Freezing meal containing rice

[Maydup]

I've made a batch of vegetable/lentil stew and frozen it in portions for mid week microwave meals. I've done it before and its delicious served on its own or with freshly cooked potato.

I read that rice and pasta freeze well, so this time I included rice to bulk it up. But now I'm nervous about reheating rice, is it dangerous under these circumstances? What are the rules? I would normally microwave my stew from frozen.

[excelsior-1]

Hello Maidup.

I do it often ... I'm still alive

[Maydup]

Good-oh excel, thank you!

Perhaps its only rice that's not been frozen which shouldn't be reheated?

[boxtops]

We reheat rice often. The problem can be if you leave it to cool at room temperature - wang it in the fridge straight away and it's fine.

[corylus]

What about all the frozen foods we can buy with rice in them, they're OK. I often freeze packs of shop bought curry with rice so that I can store them longer and like Excessior-1 I'm still living.

[pastafreak]

Make sure that when you reheat it,it comes to the boil. It's got to be HOT,not just warm.

[Canary42]

Delia says :-

http://www.deliaonline.com/premium-content/the-big-freeze/freezing-rice-based-dishes.html

[pastafreak]

@corylus...foods produced in factories is done so under stringent conditions...heated and then cooled down and stored much quicker than we do at home.

[pastafreak]

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:CBSpdno3DpsJ:www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/riceind.pdf+food+safety+reheating+rice&hl=en&gl=uk&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgIp3OBVrxROthTlBXEf6_1dZVH0LUzrF6_vdvOIdSRJbxKvfIA4uR2No5d5hytcylh2PY5tJEniUxG-y8rPQ6-O-N9P-VStaHcBmh4u4xnJZCYOGgyro2TYI2mrxf5UL18iPM1&sig=AHIEtbTvIQVXVBAMpHRTpf6UQcklVlFC5w

[Maydup]

I prepared my stew into plastic containers and left it to cool at room temperature for an hour or so with lids off. It was such a cold afternoon yesterday that it didn't take long to cool. I popped the lids on and put in the freezer.

I will make sure its pipping hot when I mircowave it, but maybe i'll leave the rice out next time (especially if its a warm day) as it sounds a bit risky. I realise in the commercial environment they use rapid/blast chilling and that sounds like the main difference to freezing and reheating rice at home.

[diddlydo]

I've been serving re-heated frozen rice for about 30 years and no-one has suffered any ill effects whatsoever. I've never understood what the perceived problem is all about.

[EcclesCake]

This is the 'perceived' problem http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/bacteriaviruses/bcereus/index.html

[diddlydo]

With respect Ecclescake, that article could refer to just about any food that's pre-cooked. Food policing gone mad. All one needs to do is apply a little common sense.

[ummmm]

I've always reheated rice. I don't even give it a second thought.

[ethandron]

I've never quite got the hang of just cooking for two and always make huge amounts of one pot type things. The leftovers always get put in the freezer, currently have risotto and paella in there. Always freeze leftover rice from any home cooked Indian meals too. Never had a problem.

[murraymints]

do it all the time !!!

[pastafreak]

If-at home-you cook,cool and store a rice dish quickly,then reheat thoroughly-you are less likely to have problems. This is because you have control of all steps in the process. The problem arises with food prepared outside the home. This is why many instances of food poisoning due to take-aways or meals out occur. Too many take aways will have rice sitting out-this gives the bacillus the perfect conditions to flourish.
It's silly to be flippant and take the 'I always do it/I'm alive' approach.....just be very,very careful how you handle rice,or where you eat it.
You don't want this - and it has nothing to do with 'food policing gone mad'

From wiki-

"B. cereus is responsible for a minority of foodborne illnesses (2–5%), causing severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.[6] Bacillus foodborne illnesses occur due to survival of the bacterial endospores when food is improperly cooked.[7] Cooking temperatures less than or equal to 100 °C (212 °F) allows some B. cereus spores to survive.[8] This problem is compounded when food is then improperly refrigerated, allowing the endospores to germinate.[9] Cooked foods not meant for either immediate consumption or rapid cooling and refrigeration should be kept at temperatures above 60 °C (140 °F).[8] Germination and growth generally occurs between 10–50 °C (50–122 °F),[8] though some strains are psychrotrophic.[10] Bacterial growth results in production of enterotoxins, one of which is highly resistant to heat and to pH between 2 and 11;[11] ingestion leads to two types of illness, diarrheal and emetic (vomiting) syndrome.[12]

The diarrheal type is associated with a wide-range of foods, has an 8- to 16.5-hour incubation time and is associated with diarrhea and gastrointestinal pain. Also known as the long-incubation form of B. cereus food poisoning, it might be difficult to differentiate from poisoning caused by Clostridium perfringens.[11]
The emetic form is commonly caused by rice that is not cooked for a time and temperature sufficient to kill any spores present, then improperly refrigerated. It can produce a toxin, cereulide, which is not inactivated by later reheating. This form leads to nausea and vomiting 1–5 hours after consumption. It can be difficult to distinguish from other short-term bacterial foodborne pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus.[11]"

[EcclesCake]

I completely agree with you Pasta.

[corylus]

Despite the dogs, cats, infestation of rodents, cockroaches, blow flies in my kitchen and being a carrier of typhoid and salmonella bacteria I've never had any problems with freezing rice at home Pastafreak as my kitchen is maintained to very stringent Environmental Health Authority Standards.

[corylus]

Try again: Despite the dogs, cats, infestation of rodents, cockroaches, blow flies in my kitchen and being a carrier of typhoid and salmonella my kitchen is maintained to the highest standards of the Environmental Health Inspectors and I've never had any problems freezing rice.

[EcclesCake]

Corylus, few of us do have difficulty freezing rice. It is the proper chilling and reheating that catches some out.

Your local EHO must look forward to visiting your establishment and its mini-zoo.