How to make microwaved porridge thicker

microwaveoatsthickness

In the morning, I usually have porridge with a bit of fruit. The issue is that the porridge oats always seem to retain their shape and never become very sticky, even after I leave it for a few seconds after microwaving.

I use 40g of Kavanagh's porridge with 220ml of milk and put it in an 800 watt microwave for the specified time of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. I then add in cherries and blueberries then put it in the microwave for a further 30 seconds, before adding sliced banana. After waiting for a few minutes, the oats have absorbed the milk, but seem to retain their shape and don't become sticky.

I prefer to use the microwave instead of the hob, as their is less to wash up afterwards. I have tried adding less milk and putting the porridge in for longer, but this doesn't seem to have an effect.

How do I make my porridge thicker and stickier in the microwave?

Best Answer

There are 2 main points that will affect the thickness of your porridge :

  • The oatmeal/milk (or water) ratio
  • The temperature reached by the oatmeal. Litterature says the oat starch gelatinization (that gives said thickness) happens at around 80°C. From experience, higher is better (probably because heating isn't homogenous in a micro wave, and you'll need to be close to the boiling point on some parts of your bowl to reach at least 80°C everywhere).

So, what I would suggest is :

  • Put your 40g of oatmeal and 220mL of milk, and measure the exact time it take it to boil in the microwave. If it's significantly higher than 2min30, and the result is thick as you want, just microwave it that long every time.
  • If it's still not thick enough, add a bit more oatmeal untile you reach the desired thickness.
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