If you can't reheat rice...

[Meringue33]

...Does that mean you can't reheat rice soup?

[AmberLeaf]

I reheat rice.

Have done all my life and im still here!

[notnowbernard]

You can't eat rice? (!)

Why? I have done this for years...

[omletta]

You can reheat rice, you must just do it quickly and cool it quickly.

Don't allow it to spend any time in the 'danger zone' 8 to 67 degrees and it will be fine.

[ThatBintAgain]

You can reheat but you just need to be careful with it. I wouldn't if it was older than about a day and I always nuke it to make sure. Had the most horrific food poisoning from re-heated rice in India, I actually thought I might die.

[milkysmum]

I always re heat rice too!!

[tigerdriverII]

I didn't know anything about not reheating rice until that thread a couple of weeks ago. I am 50 not in the first flush of youth and it was a complete revelation to me. I was wondering this about frozen paella, which we eat all the time. I guess if frozen quickly and then cooked well its ok but no doubt someone's going to tell me I am a health hazard.

[RightUpMyRue]

Why is reheated rice particularly dangerous?

[MyCatHasStaff]

The problem with rice is that the bacteria that can grow in it releases spores that are heat-resisitant, so if you are unlucky enough to have a contaminated batch, heating it won't kill the spores. I personally don't risk it.

[AmberLeaf]

Rice is apparently one of the worst culprits but I am very lax with storing it and heating it and im still here.

[drcrab]

You do know that most fried rice is made using reheated rice? At least a day old?

[vodkaanddietirnbru]

it is the amount of time left at room temperature before storing in the fridge/freezer that is the issue so if it is stored quickly and then reheated properly there should be no problem.

From nhs site:

You can get food poisoning from eating reheated rice. However, it's not the reheating that causes the problem but the way the rice has been stored before it was reheated.

How does reheated rice cause food poisoning?

Uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that can cause food poisoning. When the rice is cooked, the spores can survive.
If the rice is left standing at room temperature, the spores can grow into bacteria. These bacteria will multiply and may produce toxins (poisons) that cause vomiting or diarrhoea.
The longer cooked rice is left at room temperature, the more likely it is that the bacteria or toxins could make the rice unsafe to eat.

Tips on serving rice safely

Ideally, serve rice as soon as it has been cooked.
If that isn't possible, cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within one hour).
Keep rice in the fridge for no more than one day until reheating.
When you reheat any rice, always check that the dish is steaming hot all the way through.
Do not reheat rice more than once.

[omletta]

Because I'd the type of bacteria which it can support, Bacillus Cerious (sp), this type of bacteria is harmless and can not multiply when the rice is either hot or cold, but when in the middle ( the danger zone) it multiplies at an alarming rate.

It it interesting that some cultures seem to be immune to this, if I were a scientist I would investigate.

[omletta]

Sorry my post was in response to RightUpMyRue.

[AmberLeaf]

[MyCatHasStaff]

The bacteria is bacillus cereus. Like any bacteria that causes food poisoning, it is the quantity of the baceria present, and how vulnerable you are to it. However, if you are affected by this particular bacteria it is awful, and can be life-threatening. When people say they've had a dodgy take-away it's usually the rice that's the culprit although people assume it's the meat.

[TheOneWithTheHair]

I reheat rice. It freezes really well too.

[ThatBintAgain]

I worked with a bloke who made a pan of soup with rice in on a Monday evening and he left it on the stove all week, reheating each night. About half way through the week it half killed him. That really was dim though, leaving it out at room temperature in liquid for days...

[Narked]

When it's cooked, you just tip it into a sieve and rinse it with cold water. Then bung it into the fridge.

[omletta]

Thank you MyCat.

[Selks]

So what is the best way to cool cooked rice quickly?

[omletta]

Cold running water.

[AmberLeaf]

Selks that all depends on how you cook your rice!

I use the absorbtion method and wouldn't dream of running cold water on it.

[Selks]

Must say I don't like the sound of running cold water through it, sorry.

I usually put it in a bowl and cover immediately, then cool on the side for half an hour then into the fridge.

[omletta]

No, definitely cold running water, it is by far the safest and fastest way, unless you have a blast chiller of course.

With cold running water you can cool the rice in a couple of minutes. Leaving it at room temperature for an hour means you are putting it into the dangerous temperature zone, given that it is only safe at the temperature for two hours I would waste one of them letting it cool on the side.

[CountBapula]

What about risotto then? You wouldn't pour water over that. Does that mean you shouldn't reheat it? If not, how come you can get risotto as ready meals?

It's annoying because risotto is something DS will reliably eat so I'd like to keep some in the freezer for him but I don't because I'm worried about the reheating thing.