Rice is a poor man’s best friend. It’s inexpensive, filling, a blank slate for flavor, and can be added to almost any meal to bulk it out. But guess what? When I come home after a long day at work and I’m hungry, like now, I don’t always want to take the time to make rice.
That’s where a having a freezer stash of cooked rice comes in handy. Frozen cooked rice reheats quickly in the microwave and makes getting dinner on the table (or just into your belly) twice as fast. Plus, if you live alone and often want just one serving of rice at a time, this trick solves that problem. Use your frozen rice for a quick stir fry or fried rice, to soak up the sauce from a yummy stew, or as a bed for some beans, salsa, and cheese. The possibilities for fast meals are endless.
There isn’t much to freezing rice, so this is more of a “Why to: Freeze Rice” rather than “How to: Freeze Rice,” but, you know, consistency. I’m also going to provide some resources below for help with cooking rice for those who haven’t mastered it yet (and you definitely should master it at some point).
So, let’s go.
How to: Freeze Rice
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Step 1: Cook the Rice
The next time you cook rice for a recipe, cook double with the intent of freezing half. Or, cook a big pot on the weekend and freeze it for use later in the week (or weeks to come).
Step 2: Cool the Rice
It’s important to let the rice cool quickly and completely in the refrigerator before freezing. This will help keep the grains separate instead of freezing in one sticky clump. Properly cooling your rice is also an important step to maintain food safety. Either divide the rice into smaller portions, or spread it out onto something like a baking sheet so that it has more surface area and cools faster. Always cool the rice in the refrigerator, not at room temperature, which will increase the risk of food poisoning (for more information about leftover rice and food safety, click here).
Step 3: Portion and Freeze
It’s a good idea to freeze the rice in portions that you would normally use for one or two meals. I freeze my rice in two cup portions, which will supply me with two meals worth of rice. If you have a family of four, you may consider freezing in 4-6 cup portions, so that you can just thaw the amount needed for one dinner.
I like to freeze in quart-sized freezer bags, and gallon-sized for larger portions. I find that their minimal shape helps me fit more in the freezer. Resealable plastic containers (like this) are also great because they’re reusable and many are BPA free.
Step 4: Reheat the Rice
To reheat the rice, I simply tear away the freezer bag and dump the rice in a bowl, or open up the resealable plastic container and microwave until it’s heated through. I like to place a lid loosely over top of whatever container I’m using while reheating to help keep moisture in. And, as always with microwaving, it’s a good idea to stir a couple times in the middle of reheating to make sure everything heats evenly.
I know some people don’t like to use microwaves, but I haven’t experimented with other methods of reheating frozen rice yet. If you routinely freeze and reheat your rice using another method, please share with the rest of us in the comments below!
Help with Cooking Rice
I thought about doing a step by step rice cooking tutorial, but so many others have already done so and done such a good job of it. There are two main methods of cooking rice on a stovetop. The immersion method (let the water boil before adding the rice) and the steaming method (add rice and water to pot, then bring to a boil). I prefer the steam method, but they both work great.
- Here is a great tutorial with pictures from the folks over at thekitchn.com for the immersion method.
- And a simple 1-2-3 tutorial from Martha Stewart.
- I like to use this method as described in detail.
I’ve found that the single most important factor when cooking rice is using a good pot with a thick bottom. When I use my thinner pots it sticks or burns to the bottom every time. When I use my heavy pots I get perfect, fluffy rice. The thicker pots distribute the heat better and will simply give you better results. I’ve had a set like this for the past ten years, and they’re fantastic.
Rice Cookers
And, of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using a rice cooker. They make perfect rice every time, aren’t very expensive, and you’ll definitely get a lot of use out of it! So, if you haven’t been able to master cooking rice on the stove, give some thought to investing in a rice cooker. Check out how inexpensive these small, medium, and extra large rice cookers are!
Plus, according to thekitchn.com, you can do a LOT more than just cook rice in one of those things… Sounds like a small apartment dweller’s best friend!
So there you have it! Rice! What’s not to love! :D
Hi Beth, I use this rice freezing tip for camping. With no microwave in the bush, I put my portion in a pan with about 50-60ml of water and heat with a lid to steam the rice. Stir intermittently and add water as required
If I am using in soup I just drop it in frozen and stir frequently until it’s broken up!
If I’m using in casserole or fried rice I empty into bowl and rinse with cool water while I break it up – drain and it’s all separated and ready to be added!
Happy to find out you can freeze rice. I make extra amount so I can share with the dog ( aka, Mr. Picky). I reheat one cup or so with tbsp water or broth in a Corning ware 2 cup skillet and covered with glass lid. Microwave at 80% for 1 minute, done.
Your link to the pot you use (Target?) doesn’t work…could you tell me the name/brand so we can look elsewhere for it? Thanks
I’ve fixed the link Rob! :)
I would put it in my steamer basket that fits in the top of a pot. Put water in pot and cover steam basket. It will be just liked when it was cooked. I use a steamer basket to reheat lots of leftovers Worth the money to invest in.
I take cold rice sprinkle a little water on it — like only a sprinkle with fingertips. And then heat in microwave. Stir gale way through. Nice s fluffy like a fresh batch
Can you just dump it into soups?
Yes, but just be aware that if the rice cooks for a while in the soup or sits for a long time it can break down and get mushy.
6 cups of rice and 9 cups of water in a 10 quart pressure cooker cooks in six minutes, after the pressure has built In the cooker. I have been using this method for several years and I’ve clean and th in the cooker. I have been using this method for several years and I am pleased with the results.
A great way to re-heat left over (or frozen) rice is to place it in steamer basket/pot over simmering water. It takes longer than micro-waving, but produces perfectly hot, moist rice.
Awesome tip. Thanks for sharing!
I just read that you can boil a Ziploc Freezer bag. Not sure how long it will take precooked frozen rice to thaw and heat, but I’m going to try it!
Thank you for your help. I’m on a limited budget and I’m disabled. I have a PCA but she can’t be here all the time so, I’m learning how to make the food last by freezing it for the future.
Nice job being so proactive with your health! I hope you and your PCA enjoyed some good rice together!
If you don’t have a microwave then place your frozen rice in a sieve, put it over a pot of boiling water, lid on top and it will defrost in no time.
Great tip! Thanks!
Steam it. Put a little water in a pot, place a heat safe colander, strainer, or some aluminum foil, slightly lowered into bowl shape, with a few fork holes punched in it, put the lid on and boil. Once the water is at rolling boil, it shouldn’t take more than a couple minutes. Tastes like it just came out of the rice cooker! And clean up is a sinch! REMEMBER…Leave the lid on so as not to let the steam escape. Dig in!
For things like this, I often freeze them in a thin sheet in freezer bags and then crack off as much as I want. The bags stack in the freezer. Another way, which I often do with hamburger, is to put them in a freezer bag and then squeeze the bag so that there are thin lines that will break if the bag is banged on the counter.
I Like the rice so much I eat every day but I no like cook the rice every day This good idea freeze the rice I try this today
Dave Hughes
Chatham Illinois
I throw my rice in a metal colander over a pot of boiling water with the lid from the pot on top. 5-7 minutes is usually good.
This is genius!! I’m not really a fan of microwaved food so I was wondering about the reheating aspect. Thank you for this :)
I use freezer pouches and reheat rice in the microwave by slitting the pouch or boiling water by putting it in the pot of water until it’s hot.
NEVER reheat any food in a plastic container/bag as the endorcrine disrupting chemicals leach into your food. If you must use microwave then use glass. Better to reheat in a safe pot on the stove (not teflon!!). Microwaves alster the chemistry of your food, too, so not really a great idea. Leanr about it at mercola.com.
Please remove this irresponsible comment. This is anti-science woo mongering.
Actually, the comment by Anna is not anti-science, it is based on science. Plastic does leach out endocrine-disrupting chemicals when heated up (some plastic more than others — e.g., #5 and #7 plastics are the worst). Freezing the rice in plastic is ok, but best to transfer to glass or ceramic containers for heating up in a microwave.
I cook a chicken breast, shred it, and mix in 2-4 cups of black beans, & rice till i get the consistency i want, then i wrap it up in a burrito and freeze it for food on-the-go.
any extra rice i have leftover i freeze for later use, and any burrito mix leftover (usually not alot) i eat for dinner that night.
Genius!
I like to use frozen whole tomatoes, thaw and peel (the skin just comes right off), put in skillet with 2 tbs oil, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, (basically any veggie you want) And let simmer until veggies are almost done, then add frozen rice, season to taste. Also you can add meat, just remember to cook it before hand (you can even freeze and then thaw) then add to veggies when they are about half cooked.
I like to freeze mine in muffin tins so they are in 1/2 cup portions for lunches.
Wow great tip!!!! Thanks
How do you get it out of the pan?
With a fork, spoon, or spatula. The same way you get it out of the pan to serve it.
I always put a wet paper towel over rice that I’m reheating in the microwave. It always comes out great!
Thank you for such a wonderful site!
We gave up our microwave a while ago and have had tremendous success using a metal steamer- not bamboo. Farberware make this fabulous
(3 quart- approx) heavy gauge steamer pot.
( available at amazon) We have three. We use them constantly. It only took a few weeks of ‘playing’ with them at first, but we now reheat foods, steam vegys and potatoes and reheat cooked rice. The food is always moist too instead of over cooked and dried out. And its healthier. We use little pyrex or corningware ( heat safe) dishes – put the rice in and steam it till it’s warm and fluffy. For reaheating items we don’t want to get too moist, I cover the dish with a piece of parchment paper. The other bonus- it’s fast !
We freeze the rice in the corning ware, put the dish in the top of the pot, cold water in the bottom and turn the burner on to med-low and let it go. Caution: Be sure to turn off the heat, remove the top of the pot, then take out the bowl to avoid a steam burn.
Hope this helps. I’m so grateful for you!
Thank you so much for sharing that!!
I reheat rice in the rice cooker! I put it in there with maybe 1/2 Tbsp of water although that might not even be necessary and there is a “steam” button on my cooker Thoroughly warms it again. It is a great way to reheat some leftovers (like leftover turkey slices and mashed potatoes/gravy after Thanksgiving) without a microwave.
Thank you for the practical idea :)
I reheat rice in a double boiler. Many people don’t have them, but it’s a saucepan with another pan that fits on top of it, with one lid. You put water in the bottom pan, not so much that it touches the pan on top (the idea behind a double boiler is that the steam from the bottom pan provides the heat, which is hotter than boiling water, so it works faster), put the rice in the top pan, and cover it. Turn on the heat. When the water boils, turn it down to a simmer and stir the rice now and then. As long as the water doesn’t boil away, it can sit there, hot, for awhile and won’t burn.
Can you put a recipe like a casserole with rice into the freezer before it is cooked?
That I’m not sure about. It seems like cooking a dish like that from frozen would lead to uneven cooking. Rice is best frozen after cooking.
If your recipe includes enough moisture to cook the rice and is cooked for long enough, it works well.
When reheating rice from frozen in the microwave, does it stay light and fluffy, or does it get kind of hard? Sometimes I find that i have to add a little bit of water to my cold rice to avoid it getting crunchy.
Mine doesn’t get hard, but I suppose my rice tends to be on the wet side when cooked in the first place. Also, make sure it’s sealed tight when in the fridge so it doesn’t dry out further.
I don’t use a microwave because I don’t have room and in 99% of all cases I don’t miss the convenience when countered with more superb methods of reheating.
With that, I would reheat the frozen rice in a couple of methods. If I simply wanted to add rice to what I wanted to eat, I would simply add the frozen rice to whatever I was cooking at the moment. Otherwise, I would add a but of water/stock to a pan, add the rice, stir, cover and simmer on low for a bit. About 4 to 8 minutes depending on volume.
Full disclosure, I’ve never done any of the above, but based on my years of living without a microwave and consistently reheating food without one, that’s where I would start
“[A]dd a bit of water/stock to a pan, add the rice, stir, cover and simmer on low for a bit. About 4 to 8 minutes depending on volume.”
Given that rice takes about ten minutes to cook normally, what would be the point?
The point would be that you’re not cooking Minute/White rice. If you’re cooking a whole grain rice it typically takes 45+ minutes to cook. This would be a huge time saver. Not everyone eat Uncle Ben’s ;)
My intention is to freeze flavored rice, like fried rice or Spanish rice, made in advanced to save time.
look up hotlogic smart ovens… they heat up until your food hits the proper temp and shuts off… when it falls below, the hot plate turns back on… we have them at work and i don’t worry about dried out food…
Gosh, I just googled “can rice be frozen?” and was linked to this site. What a wonderful array of helpful information!! I’ve read every word of every comment on this topic and just want to say thank you.
@Elizabeth – I just did the same thing! Lots of good info in the comments section. I like the idea of spreading the rice out on a baking tray, freezing, then putting into a bag or container. I do this with partially cooked potatoes and berries.
I also make small burritos with leftover beans/rice/meat/cheese/whatever you have on hand. I warm the tortillas, roll up the burrito, cool them down and then put in a freezer bag or other container. Pull one out when needed, wrap in a paper towel, and microwave for a minute, flip, microwave 1 more minute.
Another thing: The best way to cook brown rice is in the microwave. I use 1 cup rice and 2 1/3 cups liquid. Put in 2-quart glass or plastic bowl with whatever seasonings you like. Start on high power for 5 minutes. Decrease to 50% power and cook 20 minutes or until done, adding 5-minute increments as needed at 50% power.
I differ on how to cook rice on the stove. For as long as I can remember my mom has used a 10″ or 12″ straight sided skillet with a lid, and she uses what’s called the pilaf method. Heat a couple teaspoons oil in the pan, add the rice, and toss to coat for 1-2 minutes until it smells nutty. Then add the liquid and cook until done. I’ve never had a problem with it this way.
I have learned that most people her in Honduras cook their rice this way. In a skillet, add 2 tbs grease, when hot add rice and let it get “toasted” then add seasonings and stir then add desired amount of water. I personally find adding the seasonings before adding water helps dissolve them and not get clumps.
Re cooling rice quickly for freezing, when it’s cooked transfer it to a sieve ( do this over the sink if there’s still water in the pot). Rinse the rice under cold water – cools instantly and is fridge / freezer-ready much sooner.
What about freezing creamed rice? I use this really healthy creamed rice recipe, so I cook a medium pot and eat it over the next few days. But, I’d find it less time consuming if I could cook a big batch and freeze it, but how well would that work?
Hmm. I’ve not sure because I’ve never made creamed rice before. :) Next time you make a pot, try freezing one portion and see how it works out.
Dr. Oz recommended, for bacterial safety, never leave rice in the fridge more than one day. Be careful, and good luck!
I found that out the hard way. I cook rice on Sunday and use it during the week. I did not know why my little dog would not eat his food. Come to find out, the rice was bad! Ugh!!
I freeze rice sometimes, I usually use the microwave to reheat, but I’ve also put it in a skillet depending on what else I’m making.
When you cook rice (white or brown) do you cook it plain, freeze it, reheat, then season it, or do you season it while it’s cooking. We eat a lot of rice in our family and we like to mix it up with different flavor rice we like.
You can do it either way :) I like to freeze it plain so that I can use it in a number of different dishes with different flavors. It’s like a blank canvas!
I like cilantro-lime rice and have quite a few limes right now. Can I make this and freeze into smaller portions as well? Thank you.
I think that would work pretty well. The color might not be as bright upon reheating, but I’m sure it will be delicious.
I let mine thaw over night and then put it in a baking dish covered with a lid on 350 while I get the other stuff ready. The top might be a little dry but once I stir it, it’s okay!
I loved my rice cooker, but after 18 years it finally gave out. I’m currently saving for a more expensive one with a stainless steel insert. In the meantime, there is no way I’m going to stand over a pan waiting for my rice to cook. So, I have been cooking it in the oven (glass baking dish covered with foil) and the crockpot. Just use 2 cups water to every cup rice (you may need a bit more water for the oven method) and cook until done. We also don’t have a microwave, so I reheat rice by adding a bit of water and reheating in the oven (covered pan), or stir frying it with a bit of oil.
I reheat frozen rice in a small skillet on low. Add a little water and a lid and it comes out great with no effort.
My favorite way to make foolproof rice is just to bake it. I put equal parts liquid and rice (usually 2 cups of each) into an 8×8 baking dish, then cover it tightly with foil. Put it in a non-preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (about 50-55 min for brown rice). Don’t open the oven at all until the time is up. When it’s done, just fluff it with a fork. No scorching, and it cooks evenly though.
Love this idea! Thanks! I’m thinking I need a bigger freezer…
A note on reheating: you can reheat in a rice cooker. You usually add a bit of water and put it on the “warm” setting. Each rice cooker will have specific instructions on this in the booklet. Takes a bit more time than a microwave, but much less time than cooking it from beginning to end.
I have a food saver. Would you reheat rice by putting it in a container or boil the frozen rice, bag and all, in water?
I would probably just still put it into a container to reheat, although I don’t have a food saver and am not really familiar with the bags.
NEVER heat or cook in a plastic container UNLESS it specifies it is Microwave safe & even then I would use glass… You mention some plastic being BPA free, but no plastic is really safe to cook or heat to serving temperature in. Plastic gives off gases as it heats (even if you don’t smell it) and that absorbs into your food. Cancer anyone??? Funny how people are so concerned about the BPA thing, but will heat/cook something in plastic & sometimes even have a melty ring in the container, but they still do it & eat out of it every day. :-(
Be safe: use glass…
Before I had a microwave, a friend told me that if I wanted to reheat refrigerated rice quickly to boil the kettle, put the rice in a strainer, and pour the boiled water over the rice, over a bowl. I’m sure you could use this same method with frozen rice, except perhaps, immerse the rice in the boiling water,then strain.
great tip! i came on the comments specifically to ask for ways to reheat frozen rice sans microwave — my itty bitty studio kitchen has no space for one! any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
This is exactly how I reheat mine for camping. I freeze it so it is prepped and as an extra “cold pack” in the cooler. We throw the bag in a colander that is set in a bigger bowl. Pour the boiling water over it and cover with a plate. We just let it go til it’s warm. Then just lift the colander out and dish it right out of the baggy. :)
Just wanted to say rather than a dedicated rice cooker, you can use an electric vegetable steamer to make rice… I use mine for it all the time (an Oster one that was under $40 new) and then use it to reheat the frozen portions. Steamers are great at reheating frozen stuff without drying it out
Thought you might be interested in one other method for cooking rice that my dad taught me (and that I use as my fool-proof go-to): Drizzle oil (your choice–olive, canola, etc) in the bottom of a skillet. Turn your burner to medium-high. Pour in the amount of rice that you want (say, 1 cup) and saute the rice in the oil until you can tell it’s lightly toasting (it gives off a slightly sweet smell and turns a dryer white to light tan). Immediately pour in the water (2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice). Wait for the water to boil and then reduce the heat to low and cover so that the water is just simmering. 1 cup of white rice usually cooks in 10-15 minutes using this method. You can tell the rice is done when the water has been absorbed and by tasting a bit for doneness. If you want really sticky rice, this isn’t as helpful, but if you want a more Mediterranean or Indian style of rice, I recommend it.
Yum! I love that idea – going to have to try it!
This method is awesome and I would add an aromatic like garlic while sauteeing in olive oil.
My parents did this when i grew up, but they would wrap individual portions in saran wrap and nuke till hot (before leeching plastics was as big of a deal). Nowadays, I do a similar thing: I wait for the rice to cool a bit, burrito it up in saran wrap and put in freezer. Sometimes it’s hard to get the wrap off the rice before nuking it, but if you throw it in there for 30 seconds or so it will start melting the rice enough to pull the wrap off. Then you can transfer the rice to a bowl and cover with wrap to keep it moist while you nuke it.
I cook brown (and other) rice in the oven…perfect every time, and I can just throw it in next to whatever else I’m roasting/baking. I usually make about ten cups at a time and freeze the leftovers.
Great tips, I am actually venturing into making the “freezer” burritos. I started yesterday by prepping the beans and making some tortilla’s. Today though I am making the Spanish rice to put in them and there will most likely be left overs. Thanks for all the tips. Your whole website has been a great help for me. BTW:: how do you add a picture to this comments section?
What about the legend that re-heated rice gives you food poisoning? I regularly freeze and re-heat rice, and I never had any problems. Ever. Good thing that you promote this on your website too, so more people will hopefully refrain from chucking rice just because they are scared for no reason whatsoever.
That probably comes from the fact that food poisoning from Bacillus cereus is pretty common with rice. BUT this only happens if you don’t cool down your cooked rice in an appropriate amount of time. Just like any cooked food, you need to refrigerate it and get it down below 40 degrees within 2 hours so that the bacteria doesn’t have time to proliferate and start producing toxins. B.cereus poisoning is common when people cook a big pot of rice and then just leave it out and eat off of it, so the “reheating” issue was probably from people who reheated rice that had been left out. :) (even then, the poisoning isn’t guaranteed, just more likely).
I’m going to add on that B. cereus, the bacteria so strongly associated with rice produces endospores.
Water boils at 100° C, which is almost, but not exactly hot, enough to kill B. cereus spores consistently. So you have rice with most of the bacteria cooked away, but some spores left. Those spores will germinate over time in temperatures a bit warmer than a fridge and cooler than most ‘hot holding’ (10-50 C, 50-130 F). Those germinated spores, now regular bacteria, produce toxins during bacterial growth.
Some of those toxins are resistant to heat and low pH, which is why simply reheating them isn’t good enough.
If you cook rice and get it cool fast, and then freeze it quickly, you won’t produce an environment where many bacteria germinate fast enough to be a threat.
There are some strains (one strain?) that grow in colder environments, but I’ve seen it written that growth is inhibited under 4°C, so the freezer should still be safe (and those are less typical…plus freezing freezes the water making it unavailable)
I freeze more than just rice! I freeze very small batches of all kinds of grains; quinoa, barley, and wheat berries for example; as well as white, brown, wild, and black rice. Which makes preparing a batch of multigrain pilaf on the fly very easy. Just combine and reheat!
I almost forgot! If you are not a fan of microwaving you should steam it. I often put my frozen grains in a colander or muslin bag and toss it in my bamboo steamer. Steaming is a great way to reheat everything!
Excellent tip! Thanks :D
Thanks Juliana, that’s a great idea!
I freeze rice and whenever I cook beans or pulses I freeze them too. That way I have the convenience of canned beans, lentils, etc without the added cost and sodium.
I just froze rice for the first time this weekend! I did it a little differently though. I spread the cooled rice on a baking sheet, and one it had frozen, I threw it all into one container. I was able to scoop some out today for dinner (the individual grains of rice didn’t clump together because of how I’d frozen them, so it was like scooping uncooked rice). Definitely a handy freezer item!
Nice technique! Thanks for sharing :D
Awesome idea!!!
I actually keep my uncooked rice in the freezer because I bought the 10kg bag and was worried about bugs getting in before I could use it all. I think I’ll try freezing cooked brown rice though cause it takes so long to cook, and doesn’t last as long in the pantry.
On another note my fiance bought me this amazing contraption one day:
http://www.tefal.com.au/All+Products/Cooking+Appliances/Multi+cookers/Products/8+in+1+Rice+Cooker/8+in+1+Rice+Cooker.htm
I use it nearly every night, perfect rice every time and I use it as a slow cooker and many other things too!
All the reasons you cited for cooking and freezing rice go double, even triple for brown rice. It’s a great side dish, but not weeknight-friendly if you’re at all pressed for time. The last time I cooked up a 5 lb bag of it and froze it in portions, I was pleasantly surprised to find that several of my kids started *asking* for it, because they preferred brown to the white stuff. Who knew? :)
I’m half Korean and I eat tons of rice. This is just one of those time savers that my mom taught me that is just amazing. I live alone so I freeze them in individuals portions that I can pop into the microwave for a few minutes. I only have to cook rice once in a while and I don’t waste money throwing away rice that I don’t eat soon enough in my rice cooker. :D
I’d recommend avoiding cheap rice cookers like the plague. Rice cookers are something you buy if you want to have rice often, and cheap rice cookers are only sufficient if you have rice rarely. They cook white rice adequately, but often have trouble with brown or sushi rice and almost always have terrible non-stick vessels with coating that breaks down after a few short months of regular use.
As an Asian-American, my desire for rice is limitless so I saved up for a few months to buy a fuzzy logic rice cooker. I’d personally recommend Zojirushi rice cookers, which you can easily buy on Amazon. The 3-cup model I got retails for about $120, but I managed to get a “Like New” used piece for $80. Panasonic fuzzy logic cookers regularly sell under $100 as well. They cook just about any rice perfectly with a vast array of built-in settings, and the bowl is sturdy and is easily cleaned without a dishwasher.
Thank you for the suggestions. I’ve used a couple of rice cookers purchased second hand at thrift stores, and always struggled with them. I promised myself I would invest in a quality piece next time!
I bought a $37 rice cooker at Target and it’s one of the best appliances I own. My trick is to follow the measurements on the bag of rice rather than the cooker instructions.
I always mean to freeze rice, especially brown rice, since it takes so long! I actually never tried it but I will definitely try it this weekend! :)
What do you say about using this same freezing method for quinoa?
I haven’t done it, but others have shared that they do it regularly with great results!
Quinoa, frozen works awesome.
I also do this with rice pilaf and regular rice.
I had a roommate from India in university who taught me to make good rice – always use lots of water. I’m an immersion gal: bring lots of water to a boil so that the rice can “swim”. Boil uncovered until done, and then drain the starch away.
I have never frozen rice, but it would be SUCH a timesaver! I need to give this a try.
Freezing rice is great! When I freeze rice, I half fill plastic containers. Then when I have leftovers (like curry) I just add the curry to the top half and let the whole lot defrost in the fridge at work. Come lunch time, I can reheat and eat.
Ooh, this is smart!
Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
I second the rice cooker as a best friend idea! We got an Aroma one at our reception and it not only cooks rice great, but is also a steamer and slow cooker! It’s about half the size of my other slow cooker so when fridge is full I don’t have to worry about storing leftover cp amounts :) AND it has up to a 10 hour timer(ok maybe 8…, i usually only use for 6 so dont remember for sure)