Friday, March 5, 2010

Tip of the Day: Freeze Rice


When I was in college, someone told me that rice freezes beautifully, and that it doesn't go dry and stale nearly as fast as refrigerated rice. I wish I could thank her a hundred times!

Rice was one of the staples that helped us survive working/teaching/studying/pregnancy the first couple years of our marriage. I would cook up a big pot of rice for dinner and freeze the extra in individual portions. Then we could take it with us whenever we had access to a microwave.

Now, my kids love rice. I mean, really love it. Cooking brown rice takes an hour, but I freeze it in bags so we can eat it whenever we want.

To reheat, I open the bag partway and microwave as is. For bigger bags, I stir the rice halfway through cooking time. Don't overheat! The bag can melt.

Four ways to make sure it tastes great:

1. Start with cooked rice that isn't too wet or dry. Rice that is wet can take on a funny texture when frozen.

2. Add a little oil sometime during or after cooking. This also enhances texture.

3. If you find your rice is coming out of the microwave a little dry, just sprinkle a small amount of water on it before reheating.

4. For rice on the go, sprinkle seasoning on individual portion bags of frozen rice and take them with you. We love lemon pepper or seasoning salt on rice.

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