Spelt Porridge (Cooked in Water)

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather your ingredients. Note that this recipe uses whole spelt berries, not cracked spelt or flakes. Filtered (drinking) water is best, but tap water works too. You can cook any amount of spelt — just figure the water accordingly, at a 1:3 grain-to-water ratio.

2. Step 2:

   

   Pick over the grain carefully. The easiest way is to spread it on the counter, sift out any debris and stray bits, and gather only the whole spelt berries into a bowl. That keeps any debris, impurities, or bad grains out of the finished porridge.

3. Step 3:

   

   Rinse the spelt thoroughly under running water until it runs clear. Then cover it with 2 cups of clean water and let the grains soak for at least 2 hours. If you have time, soaking overnight or all day is even better. I soaked mine overnight.

4. Step 4:

   

   Drain off the soaking water, put the spelt in a sieve, and rinse it again. Then transfer it to a heavy-bottomed nonstick pot — since the porridge cooks for a long time, the nonstick surface keeps it from sticking. Add 2 cups of fresh clean water, set the pot over the heat, and bring it to a boil.

5. Step 5:

   

   Reduce the heat, cover, and cook the porridge over low heat, stirring now and then and skimming off any foam. Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed. This can take anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on your pot, the spelt itself, and how long you soaked it.

6. Step 6:

   

   At the end of cooking, salt the spelt porridge to taste and add butter if you like. Stir, then cover the pot and wrap it in a blanket for 20 minutes to let the porridge rest. Then spoon it onto plates and serve.