IT’S easy to misjudge how much rice to cook, often leading to more leftovers than you’d expect.
But what’s the safest way to handle and reheat those leftovers? Here’s how to reheat rice properly to avoid food poisoning.
Can you reheat rice?
Rice, like chicken, is safe to reheat as long as you are careful and heat it through thoroughly.
It is best to cool your rice down as quickly as possible to prevent bacteria growing.
Bacteria called Bacillus cereus can be found in rice that is uncooked.
This is what causes you to be unwell as it is not always killed in the cooking process.
Make sure your rice is refrigerated as soon as possible and only store in the fridge for up to four days after cooking.
Do not leave the rice out to cool for more than an hour or you will likely get food poisoning when reheating it.
If left at room temperature, the spores of Bacillus cereus will grow into bacteria which will multiply and may produce toxins.
You can also freeze rice and keep it in your freezer for up to one month.
What is the best way to reheat rice?
Most people will reheat rice in the microwave as it is the quickest method.
If you want your reheated rice to remain fluffy, add a tablespoon of water or broth per cup of rice and break up clumps beforehand.
For extra fluffy rice, you can steam it by adding the rice to a saucepan and putting water in.
Break up clumps and cover the pan with a lid, leaving it to cook on a low heat for three to five minutes.
Stir this occasionally and you should have fluffy reheated rice in no time.
Leftover rice is great for stir frying as its lack of moisture stops the rice going mushy.
If you have additional ingredients that you can add, you can also stir fry your rice by adding oil to a large wok.
Move the rice around the wok on a high heat and cook until it is plump and heated through.
The key to making sure rice is safe to eat when reheating is to heat it completely and cool it quickly before storing.
How many times can you reheat rice
The NHS does not advise reheating more than once.
The bacteria is what causes food poisoning, so as long as you cool the rice quickly and reheat thoroughly you should not have a problem.
Always check that your rice has not spoiled before eating – you can tell by seeing if the rice grains are hard and dry or there is an off smell.
