How Long Does Rice Keep?

[JamieP]

I'm interested in how long rice will keep.

I'm a single bloke and will probably only cook it once or twice a week at the very most.

Even the smallest bags I've seen will take me a long time to use up.

For now I may just keep buying cooked rice from the market with the other fresh stuff....

[TommoPhysicist]

About 20 years if protected from damp and insect infestation.

Is that long enough for you?

Edited February 17, 2013 by TommoPhysicist

[JamieP]

That sounds like it might be just about long enough...........

Thanks

[uptheos]

You might want to type in to Google 'how long will rice keep'..... there's about 200,000,000 hits

[Payboy]

About 20 years if protected from damp and insect infestation.

Is that long enough for you?

That's cooked or uncooked?

[thaigold]

Yo ... You cook it - you eat it. Cooked rice goes cockroach within a three hours. That' why you see the Thais eating all the time (they're grazers). Now if they understood potatoes...?

[jamhar]

Cooked rice keeps a day or two if you can keep the bugs out. when it start to feel a bit damp or slimy, its starting to ferment, and i toss it out. Some like the slightly fermented taste. I never understood that part.

Uncooked rice keeps almost forever. It will outlast even a bachelor's pantry I know from experience. In this climate, i'd recommend keeping it in the fridge. Why? because it will likely be the driest and bug free place in your digs. Not that you have bugs, but if you dont, the rice will be a great breeding ground for it.

PS, as a bachelor, you should know you can cook rice in your microwave. (my preferred technique)

in an open microwavable container (something tall and narrow),

place one to 2 cm of rice.

fill with water until the water level is equally higher than the rice. ie, 1 cm or water for 1cm of rice

put on high heat until the water just starts to boil,

and reset the microwave at this point (you have to be quick here)

now cook at the lowest power setting for 20 mins.with the cover covering but not sealed.

DONE.

You may have to experiment with your microwave.

Hope this helps!

[xylophone]

Just be careful when reheating rice as stomach upsets from it are the main cause of "travellers diarrhea". Who'd have thought that something so innocuos could result in something so uncomfortable!

Edited February 18, 2013 by xylophone

[besth]

You may want to buy a rice cooker. They are cheap and bachelor-proof to use. Cook only what you are going to eat with each meal.

[wayned]

Leftover rice will keep a couple of days in the fridge. When you want to eat it put what you want in a mirowave safe dish and sprinle a little bit of water on top. Heat it in the microwave for about 60 seconds. If you have both rice and, say curry, leftover put the rice in a plastic bowl with a lid, put the curry on top and put it in the freezer. Take it out and micro it until it's hot.

[JRinPDX]

It's okay to make more than you will eat. Put it in the fridge overnight. To make fried rice, you have to start with cold rice from the day before.

[utalkin2me]

I think the answer to this is as long as consumer taste buds can take it, which is a long long time unfortunately. I had no idea how bad crap rice was until i tried some good stuff here.