While rice is one of the most consumed foods around the world, not many people know the correct way to refrigerate, preserve, and reheat leftover rice in order to avoid foodborne illness.
In this regard, Eating Well has published some quick and easy ways to continue serving rice and keep it safe in the kitchen.
Rice is a staple food all over the world because it’s nutritious, filling, inexpensive, versatile and can be a great accompaniment to many dishes. But the question that always comes up is whether eating leftover rice can make you sick? And does it have to be freshly prepared every time?
cooked rice
Dangers of leftover cooked rice
Leftover cooked rice can make you sick if it’s not cooked or stored properly, because the rice contains a natural bacteria called Bacillus cereus. Bacillus cereus is converted into benign bacteria using appropriate cooking techniques, which are boiling rice to a temperature of 100°C, then lowering the heat so that the rice boils at a range of 30 to 96°C until it is cooked, converting any bacteria easily to harmless.
Once cooked, if the rice is kept for more than four hours in an area between 4 and 60 degrees Celsius, bacteria can multiply and then the remaining rice becomes contaminated and can give the eater symptoms including mild vomiting or diarrhea for about 24 hours. Therefore, according to the recommendations of ServSafe, the food and beverage safety training and certification program operated by the National Restaurant Association and approved by the American National Standards Institute and the American Food Protection Conference, any cooked rice that has been left for more than 4 hours at temperatures 4 to 60°C and to be disposed of immediately.
The perfect way to cook rice
Correct method and expiration date
Experts identify a number of appropriate methods for cooling and preserving any cooked food in order to maintain the safety and health of those who eat it. Initially, no cooked food should be left between 4°C to 60°C for more than four hours. All hot foods should be cooled to room temperature, or about 30°C, and then moved to the refrigerator to cool completely.
As for rice, because it has a thick texture and can retain heat for a long time, the best way to prepare leftovers is to spread the rice out on a tray to release steam and cool quickly before transferring it to an airtight container and storing it in the refrigerator.
cooked rice
Cooked rice, once cooled and stored properly in an airtight container, will last up to three days in the fridge or up to three months in the freezer. But it must be checked that the cooked rice smells good, is not wet or sticky and does not show any discolouration or any mold, that is, if you see any white or green fluff or black spots, or if the rice smells slightly leavened, it is disposed on Immediately in a safe manner in airtight plastic bags.
How to heat cooked rice
Leftover cooked rice should be reheated to 75°C to ensure it is safe to eat. This can be done in the microwave, on the stove, or in the oven. In all cases, a small amount of water is added to create steam to help freshen the rice and prevent it from drying out too much.
The covered rice is then reheated to trap the moisture and help maintain a good texture.
Leftover frozen rice is left to thaw or thawed in the microwave first before reheating is restarted. The leftover rice can be re-stirred using the fried rice method, either with oil or butter only.