Fresh rice is delicious. Leftover rice–not so much. I can never get it reheated so it has a decent texture. The fresh rice is light and fluffy, but the reheated rice is hard and chewy. Are there any tricks for how to store and reheat rice so that it’s at least close to when it was freshly made?
I freeze it and re-heat in the microwave. It comes out fine. Don’t let it dry out, and if it does, add some water before you nuke it. It doesn’t take much.
Do not store it in a cardboard container (like what it comes in for take-out). I use tightly sealed plastic containers.
I find rice reheats well in a double boiler. I doubt it can ever be as good as freshly cooked. After the initial cooking fluff and toss it with a fork and so excess water has a chance to evaporate. Fluff it again before reheating. Expect the texture to change no matter what.
I also microwave it, covered, and add water if it’s a little dry to create steam. On the advice of a family member I put it in the fridge soon after cooking as apparently rice goes bad fairly quickly. You could try frying with egg but that won’t add much moisture.
Third reheating the rice in the microwave. And as said, only add a very little water. Like you put your hand under the faucet, catch a little water and sprinkle on top. Repeat that maybe twice. Just that little water (for perhaps four ounces of cooked rice).
I don’t think you can ever resurrect it to that just cooked rice flavor, texture.
Better to incorporate it into dishes that call for cooked rice.
No, reheated rice won’t be the same, but it will be good enough for situations like lunch at work the next day, when you can’t make fresh rice.
I refuse to cook one serving of rice–so I usually freeze some immediately. In freezer bags–that don’t stay in the freezer long.
And I don’t thaw rice to serve “plain.” Cook onions (garlic? shallots?) in a bit of oil, add veg, meat, whatever. Then toss in some thawed rice. There’s a quick supper.
I guess I’m weird. I actually like when the top layer of rice is slightly dried out mixed in with the bottom layer of rice that is still moist. It makes for an interesting texture to me.
It’s never quite as good, but pretty darn close. And yeah, I never eat it “American style”-- that is, as a stand alone thing. Always with something else on top. Always.
In ancient times before the microwave, my grandmother would reheat rice by steaming it. Put it in a sieve or collander over a pot of boiling water.
I mis-read the title as “ice”. 