How To Preserve Cooked Rice? How To Judge Whether It Has Deteriorated?

25.10.2024
ling
0 reviews

Outline

Rice Preservation Tips: Make Cooked Rice Taste Good Forever
1. The importance of rice preservation
Cooked rice is easy to spoil if not stored properly, affecting the taste and health, so proper storage can avoid waste.
2. Common preservation methods
Modify the reference
(1) Refrigerator refrigeration method
The shelf life of cooked rice in the refrigerator is generally 2-3 days, pay attention to the points such as cooling, sealing, and placing in the middle layer, and check the quality and proper heating when eating.
(2) Thermal preservation method
After boiling the rice for eight hours, it can be returned to the pot to heat, sprinkled with thin salt water overnight, and stored overnight using the principle that the high temperature is not easy to breed microorganisms.
(3) Cryopreservation method
When you don't have a refrigerator, you can use a large basin of cold water, and it is best to store rice in a box and keep it in the water, and keep it in the refrigerator.
(4) Vinegar preservation method
Adding vinegar in proportion when steaming rice makes the rice easier to store and more flavorful.
(5) Stir-fried preservation method
After frying, cover with plastic wrap or seal the lid and store it coolly.
3. Preservation under special circumstances
(1) Transfer the rice to a small pot and store it
Do not put leftover rice in the original large pot, but move it to a small pot with a lid and put it in the refrigerator to refrigerate, and stir the rice loosely to prevent lumps.
(2) Open the lid to evaporate water
Rice is stored without a lid to evaporate the water, which can be used to cook porridge or steam, and it tastes better if you make fried rice and put it in the refrigerator.
4. The storage time of rice in different environments
(1) Room temperature environment
Rice can generally be stored for about a day and a half at room temperature, and the storage time is shorter when the temperature is high.
(2) Refrigerated environment
Refrigerated rice can be stored for about 3 days at about 4 degrees above zero, and hygiene should be taken into account.
(3) Frozen environment
Rice is suitable for being placed in the freezer, which can lock the starch state and prevent aging, and it should not be stored for too long with plastic wrap or a crisper to prevent flavor transfer.
5. Summary and Suggestions
The advantages and disadvantages of various rice preservation methods, it is recommended to choose the appropriate method according to the actual situation to reduce waste and ensure the taste and health of rice.

Fast Reading

To preserve cooked rice, some tips for you.

Store at room temperature
Basically, it's best not to store rice at room temperature. But if you need to store it at room temperature, you can put the rice in a container first, cover it with plastic wrap when it cools, and then put it in a cool place.

The shelf life of rice at room temperature is about 6 hours to 2 days, which varies depending on the season:

Summertime
About 6 hours
Spring and autumn seasons
Approximately 12 hours to 1 day
winter
About 1 to 2 days

Keep warm and preserved

The holding temperature of a rice cooker is generally around 70°C. Some models are around 60°C. The keep warm function prevents bacteria from multiplying, but keeping warm will cause the water to evaporate, making the rice yellow and hard.

Therefore, the keep warm function is not suitable for long-term storage of rice, and the approximate expiration date is 3 hours to 1 day.

Keep refrigerated

Rice tends to dry out and becomes unpalatable when refrigerated, so it is best to keep it frozen even if it is stored for a short period of time.

If you want to keep it refrigerated, you can put the rice in a container first, let it cool and seal it with plastic wrap or lid, and then put it in the refrigerator.

Don't cover the rice while it's still hot, as this will create water drips and the rice will be prone to mold.

The effective shelf life of refrigerated storage is roughly 3 days.

Cryopreservation

The effective shelf life of cryopreservation can generally reach 1 month.

How to judge whether it has deteriorated?

Some basic characteristics after it has gone bad:

fluff
Moist
Rancid
moldy
Yellow
stiffen

Summary

When stored at room temperature, first put the rice in a container, let it cool and wrap it in plastic wrap.
It is not suitable for refrigeration because rice tends to dry out and spoils faster when refrigerated.
The best way to preserve rice is to freeze it.
To freeze and store, wrap the rice in plastic wrap while it is hot and let it cool before placing it in the refrigerator.
Keep the rice as flat as possible when wrapping it in plastic wrap
Do not thaw the frozen rice, heat it directly

Full Content

1. The importance of rice preservation

As a staple food in our daily diet, it is important to preserve rice properly. Cooked rice can easily spoil if it is not stored properly. On the one hand, the taste of spoiled rice will be greatly reduced, and the original soft and glutinous texture may become dry and hard, and even have a peculiar smell, which will seriously affect the appetite. On the other hand, spoiled rice can also pose a health threat.
Rice is susceptible to bacterial contamination under the right temperature and humidity conditions. For example, staphylococci grow and multiply faster in the presence of starch, while rice contains both protein and carbohydrates, which is good for staph growth. At the same time, rice is also susceptible to contamination by Bacillus cereus, which can produce toxins under suitable environmental conditions. If you eat rice contaminated with these bacteria, you may cause food poisoning, with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Long-term intake of spoiled rice may also increase the risk of disease, especially liver-related diseases.
In addition, proper preservation of rice can also avoid waste. In daily life, we often cook too much rice, and if we can't keep it properly, we have to throw it away, which is not only a waste of food, but also not in line with the concept of conservation.
To sum up, the preservation of cooked rice is very important, and we should master the correct preservation methods to ensure the taste and health of the rice while avoiding waste.

2. Common preservation methods

(1) Refrigerator refrigeration method
The shelf life of cooked rice cooked in the refrigerator is generally 2 - 3 days. First of all, before putting cooked rice in the refrigerator, it is necessary to cool down the cooked rice to room temperature, so as to avoid putting high-temperature meals directly into the refrigerator, which will affect the temperature of the refrigerator and the preservation effect of other foods. Secondly, to seal well, you can use plastic wrap or an airtight box to wrap the cooked rice well to prevent bacteria, air, and odors from entering, while avoiding moisture loss that can cause the rice to dry out. Finally, the refrigeration location is also important, placing cooked rice in the middle layer of the refrigerator to maintain a relatively stable low temperature environment is conducive to extending the shelf life. When eating refrigerated cooked rice, pay attention to check the quality of the rice, and do not eat it if there is mold or odor. Before heating and serving, remove the rice from the refrigerator and let it sit for a while to return to room temperature before heating it up so as not to affect the taste and nutrition.

(2) Thermal preservation method
After we have cooked the rice for eight hours, it is better to add the right amount of water. Then press the rice cooker to cook it back to the pot for a while, which can kill the microorganisms present. If you're going to stay overnight, sprinkle some salted water on top of the rice. This is based on the principle that microorganisms do not easily survive in high temperatures, and by continuously maintaining a high temperature, the rice can be left overnight. It should be noted that it is best to control the amount of rice cooked every day to be eaten in one day, because in the process of keeping warm, the water vapor of the rice will continue to evaporate, and it will lose its good taste, and it will be easy to breed bacteria if it is kept warm for more than 12 hours.

(3) Cryopreservation method
When you don't have a refrigerator, you can take a large basin of cold water, put the rice in a box, put it in the water, and store it in a cool place. This is to preserve rice by using microorganisms that do not multiply easily at low temperatures. And if you have a refrigerator, putting it in the refrigerator is the best option. The low temperature environment of the refrigerator can effectively inhibit the growth of microorganisms and extend the shelf life of rice.

(4) Vinegar preservation method
When steaming rice, add some vinegar in the ratio of 1.5 kg of rice to 2 grams to 3 grams of vinegar, which can make the rice easier to store, and the steamed rice will not have a sour taste, but will have a stronger aroma. Cooking rice with vinegar can be kept for a longer time, because cooked rice should not be left for a long time, especially in summer, rice is easy to become rancid. With the addition of vinegar, the rice can be stored and rancid. For example, adding white vinegar in the ratio of 1.5 kg of rice to 2-3 ml of vinegar can make the steamed rice less sour and more fragrant, and it can also keep the rice for a longer period of time.

(5) Stir-fried preservation method
In this method, the rice is stir-fried, cooled and covered with plastic wrap, or sealed with a lid, and stored in a cool place. Stir-frying and preserving is equivalent to secondary processing of rice, which can effectively extend the shelf life. At the same time, the rice preserved in this way is also more convenient when it needs to be eaten, and it can be eaten directly as fried rice, and the taste will be different.

3. Preservation under special circumstances

(1) Transfer the rice to a small pot and store it
Do not store leftover rice in the original cauldron, as the cauldron is not convenient to put in the refrigerator. It is best to put the leftover rice in a small pot with a lid and refrigerate it. There is a scientific basis for this, on the one hand, the small pot takes up little space, which is convenient for storage in the refrigerator; On the other hand, a small pot preserves the freshness of the rice better.
When the leftover rice is transferred to a small pot, stir the rice with a spoon and put it in the refrigerator. If it is not completely cooled, you can store it on a dining table or in a ventilated place and wait until it is completely cooled before storing it in the refrigerator. The purpose of fluffing the rice is to allow the rice grains to cool down faster, and at the same time, most of the water vapor can be evaporated and lost. Leftover rice will become hard if it loses moisture, but the moisture generated by heat can easily spoil the rice. The rice will not form lumps when it is taken the next time, and it will be easier to stir the rice when it is still warm, and if it will become hard after cooling, especially after refrigeration, it is not easy to let the rice grains spread out. It is important to note that while waiting for the rice to cool completely, the lid should be closed to avoid mosquitoes or bacteria even if the rice is still hot.

(2) Open the lid to evaporate water
The water in the rice can be used for different purposes after it has evaporated and then preserved. Don't rush to cover the leftovers that you can't eat, wait until the water in the rice has almost evaporated, and then use the lid to sit overnight. You can still use this rice to cook porridge or steam it again the next day. If you want to use the leftover rice to make fried rice, it is recommended to keep it in the refrigerator because the rice will taste better.
For example, when we are preparing to make fried rice with leftover rice the next day, we can leave the rice uncovered for a while the night before, allow some of the water to evaporate, and then put it in the refrigerator to refrigerate. When you take out the rice the next day, you will find that the grains of the rice are more distinct, and the fried rice will taste better. At the same time, the process of evaporating water by opening the lid can also let out some of the peculiar smells in the rice, making the rice more refreshing.

4. The storage time of rice in different environments

(1) Room temperature environment
At room temperature, rice can generally be left for about a day and a half. This is because rice is prone to bacteria growth at room temperature, especially when the temperature is higher, and the storage time will be shorter. For example, in the summer, when the temperature is high, the rice may start to spoil within a few hours. If the rice is stored in a ventilated, dry, cool place, away from direct sunlight and high temperatures, the storage time may be slightly longer, but it is also not recommended to exceed a day and a half. Because in this environment, bacteria multiply quickly, and rice is prone to odor or spoilage.

(2) Refrigerated environment
When the rice is refrigerated, it can be left for about 3 days at about 4 degrees above zero. In a refrigerated environment, the growth and reproduction rate of bacteria will be inhibited to a certain extent. However, it is important to pay attention to hygiene and divide the rice into appropriate containers, such as a plastic wrapper or wrap it in plastic wrap, so that you can better control the storage time and avoid the growth of bacteria. At the same time, when taking the refrigerated rice out of the refrigerator and eating it, it should be reheated until it is thoroughly heated to ensure that the bacteria are killed. It should be noted that even in a refrigerated environment, rice should not be stored for too long, otherwise the taste will deteriorate and nutrients will be lost.

(3) Frozen environment
Rice is suitable for storage in the freezer. Freezing locks in the starch state and prevents it from aging. Just as scientists have experimentally proven that rice does not age below -1°C, the taste of rice when it is heated in the freezer is basically the same as that of freshly cooked rice, and there is basically no loss of nutrition. When freezing rice, you can use plastic wrap or a crisper to prevent flavor transfer. However, rice should not be stored in the freezer for too long, it is generally recommended not to exceed half a month, it will have a strange smell of the refrigerator after a long time, the taste will be a little worse, and the rice grains will become more fragile and dry. If you freeze the rice, when you need to eat it, take out a bag, tear off the plastic wrap, put it in a bowl, sprinkle some water or wine, and heat it in the microwave or steamer.

5. Summary and Suggestions

(1) Summary of the advantages and disadvantages of various preservation methods

Refrigerator refrigeration method: The advantage is that the operation is relatively simple, the taste of the rice can be maintained to a certain extent, and the shelf life is relatively long, generally 2-3 days. The disadvantage is that if the seal is not good, it is easy to lose moisture, the rice will dry out, and the taste will deteriorate if it is refrigerated for too long, and there may be a risk of being flavored by other foods.
Preservation method: The advantage is that it can be operated by using the existing rice cooker, which is more convenient. The disadvantage is that it is easy to breed bacteria if it is kept for too long, and the taste of rice will deteriorate after 12 hours, and the evaporation of water vapor will affect the taste.

Cryopreservation method: An alternative method when there is no refrigerator, using cold water to cool down can delay the deterioration of rice to a certain extent. When there is a refrigerator, the freezing environment can effectively inhibit the growth of microorganisms, but if the rice is frozen for too long, it will have a strange smell, and the rice grains will be fragile and dry.

Vinegar preservation method: The advantage is that the operation is simple, which can make the rice resistant to storage and anti-rancid, and the steamed rice has a stronger aroma. The disadvantage is that if the proportion of vinegar is not well controlled, it may affect the taste of rice.

Stir-fried preservation method: The advantage is that it can effectively extend the shelf life after secondary processing, it is convenient to eat, and it can be eaten directly as fried rice with a different taste. The disadvantage is that it requires additional processing steps and is relatively cumbersome.

(2) Select the appropriate method according to the actual situation
If you only keep the rice for a short period of time, such as if it will be eaten within the same day, you can choose to refrigerate it or keep it warm. If you want to prolong the storage time of rice, you can choose the freezing preservation method, but pay attention to the sealing to prevent flavor transfer, and do not store it for too long. If you don't have a refrigerator, you can use the cryogenic storage method, but consume it as soon as possible. If you want to keep your rice longer without worrying about the taste change, you can consider vinegar or stir-frying.

(3) Suggestions for reducing waste and ensuring taste and health
Try to cook the right amount of rice according to the actual demand to avoid wasting by cooking too much. If you are unsure of the number of people, you can cook less first, and then cook if it is not enough.
When preserving rice, it is necessary to strictly follow the correct method to ensure the hygiene and safety of the rice.
For rice that has been stored for a long time, it should be carefully checked for spoilage before eating, and if there is any peculiar smell, color change, mold, etc., it should be discarded immediately and not eaten to ensure health.

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