Making porridge is quite easy. All porridge recipes focus on the ingredients for a healthy breakfast. In addition to the basic porridge recipe, which consists only of oats, milk or water and a pinch of salt, there are now countless variations in a wide range of flavors.
However, one aspect is usually neglected in all these recipes: stirring. A good porridge needs to be well stirred.
In this article, we will therefore focus on stirring, an activity so fundamental to cooking that we usually perform it without giving it much thought. Find out why stirring is so important in cooking, what you should bear in mind when preparing your porridge and how the so-called spurtle can help you:
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Why do we stir when cooking?
This question takes us right into the physics and chemistry of cooking. Stirring involves mixing the ingredients on the one hand, and heating the food on the other.
Stirring to heat food properly
The heating of food , e.g. over a hotplate, does not take place evenly. Heat is transferred from the stove to the pot or pan and from there to the food to be heated. The much lower heat conductivity of the contents of a cooking vessel – compared to the stove or pot – means that the contents near the bottom heat up much faster and more than everything above. Every cook is familiar with the result of excessive heating: burning. By stirring during heating, we can prevent burning and still heat food to high temperatures. However, what helps during heating can also be useful when cooling, because stirring helps food to cool faster.
Mix, mix, mix
The second reason for stirring is to mix ingredients. Stirring accelerates the dissolution of solids in liquids such as milk or water. It also increases the speed of chemical reactions between ingredients or when ingredients are heated.
The science behind making porridge properly:
To understand how oats and water can turn into creamy porridge, you have to look at the preparation of porridge from a (kitchen) chemistry perspective. One of the basic chemical processes involved explains the context and effect of heating on the thickness (viscosity) of the porridge.
Why do oats thicken when they boil?
When oat flakes come into contact with hot water, molecular bonds between the oat starch granules are weakened. The oat starch begins to absorb the water and swells, causing the porridge to thicken. This process is called gelatinization. The process can also be well understood by the term “gelatinization”. Gelatinization starts at around 60 degrees Celsius and reaches its peak – with maximum thickening of the porridge – at around 90 to 95 degrees Celsius.
However, if the heating continues beyond this point, the thickening process is reversed because the oat starch then begins to break down, which in turn leads to a reduction in the thickening of the porridge. The swollen starch granules break up into smaller pieces that can move faster and therefore have a higher flowability (lower viscosity).
Stirring – the secret of a good porridge
To achieve the perfect consistency, the porridge must be heated to just the right degree. If the heating does not reach the point of gelatinization, the result is a crumbly mixture of oat flakes in a liquid. If the porridge is heated for too long, however, it will become thinner again and may end up too thin.
This brings us back to the stirring. Stirring the porridge evenly during heating helps to ensure even gelatinization.
The Spurtle – the tool of porridge professionals
What is a spurtle?
The Scots, who claim porridge as their own, use a special kitchen utensil called a “spurtle” to stir porridge, a tradition that dates back to the 15th century. The German word “Spatel” or “Spachtel” is similar. A spurtle is a stirring stick made of wood. Spurtles made from beech, maple or cherry wood are preferred. Unlike a spatula, however, the spurtle has no spoon- or shovel-like end, but only a rounded tip. This stirring rod fits comfortably in the hand and the rounded end allows it to work well into the corners and edges of pots.
The spatula compared to the wooden spoon
The wooden tool is suitable for pots of all kinds and does not leave scratches on coated cooking vessels. The rod shape is said to be able to stir porridge without solidifying and forming lumps. In contrast to a spoon, which would have a dragging effect when stirring, the small surface of the spurtle reduces the likelihood of porridge sticking to the instrument and clumping.
Random Spurtle Facts
- In reference to form and function, the spurtle also appears in Scottish slang in other contexts: someone with thin legs is referred to as “spurtle-legged”, or you may complain of a “spurtle-shot” if you feel a stitch.
- The spurtle is so closely associated with porridge-making that the winner of the annual World Porridge Making Championship is awarded the “golden spurtle” as the main prize.
- Its similarity to a magic wand also explains the multitude of Scottish myths and legends surrounding the spurtle. Among other things, it is said that porridge may only be stirred clockwise with the spurtle and only with the right hand, otherwise you would have the devil on your neck. However, porridge pros are not deterred by this and move the spurtle like a whisk to make porridge particularly creamy.
- This explains why spurtle owners supposedly never lend this simple kitchen tool, because whoever borrows it would love it so much after a short time of use that they would never give it back.
How to clean a spurtle
Wooden kitchen utensils such as cooking spoons, cutting boards or spurtles are not without controversy for reasons of hygiene. Therefore, care should be taken when cleaning them. It is best to clean a spurtle immediately after use by brushing it and rinsing it under running water.
After cleaning, the spurtle should be allowed to dry thoroughly. Under no circumstances should the spurtle be washed in the dishwasher, because the wooden stirring rod would be exposed to the dishwater for too long and would swell as a result. It is also recommended that wooden kitchen utensils are occasionally rubbed with a little vegetable oil to keep the wood smooth.
Why we recommend using a spurtle
Verival porridges are easy-to-prepare porridge mixes that are made ready to eat by adding and mixing with hot water, milk or a plant-based alternative, depending on your preference. Of course, you can use any old spoon for mixing.
But if you want to prepare your porridge in a particularly creamy way, with style and in the knowledge of old porridge traditions, a spurtle will soon become an essential porridge tool. Spurtles can be easily purchased online, for example, at the Verival online shop:
