When you think about food safety, you probably think of rules for working with raw meat, poultry or eggs. You probably don't automatically think of rice --- but you should. Rice can be dangerous. While dry rice is not known for carrying dangerous microbes -- microbes which, like all living things, require water to survive -- you can get hurt making any type of rice. Reduce your risk with proper rice cooking, cooling and reheating methods.
Safe Cooking
The safest method to cook rice is to use a rice cooker. With a rice cooker, you simply add rice and water, close the device and push a button. Since almost all models have cool-touch sides, you won't have to worry about burns or fire risk. A 2007 issue of "Cook's Illustrated" magazine recommends a single-piece cooker, meaning a unit with the lid attached via a hinge rather than one that comes with a separate glass lid. Not only do these make better rice, you won't have to worry about burning yourself on the glass lid or accidentally breaking it.
Safe Cooling
Because of the unique properties of rice starch, rice, especially long-grain rice, will clump together as it cools, reports Food Network star chef Alton Brown. That, however, doesn't mean you need to risk burning your hands on hot rice. To cool rice safely, wait until it cools enough for you to touch safely but has not yet fallen to room temperature. Then, line a sheet pan with parchment or wax paper and spread the rice on it, using spoon to break up any clumps. When the rice has cooled thoroughly, transfer it to zip-top bags.
Safe Reheating
You'll need to reheat long-grain rice before you eat it because, even with the protection of cooling on a sheet pan, it will usually turn hard in the refrigerator. To reheat rice safely, stay away from the stove. Instead, put the rice in a microwave-safe bowl, add 1 to 2 tbsp. of water, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a microwave-safe plate and cook on high until the rice steams. Open the bowl away from you so that steam will not burn you.
Other Considerations
There's more to rice than fluffy long-grain side dishes. Some rice dishes, such as rice pilafs, call for oil, while other dishes, like fried rice, call for eggs. When making these dishes, observe additional safety procedures. Use a splatter screen when cooking rice in oil; the screen prevents oil droplets from hitting your skin and causing burns. When working with eggs, use only fresh eggs that have been properly refrigerated. The USDA recommends getting all leftovers, no matter what kind of food they are, into your fridge within two hours of cooking.
References
- "Cook's Illustrated"; Rice Cookers; October 2007
- "I'm Just Here for the Food"; Alton Brown; 2002
- USDA : Common Food Safety Questions
Member Comments