How To Store Cooked Rice So It Last Longer

If you were to cook rice at home, does your rice gets spoilt really quickly? Why does this happen though? For instance, rice that is cooked in the morning has already started to smell and become slimy as it reaches the evening.

There are many factors that can cause cooked rice to go bad and some of them include its temperature, the rice cooker/pot that is not clean or even the quality of the rice itself.

So what can be done to ensure that the cooked rice can last longer and does not go rancid too quickly? Here we would like to share some tips with you on how to store cooked rice properly.

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Signs of Spoilt Rice

There are a few signs that can be seen to show that the rice you have cooked has gone bad and cannot be eaten.

Mushy and slimy rice texture. The rice easily disintegrates if touched.
The rice exhibit a strong smelly odor, unlike rice that has just been cooked.
The rice is too dry and hard. This can happen to rice that has been kept in the refrigerator for too long.
Rice changes color to become slightly yellow.

Tips To Avoid Rancid Rice

Rice can easily go rancid for several factors as stated previously. Due to that, the tips shared here will involve all the processes before and after the rice is cooked.

Some of the tips include:

1. Wash The Rice Pot/Cooker Properly

Sometimes, the pot itself can be the main reason why the rice goes bad so quickly. This might be due to the bacterial factor contained in the remnants of rice cooked previously that still stick to the pot.

Some of the methods that are mostly shared to clean the rice pot will be the use of dried garcinia. The method is as follows:

Wash the cooking pot as usual by using dish soap. Then wash it off clean with water.
After that, pour 3 hands of course salt with dried garcinia, and add some water afterward.
Rub the pot with the mixture of salt and dried garcinia using your hands,
Leave it for around 15 minutes.
Repeat the steps above 3 or 4 times.
Wash the pot using soap again and wash it off
Fill the pot with water to boil for at least 15 minutes.
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2. Wash The Rice Numerous Times

Rice that is not washed properly can also reduce its shelf life. It is best to wash them at least 3 times or until the color of the water is not murky.

By doing this the rice will last much longer than usual. Not just that but the rice will also be much healthier since the excess starch has been removed before cooking.

After the rice has been washed, cook the rice with filtered water to extend its shelf life.

3. Release The Steam After The Rice Is Cooked

If you use an electric rice cooker or an automatic one, be sure to open the cooker and let the steam out.

This is done so that the steam from the rice is not accumulated in the cooker causing water to drip onto the rice. If this happens, it will be the potential of making the rice smells and become slimy.

You can also loosen the rice when the lid has been opened so that the rice does not clump up together when it's cold.

4. Heat The Inside Pot With Fire

There may be times when you forgot to wash the pot and left the remaining rice inside to become moldy and smelly.

At this time, the fungus and bacteria have thrived inside your pan. So do not be surprised if your pot still smells despite washing it off many times. Do take note that some bacteria are hard to remove simply by using dish soap.

Because of that you can try and use this other method to kill the bacteria. Put your pot upside down and heat the inside of the pot with fire. Let it sit for a few minutes so that the fire can kill the bacteria thoroughly.

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In A Nutshell

Now that you've known the cause of why your rice goes bad pretty quickly and perhaps these tips might come to good use for you in the future when you decide to cook some rice at home.

This will also prevent you from getting unnecessary food poisoning from consuming contaminated food.

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