Can I bulk cook/freeze rice and pasta?

Larumbelle

This thread had been dormant TWO YEARS before cgallegos had to resurrect it! Yet he/she/it felt the need to to register just to tell us that he/she/it disagreed and... hang on, they feel entitled to laugh at us... because?

:wall:

Anyhoos, the toxin in question is bacillus cereus. It doesn't cause nearly as much food poisoning as people think, but the risk it poses is enhanced in a way because it's not an obvious source of food poisoning. Everyone knows to take care when they handle a chicken, not every body considers safe storage of cooked rice. Plus it can withstand bigger temperature range than most food borne bacteria. It isn't in all rice - only a small fraction really - but as there's no way of knowing, treat it all as if it's got the toxin. The toxic bit is an excretion from the bacteria, which doesn;t happen until the rice is cooked. The danger is letting cooked rice sit for any length of time in the temperature range the bacteria thrives in - so cooling down, reheating, or storing, it doesn't really matter what you're doing with it if it's in that temperature range.

Once cooked, the golden rule is either to

KEEP IT HOT at OVER 60oC

or

KEEP IT COOL at BELOW 4oC

The posters who say to cool it quickly (and keep it cool) are absolutely correct. You keep laughing, cgallegos, and I'll keep storing my food correctly...

wannabeasupersaver

Hi, probably been asked before but can you freeze left over rice/ pasta mixed in with a bol or chilli sauce that was made to keep as an extra meal for a lunch time etc? Ive frozen the sauce before but never the pasta/ rice.

Thanks

jpscloud

Yes for sure - the pasta and rice will probably be softer but I've successfully frozen many leftovers with pasta and rice.

abwsco

I do:) or should I say did as my chickens get any leftovers now.

Pink.

Hi wannabeasupersaver,

Yes you can freeze both. I find pasta can be a bit soggy once defrosted but as long as both are chilled quickly and then completely defrosted and reheated until piping hot you shouldn't have any problems. There is more advice on these threads that may help:

Freezing rice?

Can you freeze cooked pasta?

Can I bulk cook/freeze rice and pasta?

I'll add your thread to the last link later to keep the replies together.

Pink

wannabeasupersaver

Thanks to all

meritaten

Of course you can! if in any doubt about freezing meals - just think of the ready meals in the freezer section of the supermarket!