can i freeze rice?

[adarajames]

can i freeze cooked brown rice? Is it safe, and how do you reheat it??
Thanks

[Daave]

not a good idea, rice can make you very ill, you wouldnt be able to cook it from frozen, you'd have to de-frost it, this should never be forced ie in a microwave/running hot water over it,

but, rice is very suseptable to food poisoning bacteria, you cant make it safe..

youd be best not freezing it or reheating it at all,

but if you do, make sure it is very very hot add salt and boil it for a while.. but then you still risk getting ill..

brown rice takes a long time to cook in the first place, but then cooking from frozen to eating, would take a long time too.. there doesnt really seem much point freezing it in the first place??

[adarajames]

I always knew about the problems of food poisoning from reheating rice, then read in a student cookbook I was given about cooking it in large quantities and then freezing it for reuse later, so thought I'd see what others thought! Think I'll stick with cooking fresh everytime and ignore the student book!! Maybe the writeer had a thing for killing off poor students! lol
Thanks

[BBWCHATT]

I have been making extra white rice, freezing it, taking it straight from the freezer to the microwave and eating it for years with absolutely no problem - it may kill me some day - but I have made it to 60 already.

[muffty]

Hi adara,

Soaking rice (especially brown) in cold water, and giving it plenty of rinses until the water runs clear, will lessen the cooking time.......

muffty x

[Figi]

I too have been freezing rice for years and re-heating it in the microwave. I haven't poisoned anyone yet!

[chazza]

Rice is only really a cause of food poisoning if it is left sitting around at room temperature. However "scare stories" have made lots of people think that rice should never be reheated which is not true.

So long as it is chilled then frozen ASAP, and heated thoroughly it will be fine. If it was sitting out before refrigerated/frozen, then get rid.

[Pea Pod]

I always reheat mine in the microwave from frozen. The supermarket freezers would be empty if you couldn`t reheat rice.

[adarajames]

I don't have a microwave so is it safe another way?!

[Pea Pod]

Buy some BACO cook in bags, most supermarkets have them. You can freeze your rice in these also. Try and let your rice thaw out before following the directions on the box.(boiling)

[BBWCHATT]

You can also wrap the frozen rice in aluminum foil and heat it in the oven - or put a tiny bit of water in a pan and turn the stove on very low and let it defrost and heat that way.

[graham1024uk]

Pure and simple Rice is prob. the worst thing to try and re-heat and freeze.......its a Bacteria feeding ground and can really make you ill.

Its an inexpensive item not worth the risk to your health