Can you freeze risotto?

MrsTinks

Is it possible to freeze cooked risotto? I am cooking it for dinner, but I need to know if it's possible to freeze it before I do my OS thing and batch cook enough to feed a small army

Psykicpup

I'd be interested to know this too as I love Rissoto -if you can could you also freeze Paella?

Penelope_Penguin

I've frozen risotto, with no issues.

HTH, Penny. x

TKP_3

I always make too much risotto and freeze it. It freezes well.

Firehorse

I also have frozen rice etc with no probs. Just looked up in Good Housekeeping Cookbook (good old reliable) and here's what it says.

"Cooked rice can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 1 week (not
sure I'd leave it that long) or frozen for up to 6 months. To reheat,
either put it in a pan with a little water, steam in a colander over boiling
water or place in a tightly covered greased dish in the oven."

I've also reheated mine in the microwave. Wet the hand, shake off the excess onto the rice, cover and reheat.

Hope this helps.

cantstopshopping

Hello,

I was hoping someone could help me...

is it ok to freeze cooked risotto? And if so is it ok to freeze it today, if i cooked it on Monday evening. It is vegetarian if that makes any difference, but could you freeze it with chicken too as that would be really handy as i could batch cook it!

Also, if you defrost meat is it safe to refreeze it? say for example i buy some mince because it is reduced I often freeze it straight away before i get a chance to cook a few seperate meals and then freeze it!

Thanks!!

newlywed

I'm never sure about freezing rice to be honest - others will be able to advise.

But for freezing meat - if you've frozen and defrosted it - then you need to cook it before freezing again. After you've cooked it, it's fine to freeze it again. Just make sure you defrost and reheat it thoroughly when you want to serve it.

I do this all the time - freeze mince, defrost, make shep pie or lasagna and freeze that

Skint_Catt

It's the old can you can't you freeze and reheat rice debate. Personally I wouldn't but it's personal preference.

Meat must be cooked before you RE-freeze it. It's ok to freeze it from frozen/ambient supermarket shopping, but once thawed at home it must be cooked before re-freezing.

Catt xx

cantstopshopping

oh thankyou!

well i will freeze the risotto and then try it and see. is it just a taste thing that causes debate or if its safe?

Thats great to know about the meat, it makes it much easier for me if i can do that as then i can do all my cooking in one go and freeze portion sizes. but yet i can still buy reduced bargains!

Is it terrible to eat meat thats been refrozen? I have some sausages that ended up being refrozen. is it best for me to throw them away?

newlywed

With rice it's a bacteria in it that can make you really ill (food poisoning). But it's apparently worse if you leave it at room temperature and don't reheat properly - eg it's warm rice that's worst. If it's been put away into the fridge/freezer quickly it should be ok. Which is why it's a debate, some won't take the risk.

See food standards agency link http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/keepingfoodsafe/asksamcooking/

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.

I won't eat meat that's raw and been frozen twice - I will always cook it before refreezing - again, it's a food poisoning risk. http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/keepingfoodsafe/asksamstoringpreparing/#A410633