Left over rice.

[seeker]

I've always thought that you can't reheat leftover cooked rice. I don't know why I think it - and it's just occurred to me that it might be nonsense. Does anybody else think the same - or know it to be an insanity?

Reheasted rice is basically food poisoning on a plate.

reheated

you can reheat leftover rice as long as it is cooled quickly and put in the fridge. It should be used within 24 hours. From Food Standards Agency:

I've heard that reheating rice can cause food poisoning. Is this true?

It's true that you could get food poisoning from eating reheated rice. But it's not actually the reheating that's the problem ? it's the way the rice has been stored before reheating.

Uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, bacteria that can cause food poisoning. When the rice is cooked, the spores can survive. Then, if the rice is left standing at room temperature, the spores will germinate into bacteria. These bacteria will multiply and may produce toxins (poisons) that cause vomiting or diarrhoea. Reheating the rice won't get rid of these toxins.

So, the longer cooked rice is left at room temperature, the more likely it is that bacteria, or the toxins they produce, could stop the rice being safe to eat.

It's best to serve rice when it has just been cooked. If that isn't possible, cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within one hour) and keep it in the fridge for no more than one day until reheating.

Remember that when you reheat any food, you should always check that it's steaming hot all the way through, and avoid reheating more than once.

Egg fried rice is just recooked rice. It is what I usually do with leftover rice.

YES YOU CAN

Sorry to shout but it's the COOLING process that invites nasty parasites NOT the re-heating.

Re-heating is absolutely fine, and with everything make sure it's piping hot hot hot.

Re-heating is especially yummy making special fried rice.

It's because there is a bacteria which breeds on rice and releases a toxin. When you reheat the rice you kill the bacteria, but the toxin isn't affected by heat and causes food poisoning.

Apparently it's quite nasty if you get it, but tbh I don't know anyone who's ever had it and DH's (Indian-origin) family often serve re-heated rice. I would never reheat rice that I hadn't cooked myself though, eg from a take-away. If I know I'm going to be keeping some rice for later then I cover it (with cling film or smilar) while it's still piping hot and chill it as quickly as I can, and keep it sealed until it's time to reheat it.

Thank you. Dp is currently making Aromatic Yellow rice and our guests have just rung up to say their car won't start so they can't come! So we'll put it in a sealed box, chill it quickly then put it in the freezer. Mind you it's so ingrained (no pun intended!) in me that you can't do it I'm not sure I'll be able to eat it!

oops, I reheated and then ate some rice on Wednesday that had been in the fridge since last Friday. I do this all the time as well, although maybe not keeping it as long as that!!

I'm still here and not ill though.

I was always told to freeze it immediately.

My Mum also told me never to put warm things in freezer, so confused advice!

We have reheated the frozen stuff and never had any trouble. Would chuck if it had been left hanging around for too long.