Milk porridge is a great start to the day, but not always. Sometimes it just does not work, quickly thickens, bitters, or just tasteless. It would seem that there is nothing difficult to prepare, the technology is simple, there are not many ingredients, but somewhere there is a mistake.
Milk diluted not forgotten?
Our grandmothers made porridge with milk, and sometimes they used cream. They shot tops, supposedly so delicious. All this is good, but it has nothing to do with the right technology. According to the rules, milk is always diluted with water, and from this the taste of porridge is only better. The proportions for dilution are 1: 1, and sometimes 1: 2, here you can only focus on your taste. But you need to add water strictly according to the rules.
How to dilute with water:
- Semolina, oatmeal. Milk is immediately combined with water, then sent to the stove, after boiling, cereal is introduced.
- Millet, rice porridge. These cereals start cooking in water. As soon as the cereals reach half-ready, boiling milk is added to them. If you start immediately boil on milk with water, the process will be delayed.
- Buckwheat porridge. It is prepared exclusively on water, the ratio of cereals and liquids is 1: 2. Then at the end milk is injected. Or add it directly to the plate.
If dry milk is used, it is diluted according to the instructions, after which it is added to the porridge according to the above rules.
Salted porridge?
Sugar is added to porridge by all people, but for some reason people forget about salt. But it is she who gives saturation, removes "emptiness". No sugar, jam or honey will replace a pinch of salt. It is a kind of flavor enhancer. But unlike the harmful glutamates and other chemical additives, it is even useful in small quantities for health.
When to add salt? Usually this is done at the very beginning, as soon as the liquid boils.
If you want to cook porridge faster, you can salt it in the middle of cooking or near the end. The time of addition is not so important, the main thing is not to forget.
Why is milk porridge bitter?
Quite often, unpleasant bitterness appears in the milk porridge. The cause is always in the croup. But each species has its own characteristics. One croup can taste bitter from old age, its expiration date has come to an end, or its storage rules have been violated. Another cereal simply requires proper preparation. Before cooking the cereal it is necessary to smell and touch, perhaps there are traces of mold and moisture on it. Main reasons:
- Oatmeal, rolled oats. Porridge is bitter, if croup is old or improperly stored, it has impurities. Unlike large and whole grains, the flakes cannot be washed. Therefore it is worth getting rid of them.
- Millet. It is almost always bitter, requires not only washing, but also soaking in cold water. Millet is poured on for half an hour not only for porridge, but also for soup. Soaking also eliminates the unpleasant gray tint.
- Fig. The reason for the bitterness is most likely in the dirty grains and impurities. Rice requires thorough washing. It should also be borne in mind that it absorbs extraneous smells and tastes well, it is recommended to smell raw cereals.
Sometimes bitterness in porridge does not appear because of the cereal, but of butter or milk. Manufacturers often cunning, add antibiotics and other components, which, when heated or sour, give a bad taste. Be vigilant, read the compositions, choose quality products.
Why milk porridge is slimy
Usually milk porridge viscous consistency, not liquid, but not thick. But sometimes they turn out to be slimy, resemble jelly, look unappetizing. Why it happens? Most often due to the large amount of flour or starch.
Therefore, rice and millet should be rinsed well with cold water until transparent.
What to do with oatmeal? Do not use for porridge the remains of a jar or bag, which are mainly composed of fine particles and oatmeal. It is advisable to mix with flakes or use the remaining dust for baking. Instead of cereal from crushed flakes you will get slimy jelly, it is not tasty.
Why milk porridge is too thick or thin
You can cook porridge "by eye", but in this case you should not hope for the same result each time. Even such a simple dish requires respect for proportions. Each cereal has its own amount of liquid, be it water, milk, or their mixture. There are rules that are desirable to adhere to.
Any porridge thickens while infusing and cooling. This also needs to be taken into account. If you do not plan to use it immediately after preparation, the amount of cereal can be reduced by 20% or the amount of milk can be increased.
Why are there lumps in milk porridge
Very often, children do not like porridge because of lumps. What to conceal sin, adults also do not like them. Lumps appear not only in semolina porridge, but also in corn, even oatmeal and rice can stick together, sometimes millet sticks together. The only croup that is not threatened is buckwheat. But in milk it is not cooked, but only diluted.
Why in porridge lumps:
- The croup was added to the cold liquid, it boiled for a long time, sank to the bottom, stuck together and compressed.
- The croup was not stirred. This should be done not only when added to the milk, but also to the boil.
- Cold water or milk added.
- The porridge did not boil, the croup fell to the bottom, stuck together, the milk or water peeled off from above.
By the way, if you add butter to milk before grits, no lumps form. Yes, and porridge with him is much tastier.
Why does porridge constantly burn?
It is desirable to have a special dish for cereal, in which other dishes are not prepared. In an enamel saucepan, milk always burns. It also sticks to the bottom if it is made of thin metal. You can cook porridge in an aluminum pan, but it is unreliable. Over time, the surface becomes porous, milk eats into it, porridge will still stick, it will burn. Therefore, it is recommended to use stainless steel.
Why else porridge burns:
- the pan is dirty;
- added a lot of sugar;
- Milk is added to a hot and / or dry pan.
According to the rules, rinse the pot with cold water, then add milk or water to it. And never clean inside with abrasive powders, metal floats. If something is burnt, then you need to pour water, add a little soda, boil and wash with a soft sponge for dishes.
