By Expat Badger

Re: Freezing rice
21 Jul 2008 19:01

This was mentioned on the ME husband thread, and i've seen it mentioned before, that rice harbours bugs and should not be frozen

I freeze rice all the time, just plain boiled usually. I just put a kettle or two of boiling water through it and voila - hot rice.

Should i not be doing this? Will I bump us off?

Replies

By Gravy Queen, Buckingham Pantry

Re: Freezing rice
21 Jul 2008 19:04

I think we have had a few freezing rice discussions here and we were quite divided in the Do and Don't camps!
Me, I do, and I'm here to tell the tale. I think that as long as its cooled properly before you put it away and then heated really thoroughly after freezing, then its ok,,well I am living proof!

By Sheila (formerly Saffron Senior)

Re: Freezing rice
21 Jul 2008 19:35

I always open freeze rice (on Poundland seed trays - unused of course!) and then you just shake out as much as you want at a time. It's a great time saver - the rice which causes the problems has been left out in warm conditions by which time the bugs have done their dirty deeds. Think of it like mince - you'd be happy to freeze that, so don't worry.
SaffyS xxxxxx

By Sheelagh, Rossett nr Chester

Re: Freezing rice
21 Jul 2008 20:11

There is a problem with eating reheated rice…….but rice that is chilled asap after cooking (and then frozen if you wish) - and then re-heated thoroughly - should be fine.
The problem is that rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that can cause food poisoning. When the rice is cooked, the spores can survive and if the rice is left standing at room temperature, the spores can germinate into bacteria, which can grow and can produce toxins that cause food poisoning – diarrhoea and/or vomiting. Reheating the rice might kill the bacteria, but doesn’t get rid of the toxins.

The longer cooked rice is left at room temperature, the more likely it is that the spores will germinate. Even with chilled rice, I think it should be eaten within 24 hours, but I don’t think there is any problem with freezing rice – provided you chill it down and freeze it asap – and then re-heat thoroughly.
Sheelagh

By Expat Badger

Re: Freezing rice
21 Jul 2008 20:49

ok, thanks

By Lin

Re: Freezing rice
21 Jul 2008 22:38

How would you chill it down quickly? My kitchen is Aga fuelled and always warm. Would one perhaps run cold water through it?

Lin

By The Dinner Service

Re: Freezing rice
21 Jul 2008 23:17

You can buy bags of frozen rice so it must be ok. Most dodgy curries are caused not by the curry but the rice being kept tepid for long periods of time. So just heat it properly. I do it all the time.

By Crafty Cookie

Re: Freezing rice
22 Jul 2008 14:09

If you have freeze rice then boil the rice properly, rinse under cold water until perfectly cold, dry as best as possible and then freeze immediately.

To reheat, pour when frozen into a saucepan of boiling salted water and cook until well cookied through properly (the temperature should reach something like 73 deg c, can't remember the exact temperature and the book I need is buried somewhere in Mums outhouse).

I personally do not eat rice salads, or rice that has been frozen or left out to get warm, but that is pedantic me.