

Wheesht!

When I was a kid I regularly had Ready-Brek

Same here, but only in winter and my mother wouldn't always bu Ready Brek, so I used to just get given the normal Rice Krispies or Weetabix but with hot milk

 

[Belperpete]

I was as well, my stepkids don't do any washing up at home and we have no dishwasher (except muggins here) I often feel like the bowls need sandblasting to get the solidified corn flakes or coco pops off them once they've been sitting all day.

In danger of going seriously off-topic here, but it is important that children are taught life-skills. As children, me and my siblings each had to do the washing up once a week. If you don't learn from experience, how are you ever going to know about putting bowls in soak rather than let the porridge or whatever harden all day?

 

[Foxcote]

I use jumbo rolled oats, sometimes with additions such as all bran but always with a small dash of cinnamon. I soak them in milk overnight,(saves time in the morning) then microwave on high for 1 min 10 sec.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

My thoughts on the subject are noted below.

The night before:
I soak the porridge oats (Scott’s or de temps en temps another brand; I always return to Scott’s) in cold water and gie it a guid wheech wi’ a spurtle, cover and retire.

In the morning:
2–3 hours before it is required, I stir again (see what I did there?) and add the salt. Stirring occasionally with the aforementioned naturally non-stick kitchen tool, I leave the porridge on the lowest heat. This unhurried approach prevents the vessel becoming a Quatermass Quaich, but it does require increasingly frequent nursing as simmertime approaches.

I actually quite like the skin which inevitably begins to form on the bottom of the pan, albeit in a controlled fashion by this method. While I find the idea of women who eat the placenta weird and disgusting, it could be argued the texture of porridge skin is not dissimilar. I wouldn’t know.

Having served my suitably smooth and creamy textured porridge in bowls to others, I am free to eat mine out the pan. (My wife used to complain about this habit until we encountered posh restaurants where were served soup, and on one occasion porridge, in small cast iron pans). The carefully nurtured skin is then easily detached from the bottom of the (non non-stick) pan as I enjoy my porridge and any remaining traces are easily removed with a soft sponge pan cleaner if dishes are dealt with promptly.

This method might not suit everyone

 

[Kingspanner]

This method might not suit everyone

I'll say! Buggering about half the night soaking everything! I prefer precision.
Select a cereal bowl which is microwave/dishwasher friendly.
Add exactly 40g of Scott's porage oats made up to 240g with semi-skimmed milk. Straight into the microwave for 2mins 15 secs on 750 watts.
Sugar to taste, and eat. Bowl into the dishwasher
A hearty, tasty, warming and nutritious breakfast with no mess and in no time.

Being born in Edinburgh I am acutely conscious of porridge snobbery and recognise the appelation controlee issues. If anyone would like to name the dish I described above, I promise I'll start calling it that at home. (unless Mrs Kingspanner objects)