Rice is a product used all over the world for its particularity and for the fact that it goes well with an innumerable amount of food compositions. A food product very rich in nutritional properties and therefore very useful for the proper functioning of our body. For this reason, in our homes, rice is present in almost all pantries. But it is also a delicate product, which must be preserved in a certain way. But can you freeze cooked rice? Let’s try to shed some light on this doubt, and what we need to know.
How Long Does Cooked White Rice Last?
Uncooked rice naturally contains a bacterium called Bacillus Cereus. In large quantities this bacterium can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Bacillus Cereus spores survive the cooking process and are not killed when the rice is heated. Consequently, the safety of rice depends on how it is treated once it is cooked.
Temperatures between 4 and 60 degrees centigrade are considered the danger zone for food. These temperatures create the perfect environment for most bacteria that are able to grow and multiply quickly. And the same goes for rice. The longer the rice is kept at room temperature, the more chances are that the spores of Bacillus Cereus grow and multiply and that food poisoning is at risk.
Consequently, the problem is not how the rice was heated, but how it was stored before reheating it. If you have cooked too much rice, put the leftovers in the fridge right away, so they will cool down quickly. Do not keep leftover rice for more than a day before reusing it.
How To Freeze Cooked Rice?
Basically, if you cook the rice and freeze it immediately, there is no problem.
As soon as it is drained, add a drizzle of oil so the rice grains don’t stick. Let it cool and divide it into portions in oven and freezer containers to freeze.
When needed, just defrost it in time and finish cooking it in plenty of boiling water for 3 minutes, and drain it or, if there is no time, add 3 tablespoons of water to the container and cook in the oven for 5 minutes.
How Long can cooked rice stay in the fridge?
Cooked rice can be kept in the freezer for 6 months.
Pay attention to how you store the rice, it is very delicate
Before we start talking about whether we should freeze cooked rice, let talk about uncooked white rice.
Rice cannot stand humidity. This is why it should be kept indoors in cupboards that are not exposed to sources of heat or humidity. Once the rice bag has been opened, it must be closed so that the remaining product does not come into contact with the air. Alternatively, you can use a glass jar, preferably with an airtight seal. Generally, rice at room temperature should not be stored above 30 degrees.
Can You Freeze White Rice?
But if there were no alternatives, or rather, the possibility of being able to keep the rice at the right temperature and at the right level of humidity, to avoid the proliferation of insects inside the rice, which would force you to throw it away, you can use the freezer. There is no drier environment than the freezer and this can also be used for rice. The freezer is the best place to store rice, because it is a dry and cool environment, and because the rice does not freeze.
For this reason, it is better to use the freezer than the refrigerator, because the latter is notoriously a rather humid environment. Uncooked rice is a product that absorbs moisture immediately and in the refrigerator you risk accelerating the fact that the food, even if raw, can go bad earlier than expected. Among other things, rice is also a sponge for odors. That’s why you need to cram it into the freezer using convenient freezer bags, so that it remains detached from other foods in the freezer.
Should You Freeze Cooked White Rice?
The case of cooked rice is different. Due to the delicacy of the product (but this is true for any cooked food), the freezing process risks spoiling the taste of the rice. For this reason, many food experts strongly advise against freezing rice after cooking it, regardless of the recipe used.
In conclusion, whether to freeze it or not will be your choice!