While cooking regularly, it’s quite obvious that you will surely have some leftover rice. You may hear it most frequently on social media, health magazines, or in any wellness program that refrigerated leftover cooked rice is unhealthy for eating and we should simply avoid it. But, in everyday life, we cannot deny it simply because the leftover rice helps us in preparing our dinner quickly without much wait. It’s like a quick savior of hunger. So, let’s find some ideas on “how long can rice stay in the fridge” and how you can refrigerate it without compromising its health benefits.
How to cook rice for health safety
Before going into our rising concern over “how long can rice stay in the fridge”, we have to follow the basic guidelines for preparing rice before refrigerating so that we can eat it after two or three days safely by avoiding the formation of any harmful bacteria. We need to know the process of cooking and refrigerating to keep rice healthy for longer days.
Uncooked rice or half-cooked rice is unhealthy for eating. It has negative health effects like gastrointestinal problems or teeth damage. Keeping half-cooked rice in the refrigerator and eating this after a day is even more detrimental for health. So, adhere to the guidelines of cooking rice strictly before refrigerating and keep it fresh for an extended period.
- Always cook rice at 140°F and above for neutralizing the harmful bacteria, Bacillus cereus. Eating half-cooked rice can cause food poisoning. Refrigeration inhibits formation of Bacilus cereus in halfcooked rice faster than before.
- Do not rinse the rice too much. We have a common misconception that rinsing and soaking rice removes the gumminess of the rice, but the fact is excess rinsing washes out the essential nutrients like vitamin B1 (thiamin), niacin, and some other essential minerals like iron.
- After cooking the rice, let it cool down to get to normal room temperature. Keep aside part of the rice well in advance that you want to take later. Do not stir the rice if you are not going to take it immediately. Overstirring inhibits bacteria formation faster in cooked rice.
- If you are using a rice cooker, then also keep the temperature always above 140°F to avoid bacteria formation further.
How long can rice stay in the fridge?
You can freeze cooked rice for 2 to 3 days but need to follow the process of refrigerating, cooking, and reheating. Answering this question, “How long can rice stay in the fridge?” seems to be simple, but it’s not so easy in reality. You have to follow some tips to keep the cooked rice fresh for a longer duration. Let’s see how to freeze the cooked rice for keeping it intact for an extended period.
- Once you are done with cooking the rice, keep it to cool down for at least two hours. You can also avoid the lid for faster cooling or put it under the ceiling fan.
- Once it comes down to room temperature, put it in the airtight container before freezing. The airtight container will not allow the air to pass that may have the airborne bacteria and virus. Without the presence of air, there are negligible chances of getting the cooked rice to rot.
Reheating rice after extended days of freezing
You need to be mindful enough while reheating the frozen rice because small mistakes can cause food poisoning. Especially if it is for children or elderly people, things become much more difficult. So it’s better to follow the quick tips of reheating to stay away from any diseases.
- Once you take out the cooked rice from freeze, keep it in normal room temperature atleast for one hour.
- Then, you can reheat it directly in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and serve it hot instantly.
- You can also put the cooked rice in a covered saucepan and fry it for 4-5 minutes before eating.
- There is another way; you can also try. Simply put the cooked rice in a covered bowl with one cup of water and reheat it for 5-6 minutes in the oven. Once the rice is cooked again, serve it hot.
Fried rice syndrome from improperly freezing cooked rice
Improper cooking and freezing of rice can create a severe symptom of fried rice syndrome, which is a painful effect of food poisoning. The Bacillus cereus bacteria is the main cause behind this illness. It is a common disease that incurs due to improper cooking and storing of rice.
Tips on how to use frozen leftover rice
You can also try some delicious dishes that you can prepare from leftover rice. It is both healthy and tasty. Prepare tofu rice with little oil by mixing cooked rice and tofu with other veggies and quickly serve it as dinner or lunch. Reheating the rice in the oven destroys harmful bacteria, and it is safe to eat also. Lemon rice and tamarind rice are also ideal recipes prepared from frozen leftover rice.
Final Thoughts
As so far we have discussed the real concern on “how long can rice stay in the fridge,” it’s quite clear that without proper cooking methods, freezing techniques, and reheating procedures, you cannot use cooked rice left in the freezer for more than two days. You can freeze cooked rice and consume it, but it should be done in a proper way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How long can rice stay in the fridge?
You can keep cooked rice in the freezer for 2-3 days. But make sure you have followed proper steps to preserve it.
Q2. Which bacteria form in frozen cooked rice?
Bacillus cereus bacteria form in frozen cooked rice if not preserved in a proper manner.
Q3. How to avoid food poisoning from frozen cooked rice?
Cook the rice above 140°F, cool it in room temperature for atleast two hours, freeze it in a tight container.
Q4. Is it healthier to eat frozen cooked rice?
Normally, there is no harmful effect of eating frozen cooked rice. The freezing of cooked rice lower down the calorie intake within body.
