These simple foods, the base of which is usually one of the grains, play an important part in the dietary for the sick, if properly prepared. Gruels are similar to porridge, but much thinner.

Gruels may be varied with flavorings of cinnamon, nutmeg, almond, or a little grated lemon-peel, and sugar. Sugar is mentioned with great hesitancy, for a sweet gruel is an abomination, and yet a gruel with a very little sugar has a pleasanter flavor than one without any.

INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS

Like other dishes prepared from the grains, gruel needs a long, continuous cooking. When done, it should be the very essence of the grain, possessing all its nutritive qualities, but in such form as to be readily assimilated. For the making of gruels, as for the cooking of grains for any other purpose, the double boiler is the best utensil.

If it is desirable to strain the gruel before serving, have a fine wire strainer of a size to stand conveniently within a large bowl or basin. Turn the gruel into this, and rub it through with a wooden or silver spoon, using a second spoon, if necessary, to remove that which hangs beneath the sieve. On no account use the first spoon for the latter operation, as by so doing one is apt to get some of the hulls into the gruel and destroy its smoothness. 

When as much of the gruel as possible has been rubbed through the sieve, pour the strained liquid into a clean dish, reheat to boiling, and season as desired before serving. Gruels, like all other foods, should be retained in the mouth for proper salivation, and it is well to eat them with wafers or some hard food, when solid food is allowed.

ARROWROOT GRUEL
Rub a dessertspoon of pure arrowroot to a thin paste in two tablespoons of cold water. Stir it into a half pint of boiling water, or if preferred, a cup and a third of boiling milk. Stir rapidly until thickened and clear. If desired, a little lemon peel for flavoring may be infused in the water or milk before adding the arrowroot. Sweeten, if allowed, and serve.

BARLEY GRUEL
Wash three heaping tablespoons of pearl barley, drop it into a pint of boiling water, and parboil five minutes. Pour this water off and add a quart of fresh boiling water. Let it simmer gently for three hours. Strain, season, and serve. A small piece of lemon rind added to the gruel a half hour before it is done gives it a very agreeable flavor. Equal quantities of milk and barley gruel make a very nourishing drink. The milk, however, should not be added to the gruel until needed, as in a warm atmosphere it undergoes quite rapid change, and is likely to ferment. A little lemon juice, with sugar to sweeten to taste, is sometimes preferred as seasoning for barley gruel.

EGG GRUEL
Heat a cup of milk to boiling, and stir into it one well-beaten egg mixed with one-fourth cup of cold milk. Stir constantly for a few minutes till thickened, but do not allow it to boil again. Season with a little salt, or if preferred and allowed, a little loaf sugar.*

*loaf sugar – sugar sold in a hard block, which has to be broken and then pounded into sugar granules.

FARINA GRUEL
Moisten two tablespoons of farina with a very little cold milk, and stir it into a cup of boiling water. Boil until it thickens, add a cup of new milk, turn into a double boiler, and cook again for twenty or thirty minutes. Strain if necessary, season with salt or sugar, and serve.

FLOUR GRUEL
Rub one heaping tablespoon of whole-wheat flour to a thin paste with three tablespoons of cold milk. Stir it into a pint of boiling milk and cook for ten minutes. Season with salt, strain if necessary, and while hot, stir in the beaten white of one egg. The egg may be omitted if preferred, or the yolk of the egg and a little sugar may be used instead, if the patient’s condition will allow it.

INDIAN MEAL GRUEL
Make a thin paste of one teaspoon of flour, two tablespoons of Indian meal,* and a little water. Stir this into a quart of boiling water, or milk and water in equal proportions, as preferred. Boil until the meal has set, stirring constantly. Then turn into a double boiler and cook for an hour and half or two hours. Season with salt, and strain. If too thick, thin with milk or cream.

*Indian meal – coarsely ground corn (cornmeal).

OATMEAL GRUEL
Pound one-half cup of coarse oatmeal until it is mealy. The easiest way to do this is to tie the oatmeal in a coarse cloth and pound it with a wooden mallet. Put it in a pint bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Stir briskly for a few moments until the water is white, then allow the meal to settle. Pour off the water, being careful to get none of the sediment. Fill the bowl a second time with cold water, stir thoroughly, let settle, and pour off the water as before. Do this the third time. Boil the liquid one half hour, strain, and serve hot. If very thick, a little cream or milk may be added.

LEMON OATMEAL GRUEL
The United States Dispensary recommends the following method of preparing oatmeal gruel for fever patients; “Rub one heaping tablespoon of fine oatmeal smooth in a little cold water. Stir this into three pints of boiling water. Cook until the quantity is reduced to two pints, then strain, and let it cool and settle. When it is quite cold, pour the clear gruel from the sediment, add the juice of a lemon, and sugar to sweeten slightly. If desirable to serve it warm, reheat before adding the lemon juice.”

RICE WATER
Wash half a cup of rice very thoroughly in several waters. Put it into a saucepan with three cups of cold water and boil for half an hour. Strain off the rice water, season with salt if desired, and serve.

Image from Deposit Photos

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