Reheating rice

Caterina

Pretani wrote: »

it may be possible that the people who were ill became ill because of the spice used, instead of other reasons. I know several people who can't eat food with certain spices, many of which are used in takeaways.

I know of people who cannot eat spices for particular health reason but surely these are not the same people who would order a nice lamb madras to eat in front of the telly!

Caterina

Skint_Catt

Thanks guys, will have another go sometime - we're having rice tonight so there might be some left for tomorrows lunch! :j

JuneBow

I am having friends round to dinner tomorrow night, and am cooking a leg of lamb with some stuffing that has rice in it.
I would like to make the stuffing now, and put it in the fridge, so I do not have anything to do tomorrow.
The stuffing also has garlic in it.
I had read that you are ok with eating rice the next day if it has had curry on, and hence garlic in it.
Can anyone let me know wether they have done anything similar.
Thank.

Pink.

Hi Junebow,

What you are planning sounds fine providing you cool the rice as soon as you can after cooking it and keep the stuffing in the fridge until you're ready to reheat it.

There was a thread on storing and reheating rice a couple of days ago so I'll add your post to it to keep the replies together.

Pink

economatrix

I know this thread is long over, but just in case anyone still follows it...

I cook large amounts of brown rice, then cool immediatley under running water, make into portions and put in the freezer. I read up about it and this seemed the safest way - it's in the freezer within 10 minutes of being cooked, so there's hardly any time for potential bacteria to grow. It reheats beautifully and I've never had any problems with it.

However, recently I've been trying to find ways to take it into work for lunch. The office doesn't have a microwave or a hob, so the options are

a) take it in in a thermos, which means it's lukewarm by lunchtime
b) we have facilities to warm things slightly (no more than 60 degrees)

My question is: how dangerous would either of these options be? And would either be safer if I super-heated the rice in my home microwave that morning?

Cheers,

BexInLondon

Could you use it cold in some sort of rice salad? Do you have facilities to keep it cold?

Alternatively, if you're keeping it cold right up until the last minute, cooking it just to 60 should be fine, as long as it hasn't sat out for ages beforehand which judging by your method it hasn't!

I've got to be honest though, while I am scrupulous with cooling rice quickly, otherwise I'm not overly careful and haven't had food poisoning. I think the risk is possibly a bit overblown and more something to be aware of for tinies and the elderly.

economatrix

I can keep it cold, though I never really fancy salad in the winter! But I could defo store it cold until I heat it.

joannasephina_2

Just to add to this one..

I'm always packing up leftovers like curry and rice. chilli and rice etc and when cool freezing them. I then take to work and microwave, makes a good, cheap lunch. Been doing this for years and never ever has this affected me

Also I make egg fried rice with leftovers, just mix an egg, pour into hot wok with rice, add peas if wanted.

valk_scot

I hardly ever eat rice that's just been made. I boil it and it's soon as it's cooked I rinse it under the cold tap, let it drip over the cooking pot for ten minutes then put it in a Tupperware box in the fridge. It's an old design of box that has a double pierced layer inside and which lets any excess water drain off the rice. Then I just reheat it in the microwave as I need it, or use for fried rice. I'm happy to keep it for 48 hours this way. If I know I won't use all the rice within that time period, I'll freeze it in portions.

paulwf

To summarise what others have said the problem with rice is the food poisoning bacteria Bacillus cereus found in rice forms spores. Whereas most other foods can be made safe by heating to 70C which kills non spore forming bacteria you need to get to a much higher temperature with rice.

At home if you cook a dish then leave the leftovers to cool and put it in the fridge as soon as possible and eat a day later then the risk is low. However, you have to balance this against the small cost of making a new batch of rice. In a catering environment kitchens are hotter and rice may be left warm for a service lasting several hours. Given that poisoning customers rather than yourself costs more (you won't sue yourself!) and caterers buy rice in bulk, plus risks that may seem insignificant become significant when you serve hundreds of customers a week, in a catering environment it makes sense to chuck it.