We quite often get people to answer the question, “What is their favorite dish?” Of course, there is a wide range of answers, and rice had to top it all. I don’t know why many people love rice, but to me, it is barely a snack. Yes, just a meal. However, one clear answer from the variety of responses was that rice is an all-time favorite food for a lot of people.
Many prefer hot rice to a cold one. But what happens when the rice gets too cold? It is not that safe consuming that raw rice as it may have got contaminated, especially if cooked at high temperatures. Reheating rice becomes the only possible solution to have your rice as hot as it was before. No one would love risking their lives food poisoning due to contaminated rice.
3 Ways of Reheating Your Frozen Rice
Using a microwave
- Put your rice into a container; it can be pottery, china, glass, some types of plastic, and paper vessels. You can use only a few glass-ceramic dishes in the oven.
- Add a little bit of water, and if you want, you may also dribble olive oil or few dollops of butter to get the flavor and avoid sticking.
- Place your rice in the oven and heat for about 5 minutes or until it is perfectly heated.
- Finally, you can remove your rice and serve it while hot.
Such as in the case with many things, microwaves have benefits and drawbacks. On the bright side, microwave reheating usually takes a shorter time. This duration can be essential, considering the busy schedules of people nowadays. The microwave heats rice without giving it a leftover taste.
Moreover, reheating with a microwave proves to be energy-efficient. Microwave saves more energy (up to 80%) than a conventional oven. To the ones who tend to get a bit lazy, a microwave is much easier to clean than a traditional oven. It seems to save on your energy too.
A negative aspect is the production of radiation from a microwave, which contributes to the creation of carcinogens. Besides, a microwave does not allow the rice to heat evenly hence creating a possibility of any bacteria present to survive in the rice.
Using a stovetop
- Put your rice in a frying pan or saucepan and heat over mid-high heat. You may use any size pan as long as it holds your rice perfectly.
- Add a small portion of water (1/4 cup is enough) as per the amount of your rice. As the pan continues heating from the stovetop, you may add small amounts of water to your rice if it happens to be drying out.
- Add a spatter of olive oil or butter. It helps to retain moisture in the rice and to revive its flavor. It also prevents the rice from sticking to your pan.
- Separate any large lumps of rice using a fork and then continue stirring your rice for about 10 minutes until it gets warm.
- Put a cover on the pan with a lid and allow it to warm. It helps the rice to heat faster.
This method is super convenient as it is pretty fast and retains the moisture in the rice. No radiation produced!
Using an oven
- Place your rice on a tray or a shallow baking dish in a diffused manner.
- Add a small amount of water as per your rice portion.
- Add a splash of olive oil or butter to retain moisture similar to reheating rice on a stovetop.
- Separate large clumps of rice using a fork. When spread evenly on the tray, it will heat the rice at the same pace.
- Cover the rice using an aluminum foil or close-fitting lid.
- Bake it at a temperature of 300° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
Vital Considerations When Reheating Rice in Microwave Oven
Cover your rice with a paper towel or napkin to aid in heat retention and absorption of excess moisture. Make sure not to use synthetic fibers, for instance, nylon, as it easily flames up. One should be mindful of this safety precaution.
While using an aluminum foil to wrap your rice, do not allow the foil to be in contact with the metal parts of the microwave since it could cause lightning-like sparks, which could lead to an explosion. I surely bet no one wants to have a death wish!
Never use a metal pan in a microwave to reheat your rice. Microwaves produced are reflected off of the metal and could rebound to and fro between the microwave walls and the pan and cause harmful damage to your microwave and spoil your rice.
When using plastic cooking bags, avoid twist ties which contain metal wires. Instead, use a small strip of the plastic from the open end of the cooking bag. Knot the cooking bag loosely with the plastic piece to allow steam to escape.
In Summary How to Reheat Rice
Never again eat that cold rice. Follow the above simple steps to have your rice hot quickly. It is because it turns out that chilly rice can pose a risk of food poisoning due to inactive bacteria.
Ever wonder the cause of the bacteria? It is pretty simple. Cooking rice in water causes it to expand due to the soaking of water. Since bacteria grow in moist foods, well, no happy time for them to pave their way to your rice. Nevertheless, you can avoid bacteria thriving in your rice by storing it at cold temperatures as soon as possible. If left at room temperature is when bacteria growth is rapid, so have your leftover rice in the fridge within one or two hours for not more than a day. When reheating rice after that, ensure it is steaming hot all the way through.
A bonus would be not to reheat your rice more than once.
