Soaking rice before cooking is a common method of preparation. So it is good to know just how long you can soak rice. When storing it in the fridge the time can be extended. Here is what you need to know about soaking rice.
Although it not recommended to store wet rice for very long before cooking. You should store rice dry and cook it soon as possible to avoid bacteria growth.
Storing it in the fridge can be done, but I wouldn’t do it all the time. Say you might have soaked the rice and then had to halt your cooking for a later time. The fridge is going to be the best option.
How Long Can You Keep Soaked Rice In Fridge?
First drain the rice of any water. Then rice should be sealed in a plastic bag or airtight container. Uncooked rice that has already been soaked can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Any longer and the rice can start to become too mushy. This does depend on the type of rice. Here is more information on pre-soaking and what to know about rice preparation.
You may also be interest in:
Can I Keep Soaked Rice In The Fridge?
There can be two steps to follow when preparing rice. The first is the soaking step. Here you want to keep rice in a container with water and let it soak for up to 24 hours.
This can be done at room temperature for the entire time. Afterward you should drain the rice and cook as soon as possible.
When you are done soaking and you have to wait longer than expected to cook rice. Maybe something suddenly comes up that you need to store the soaked rice.
You can keep the rice in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just make sure to seal the rice in a container or bag. A bowl with plastic seal wrap will work as well.
What Happens If You Soak Rice Too Long?
Rice can be soaked in pure water for up to 48 hours at the most. Longer than 24 hours and the rice isn’t going to absorb much more water.
A good tip to keep in mind is changing the water out while soaking. You can do this as the water becomes cloudy. Doing so is like washing the rice as it soaks.
You can also wash/rinse rice before you soak it. That way you might not need to change the water. Changing the water frequently will help the rice from sticking together as it soaks up water.
Change water once before storing it over night, but if you want to do it more often. Then change it out every three hours during the day or until the water remains clear.
There is such thing as soaking rice for too long. The problem that could arise is the rice begins to ferment. At this point the rice will too mushy and your recipe won’t be right.
Does Soaked Rice Go Bad?
Soaked rice can go bad depending on the climate it is kept in. That is soaked rice that has been drained first.
Wet rice stored at room temperature can go bad within a few hours. Especially in hotter and more humid climates.
When rice is dry it can be stored for long periods of time. As any bacteria is not going to grow on dry rice. Wet rice is more vulnerable to bacteria.
The scary thing about rice is the common “fried rice syndrome” which refers to rice food poisoning. What makes it bad is that the bacteria that cause this actually live on uncooked rice.
So a batch of rice can be contaminated without anyone knowing. Cooking kills the bacteria but leaves the toxins on the rice.
To avoid this store leftover rice in refrigerator as soon as it cools down. The best way to avoid rice food poisoning is to not eat leftover rice.
How Can You Tell If Rice Is Spoiled?
You may wonder if your rice has spoiled or is just dirty. Uncooked rice may contain mold or even insects.
The same goes with cooked rice. One of the best ways to tell it has spoiled is to smell the rice. Spoiled rice will have a foul or funny smell to it. Meaning it may have started to ferment slightly.
Also cooked rice is a haven for bacteria to grow. Rice can pick up and absorb bacteria from other foods within the rice. Vegetables made with rice may not last very long. Causing the rice and meal to start to go bad.
Benefits of Soaking Rice
Different types of rice may require longer periods of soaking. Like germinated rice for example needs to be in water for up to 4 days. Until the rice has sprouted.
Also you don’t need to soak white rice as long as brown.
The main benefit of soaking rice is that it will help to speed up the cooking process. Rice will need to absorb water before it can begin to cook. Soaking rice adds time but it will reduce the overall boiling time.
Soaking rice has been shown to reduce arsenic levels in rice. Which it picks up from the soil. Just make sure to drain the water and rinse the rice one more time.
That is a valid point, I agree that would be a greater benefit for sure. I also did read about that while researching this topic, then forgot to include it in the post.
“The main benefit of soaking rice is that it will help to speed up the cooking process.”
No, not really. The MAIN benefit of soaking rice is to reduce the concentration of dangerous poisonous arsenic the rice has absorbed from the soil it was grown in. Slightly making cooking it more convenient/faster is definitely a smaller secondary benefit compared to not getting cancer later.