Can you freeze and defrost and reheat cooked rice?

[TyneTeas]

Hi,

I often take any leftovers of home-made rice dishes in to work for lunch the day after (mostly making sure to cool quickly and reheat thoroughly, as I know that otherwise it might not work out too nicely www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/Can-reheating-rice-cause-food-poisoning.aspx?CategoryID=51&SubCategoryID=215)

But can I freeze cooled rice?

Was thinking I could cook up a pan of something tasty, then cool and freeze it in portions. Cooking a batch probably means it gets cooled and frozen quicker, so may be actually safer, or would this recklessly be asking for trouble?

Thank you!

You can, yes.
Dependant on the type of rice (& if it's a teeny bit overcooked) it can change texture a little once reheated, but you'll get used to that & adjust cooking time if needed.
Enjoy your meals!

We often freeze left over curry & rice in portions and have never had any problems.

Yes you can. I cook rice from frozen too but I don't think that's recommended!

No, no, no!

You shouldn't even really be heating it from chilled unless you have rinsed it in cold water, straight after cooking, in order to cool it almost instantly.

I've been doing it for about 25 years with no ill effects so far. I make fried rice with it after I've defrosted it in the microwave

Yup, have also been freezing and defrosting and reheating rice for decades and I'm fine

I read on here that no you can't. It will kill you.

I have been reheating rice for DH for decades.

Make sure you cool it quickly (run under cold water), bag it up straightaway and freeze immediatly. Then theres no chance for the spores to get in and grow and its fine.

The risk comes from rice left to cool in a pot so it is warm for a very long time, and exposed to the air

You can chill it quickly by spreading out on already chilled baking tray and putting straight into freezer once cool.

I just freeze it quickly though with whatever sauce.

I just put a lid on the leftovers while we're eating, then bag it up after we've finished.

I do often.

Yes I do it with various batch cooked meals.

Yes I am 52 and have been doing it for years and am not dead yet.

Just make sure it is really hot when you have reheated.

I'm 61 and I've always frozen cooked rice with no ill effects. I don't rinse under cold water as that's not the way I cook rice (I cook it in a lidded pan until all the water is absorbed) but cover it straight away and cool as quickly as possible. if it's plain rice I put it in a plastic bag spread it out thinly, seal it and freeze asap. That way you can easily break off a portion sized amount.

Yes I often do this - obviously making sure it is cooled as quickly as possible after cooking.

It works best if it's slightly underdone when you freeze it. If it is done to perfection when it goes in the freeze it will be slightly overcooked by the time you defrost it and heat it up.

Thank you everyone

I think then in summary that while some people feel reheating rice is always too risky, no-one is saying that freezing it makes it any riskier.