Freezing rice in 5 steps

People tend to get their knickers in a twist when it comes to storing cooked rice. Not because it’s hard to do, but because we worry that it’s not safe.

True, rice is more tricky than some leftover foods as it has unique bacteria which may survive some cooking processes. However, follow these simple steps and you won’t need to worry.

  1. Cool it

So, you’ve cooked your rice, now you need to cool it down. Quickly. You can do this by putting the container of rice in cold water or spreading it across a wider container.

2. Store it

Next, transfer the rice into the clean container you wish to freeze it in. It will need to be sealed to avoid freezer burn. I’ve gone to great lengths to cook this rice and I don’t want to be burning it now.

3. Date it

Before you pop it in the freezer, you’ll want to note how many portions are in the container and the date it was cooked and frozen – this should be the same day. Your future self will thank you for this.

Let’s fast forward to the time you want to eat the rice…

4. Defrost it

Place the rice in the fridge overnight to defrost it.

5. Reheat it

Now for the fun part, cooking the rice. You can do this in a number of ways, but the one golden rule is to get the reheated rice really hot. Well over 72°C.

You can do this in the microwave. Open the storage container and remove the lid. For each cup of rice, add 1–2 tablespoons of water. Place the lid lightly back on top and heat for 3–4 minutes. Don’t have a microwave? You can reheat on the hob, see below.

To stir-fry leftover rice

Place the rice in a wok or sauté pan with your choice of oil.

Turn the stove to medium heat, stirring the rice continuously. Make sure to break up the clumps of rice. Stir continuously to cover the rice evenly in oil.

Use a thermometer to make sure internal temperature is at least 72°C.

To steam leftover rice

Place the rice in a saucepan with 1–2 tablespoons of butter or oil.

Add 1–2 tablespoons of water for each portion of rice and bring to a simmer. Keep the lid on the saucepan.

Stir occasionally. Once the water has boiled off, check that the internal temperature is above 72°C.

Serve immediately if piping hot.

Remember

  • It is safe to eat the rice cold as long as it has been cooled quickly and stored in the fridge for no more than one day after cooking or defrosting.

  • Do not reheat rice more than once.

  • Have a nice rice time.

Food savvy tip

If cooking every night isn’t your thang, then get to grips with cooking ahead of time. Check out our 10 tips to make meal prep easy.

Hungry for more?

We’ve got plenty of pumpkin recipes to help you use up all the different bits, from a traditional pumpkin soup and roasted seeds for snacks, to a more adventurous coconut pumpkin cake, and even pumpkin kimchi! Sweet or savoury, we just want to see them eaten.