Would You Cook Rice In Advance And Re-Heat

[numnum]

I always use up leftover rice from the day before and make a veg rice dish out of it so nothing goes to waste.

As I've mentioned on here I'm having a dinner party. Rice is on the menu. I'm going to have a lot going on and to save one ring on hob I was wondering for my rice dish which I'll probably fry could I cook the rice in the morning, store it then re-heat at night?

I know rice is bad for food poisoning but in all the years I've used leftovers I've never been ill with it and if I'm frying it, will be well cooked.

[saintpeter48]

If I am having fried rice I always cook it then fluff it up before storing in the fridge overnight, it cooks better when chilled.

[Cloverjo]

I know rice can be bad for food poisoning, but I would be happy to eat it if it had been in the fridge overnight and well-cooked the next day.

[saintpeter48]

sorry, what i meant was, i boil my rice then drain and fluff it up, chill in fridge overnight then fry the next day.

[fourteen85]

I quite often make batches of rice and freeze them without any ill effects

[IggyB]

You run the risk of poisoning everyone but you can reduce the risk down to acceptable levels if you cook the rice in the morning then cool it down quickly by running it under the tap before sticking it in the fridge. This way the bacteria that causes illness won't have had much chance to grow, should be fine when fried up later.

Hope you have a great evening

[belrec]

There was a bit on one of those foodie programmes a couple of weeks ago about this very subject, and I am an avid rice reheater also with no ill effects so far :-)

The trick seems to be to chill the rice as soon as possible after cooking so the bacteria that cause the problems do not have time to grow.

Then, of course, when reheating make sure it is piping hot all the way through.

I tend to stick it straight in the freezer still warm. then defrost in the fridge the day before.

Good luck x

[theshedman]

Whenever I do fried rice I boil it in plenty of water then rinse in a kettle full of boiled water to get rid of the starch. After this I usually leave it in a colander by an open window or kitchen door to cool quickly. This is usually done a couple of hours before I'm going to need it.

[boxtops]

I've never poisoned anyone by doing this - the trick is to cool it quickly and get it in the fridge as soon as possible. It's leaving it out at normal temperatures which cause the problems.

[jomifl]

Reheatng the rice all the way through before serving does nothing to reduce the effectiveness of the toxin. If you are going to reheat it after a few hours then fine, but over 24 hours you are in the danger zone if you haven't chilled or frozen it. I have had 'rice poisoning' twice, both times very memorable. I lost about a stone each time. I cannot recommend it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_cereus

[jomifl]

^As boxy says

[horseshoes]

I'd NEVER EVER eat previously cooked rice ever again, having experienced what can happen. I made a rice salad for eating the next day. I kept it in the fridge overnight, but it was unrefrigerated next day until lunch time (I was dong a stall at an antique fair - no fridge). Oh boy! Did I suffer!!!

[Canary42]

I've occasionally re-heated takeaway rice the following day with no ill effect, but on reading here some of the more unpleasant experiences I would hesitate to recommend it (and won't be doing it again myself).

[jomifl]

In addition to the information in wiki, I should point out that the bacterium is killed in the cooking but the rice is re-infected from spores carried in the air. It is therefore a good plan to cover the rice as soon as possble after cooking and not to expose it to cooling spore laden breezes from your garden. The variability in the occurrance of this form of poisoning probably has a lot to do with the number of spores floating around in the atmosphere, either from the packet of rice or from agricultural actvity.

[Old_Geezer]

There have been discussion re using rice next day on this forum before. Have to say it's never caused me issues, and was surprised to hear Ken Hom on the radio a few days ago saying he doesn't see an issue with it. Often reuses left over rice next day. But yes i suspect the fridge storage is wise.

[chrissa1]

Blimey!! I have been dicing with death for years, and never knew it. News to me.

[heathfield]

If keeping cooked rice is so bad, how come the supermarkets are selling ready meals containing rice with best before dates a week or more away?

[numnum]

haha a few of my friend might thank me if they lost a stone!!

Its never bothered me but I thought i better check in case any of my friends see me doing this and question it.

I've always boiled rice, then drained and poured boiled water over it to rinse the starch out then cold water to cool then store and I've never been ill

Also, a lot of the toddler batch cooking recipes include rice and freezing/re-heating. You wouldn't think that would be in cook books for kids if it could be so risky.

[jomifl]

The packs of boiled rice have been sterilized but become just as prone to infection by bacteral spores once they are opened. There is nothing wrong with boiling rice then freezing it as long as it is thawed and reheated quickly. What causes problems is leaving it at room temperature collecting spores for a day or so. Some popular cooks may know about recipes but they don't necessarily know about food hygiene. I would have severe reservations about giving a baby re-heated food that had any doubts about it's provenance.