Do not leave rice to cool down in the rice cooker, steamer or pan. Once cooled to room temperature, cover the rice and store in the refrigerator at 8oC or below (preferably below 5oC). Only reheat rice if it has previously been cooled down safely and kept in the fridge until needed.
Either keep cooked rice hot (above 60 °C) or cool the rice as quickly as possible and store in a refrigerator below 5 °C. Rice cools quicker if removed from the hot container and divided into smaller, clean shallow containers less than 10 cm deep. Keep the containers separate, not stacked.
You can chill down rice more quickly by dividing it into smaller portions, spreading it out on a clean, shallow tray, or putting a container of hot rice into a larger container of cold water or ice. Never leave rice in the rice cooker, steamer or pan to cool down.
Can you freeze cooked rice? Yes, you can freeze cooked rice. Cool it as quickly as possible by placing it in a shallow container in the fridge. Once the rice is completely cold, transfer it to freezer bags in desired portion sizes, flatten to about 3cm thick and expel as much air as possible before sealing tightly.
Serve rice immediately after cooking. To further reduce bacteria growth, cool food quickly by: Dividing the food into shallow food containers and sealing them with a lid. Placing hot food directly into the fridge or freezer.
Tips on serving rice safely
Ideally, serve rice as soon as it has been cooked. If that is not possible, cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within 1 hour). Keep rice in the fridge for no more than 1 day until reheating.
If you're serving the rice and place it in a bowl on your table (at room temperature), then it must be refrigerated within two hours of cooking. If the rice sits out for two hours at room temperature or one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees fahrenheit or above (like eating outdoors), then the rice should be tossed.
So if you're not going to eat rice straight after you've cooked it, you need to store it in the fridge — preferably within an hour or so, but definitely within four hours. Refrigeration won't kill the bacteria but it will slow down their growth.
Yes, you can freeze cooked rice. In fact, it's actually preferable to storing it in the refrigerator, even if you plan to use it within a matter of days. This is because uncooked rice contains a spore-forming bacteria known as Bacillus Cereus.
Let the rice rest covered.
Turn off the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes. During this time, the rice will steam for extra fluffy results.
Before fluffing, let it sit for a bit
Turn off the heat and let the rice sit and steam for about 10 minutes to give it the chance to absorb any last drops of liquid. After the sitting period, gently fluff the rice with a fork.
Cooling and storage
1.5 hours or less, divide the rice into smaller portions, or into large shallow dishes. Once cool, cover the rice and store in the fridge until needed. Cloths and towels should not be used as a cover because they can carry harmful bacteria.
Those little cardboard take-out containers may be cute, but they will also let in air, making leftover rice chewy and hard. Transfer the cooled, cooked rice into an airtight storage container or a ziplock plastic bag (remove as much air from the bag as possible before sealing) then store in the refrigerator.
A large pot or container of food that is hot should not be placed in the refrigerator or freezer. The hot food can raise the temperature inside the refrigerator/freezer which can be a risk for food already in the appliance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends putting food in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking. Doing so helps prevent bacteria growth.
If not eaten immediately, cooled cooked rice should be stored in a shallow container, covered tightly and refrigerated. Rice can be refrigerated for 3 to 5 days or frozen for up to six months. Cooked rice that has been properly cooled and refrigerated or frozen may be reheated.
Spread it out in a thin layer on a baking sheet or tray so it cools rapidly. Then, when cold, put into a container, cover and chill in the fridge. Keep the rice for no more than a day before reheating it – and then only reheat it once.
If you place rice into the fridge soaking in 100% pure water you can leave it for up to 48 hours. Generally, food at room temperature should not be left for more than 2 hours due to the risk of bacteria growing and causing a hazard to health, so be sure to place it in to soak immediately.
Let the rice sit covered for 10 minutes after it's done cooking. Then fluff it with a fork." Never stir your rice! Stirring activates starch and will make your rice gloppy.
Do not leave rice or any hot food sitting out for more than one hour, and always store rice at 40 F or below. (This includes making sure that your fridge is at this temperature or lower.)
Why is stale rice healthier than fresh rice? A process known as starch retrogradation, which turns the digestible starch into a resistant one, is reportedly started after the cooked starch is cooled. Our body can absorb and break it down more easily, which causes blood sugar levels to rise.
Too much water ruined the rice cooker.
This is one of the most common causes of spoiled rice cookers, but few people are aware of it. Cooking rice with too much water. It not only makes the rice soggy, but it also reacts with the air inside the rice cooker, causing the rice to spoil quickly.
Move the rice off the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes before disturbing it.
That way, your rice won't be clumpy and the grains will be more distinct when it comes time to serve. Resting is also an unskippable step. Let your rice rest for about 10 minutes after it's done cooking to achieve optimum texture. This rule goes for all types of rice.
Make a batch of rice and spread it in a thin layer on a sheet tray. Put the tray in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes (this keeps the grains from clumping), then portion out the rice into individual freezer bags. Freeze for a couple hours and BOOM—dry rice, ready for frying.