Which grains must be soaked before cooking?

Barley grains, whole oats, and pearl barley are soaked in the water overnight. That is why the total time is so long.

How long should the different grains cook?

Whole oats 1 1/2 hours, pressed oats 3/4 hour, whole grains 2 hours, half barley grains 2 hours, rice 1 hour, pearl barley 1 hour, and sago 3/4 hour.

How much water and grain are figured for 6 people?

About 2 1/2–3 liters of water and 90–125 grams of grain, depending on the type. Apple soup with grains uses 4 liters of water, 125 g half barley grains, and 1/2 kg apples, while rhubarb soup uses 2 1/2 liters of rhubarb cordial and 100 g sago.

Where does the recipe come from?

From Henriette Schønberg Erken's Stor kokebok (1914), page 66.

Cordial Soups with Grains

Name: Cordial Soups with Grains
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 11 h 45 min
Total time: 12 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Norwegian
Ingredients: 2.5 l water (for barley soup; see notes for other grains); 100 g half barley grains (alternatively 125 g whole rolled oats to 3 l water, 100 g pressed oats to 3 l water, 90 g whole grains to 3 l water, 100 g rice to 2.5 l water, 100 g pearl barley to 3 l water, 120 g sago to 2.75 l water); cordial, preserves, raisins, or prunes (to taste); sugar (to taste); salt

Erken's table of water-to-grain ratios for sweet cordial soups serving 6, with cooking times for oat, whole-grain, barley, rice, pearl-barley, and sago soups plus apple and rhubarb soup. The grains are soaked overnight and cooked in the soaking water, and the soup is seasoned with cordial, preserves, raisins, or prunes.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 66 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Here Erken gives an overview of the ratio between water and grain in the inexpensive sweet soups that were everyday fare in Norwegian homes. The table shows how the same basic recipe can be varied with different grains, and how cordial, preserves, raisins, or prunes gave flavor "according to what one could afford."

How to make it

1
Soak the grains
Soak barley grains, whole oats, or pearl barley in the water overnight. Pressed oats, rice, and sago do not need soaking.
2
Cook the soup
Put the grains on to cook in the soaking water and bring to a boil. Let the soup simmer until the grains are tender: barley and whole grains about 2 hours, whole oats about 1 1/2 hours, rice and pearl barley about 1 hour, pressed oats and sago about 45 minutes.
3
Season
Add cordial, preserves, raisins, or prunes to taste, and sweeten with sugar. Season lightly with salt.
4
Variations
For apple soup, cook 125 g half barley grains in 4 l water together with 1/2 kg apples for 2 hours. For rhubarb soup, cook 120 g sago in 2.5 l rhubarb cordial for about 45 minutes.

Changes from the original

The ingredient list is set up for one variation (barley soup) with the other kinds of grain and their amounts as notes. Measures are kept but given in modern units (liters, grams, deciliters).

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Frequently asked questions

Which grains must be soaked before cooking?: Barley grains, whole oats, and pearl barley are soaked in the water overnight. That is why the total time is so long.
How long should the different grains cook?: Whole oats 1 1/2 hours, pressed oats 3/4 hour, whole grains 2 hours, half barley grains 2 hours, rice 1 hour, pearl barley 1 hour, and sago 3/4 hour.
How much water and grain are figured for 6 people?: About 2 1/2–3 liters of water and 90–125 grams of grain, depending on the type. Apple soup with grains uses 4 liters of water, 125 g half barley grains, and 1/2 kg apples, while rhubarb soup uses 2 1/2 liters of rhubarb cordial and 100 g sago.
Where does the recipe come from?: From Henriette Schønberg Erken's Stor kokebok (1914), page 66.

Equipment for this dish

Cast-iron cookware set →Cast iron handles long, slow simmering – just what soups and stocks need.Engrospris.no

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