Warming up cooked rice

Ruby_Pudding

Good morning all

In an attempt to keep to my menu plan in the run up to Christmas, I cooked a veggie risotto last night for tonight's dinner and tomorrow's packed lunch. Never cooked risotto before so I misjudged just how easy it was to make and I'm sorry I didn't wait and make it tonight now because I'm worried about reheating the rice. The arborio rice absorbed the stock very quickly so I'll need to add another 1/2 pint tonight and cook it for another 10-15 minutes - but am I taking a risk by doing this do you think? We very often cook twice as much as we need and use the leftovers for lunch the next day but I've always been a little wary about doing this with rice. Do you think it will be OK to reheat/finish cooking the risotto tonight and then use the cold leftovers tomorrow lunchtime? (The risotto has been left in a covered pan on the hob btw, I haven't put it in the fridge, if that makes any difference)

Many thanks

RP

beachbeth

I personally would never reheat cooked rice. I once watched a programme about how if you get an upset stomach after having a chinese takeaway the most probable cause would be the rice and not the meat. If rice is not eaten straight away after cooking, once it gets to a certain temperature germs start to grow on it at an alarming rate!

Ruby_Pudding

Mmmmm, that's what I heard too. I'm going to have to throw it out aren't I? !!!!!!, it's full of quorn & organic veg as well......:rolleyes:

CharleneUK

Oh dear, I reheat rice ALL the time!

Ruby_Pudding

Oh, maybe there's hope then....

Pink.

I reheat rice all the time and have never come to any harm, just make sure it's piping hot and don't reheat more than once.

There's a recent post here on reheating rice that might help: Rice

Pink

black-saturn

I'm always reheating rice and I've never had an upset stomach.

lush_walrus

Its not the reheating of rice which will potentially cause a problem, it all comes down to how you have stored it prior to reheating.

If you have kept it in room temperature that is where the problem lies. The longer cooked rice is left in room temperature, the more likely it is that the bacteria found in rice (Bacillus cereus) could stop the rice being safe to eat.

Uncooked rice often has bacterial spores in it. When rice is cooked most bacteria is killed but this type can survive, which as most have been killed during cooking is not a problem. If the rice isnt cooked enough then more survive and you can get very bad food poisoning, if rice is cooked well then most die.

It's best to serve rice when it has just been cooked. If not 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.

Then as with anything reheat only once, and make sure that the whole of the rice is very hot all the way through before eating.

Ruby_Pudding

Right, not taking a chance - will throw the whole lot out and start again. Would rather be safe than sorry, especially just a few days away from Christmas. Thanks for all your advice though