Frozen rice

[ojisan]

Considering the expense and the ease of doing it yourself, I wouldn't consider buying pre-cooked frozen rice any more than:

- frozen baked potatoes

- frozen spaghetti noodles

- frozen scrambled eggs

[JAZ]

Considering the expense and the ease of doing it yourself, I wouldn't consider buying pre-cooked frozen rice any more than:

- frozen baked potatoes

- frozen spaghetti noodles

- frozen scrambled eggs

I think there's a big difference between rice and these items: none of them freeze well, whereas rice does.

[Chris Hennes]

It doesn't matter, there's no way for any of us to generalize the value proposition of this stuff. It saves some amount of time no matter how you slice it: whether that is "worth it" is a completely individual evaluation. The only thing we can say is that the cost per serving increase by X, and the amount of time saved is Y.

[David A. Goldfarb]

If the time saved is inactive time, it's harder to distinguish. As I see it, no time is saved. It takes a couple of minutes to set up rice in the rice cooker or to get something out of the freezer and microwave it.

There's also a question of the broader impact of using a more extensively packaged product and shipping it cooked. In general, I avoid most such products.

[Chris Hennes]

With no rice-cooker the time calculus is very different for me, obviously. The point about the packaging and shipping is a good one.

[Lisa Shock]

I am currently paying $9 for 20 pound bags of Jasmine rice at the Asian market. I can get a 4pack of BPA-free plastic storage containers in a 12 oz size at the supermarket for about $2.60. Cost of water and salt are negligible. So, my cost is less than a dollar for one of those 12oz (by volume) containers, and I can reuse the container for a few years. Making extra rice when I am already going to make rice anyway takes a few seconds of extra effort in terms of scooping and waiting for a measuring cup to fill with water, and, maybe, washing a larger sized pot.

[Chris Hennes]

For me, I find that the big difference in time is waiting for the water to come to a boil on high heat, which I don't find I can just walk away from (boils over every time!).

[heidih]

I am perfectly capable of cooking rice either in a saucepan or in a dedicated cooker. I also understand that it freezes well - did that for many years when rice was frequently on the family menu. Perhaps it boils down to personal needs and as noted the cost/benefit analysis. I do not eat much rice now, though I love good rice. I will admit to feeling like an idiot when I buy the shelf stable cooked rice at the Korean market and cringe a bit at the checkout thinking judgement is taking place - but they have an entire end-cap devoted to it, the market is almost solely frequently by Koreans, so...perhaps it is the bachelors that also buy the cases of Korean packaged ramen. This is good stuff. I do not have any in the pantry so not sure of the cost but a think a 3-pack is about $3.50 and each bowl contains probably a cup of rice.

On the other hand I know many people who are trying to eat more healthily and use brown rice, but they end up with wallpaper paste when they try to cook it, or they can cook it but it takes too long. These are not usually folks who plan ahead. To them, the pre-cooked frozen stuff tips the balance between eating brown rice or not.

[Fat Guy]

It doesn't matter, there's no way for any of us to generalize the value proposition of this stuff. It saves some amount of time no matter how you slice it: whether that is "worth it" is a completely individual evaluation. The only thing we can say is that the cost per serving increase by X, and the amount of time saved is Y.

Unless one tastes better than the other, in which case there is another variable in play.

[Lisa Shock]

Well, if you make it yourself you can control the salt levels.

Also, at my house we eat a lot of different rices, so, my frozen rice selection includes red cargo rice (my favorite brown rice), brown super-short grain sushi type rice, white imperial-grade sushi rice, white jasmine, brown jasmine, and black short grain rice. TJ's doesn't have all of these types. Also, I toss in a hunk of kombu, or occasionally a lump of ginger root, when I make the sushi rice types for added flavor.

[Fat Guy]

Yes, making your own rice definitely allows for greater control. I also have been known to do a blend of brown jasmine and red cargo rice -- an idea I got from a neighborhood Chinese restaurant but that is not all that different from some of the Lundberg blend ideas.

But, I have a question: those of you who make brown rice in a rice cooker: How long does it actually take you from start to finish? While 45 minutes is the stovetop simmering time for many types, that's from the time it comes to the boil. And I generally let rice sit for 10 minutes when it's done. I can't make brown rice in less than an hour on the stovetop and my Zojirushi "fuzzy logic" rice cooker's brown-rice cycle takes more like 90+ minutes. True, most of that is not active time, but it does mean I need to make the decision 60-90+ minutes ahead of mealtime. Which is fine for days when I'm home anyway, but not very good for days when I'm not -- or for normal days for a lot of people with jobs who need to get dinner on the table in a lot less than an hour after arriving home. For those people, frozen makes sense -- whether it's self-frozen or purchased-frozen.

[Will]

But, I have a question: those of you who make brown rice in a rice cooker: How long does it actually take you from start to finish? While 45 minutes is the stovetop simmering time for many types, that's from the time it comes to the boil. And I generally let rice sit for 10 minutes when it's done. I can't make brown rice in less than an hour on the stovetop and my Zojirushi "fuzzy logic" rice cooker's brown-rice cycle takes more like 90+ minutes. True, most of that is not active time, but it does mean I need to make the decision 60-90+ minutes ahead of mealtime. Which is fine for days when I'm home anyway, but not very good for days when I'm not -- or for normal days for a lot of people with jobs who need to get dinner on the table in a lot less than an hour after arriving home.

My rice cooker (a Sanyo) probably takes about 90 minutes or more, though I haven't timed it. I haven't done brown rice stovetop for quite a while, but I would think that would take more than 45 minutes, depending on the type of rice.

That's what makes the timer feature so useful. Granted, you have to plan ahead enough to remember in the morning and rinse it / set the timer, but you just set the time you want it done, and it's ready right on time. But it's another reason to keep a reserve of leftovers in the freezer in case of "emergency". The extra soaking time is supposed to help a bit in terms of the rice, even if it's not warm enough (or for long enough time) to germinate the rice (if you have a cooker with a GABA mode, so much the better - you can make productive use of that soaking time, and the higher temperature while it's germinating should prevent the growth of anything nasty).

I have tried the Trader Joes frozen brown rice... a long time ago. If memory serves, maybe a little dry for my taste, but not bad. Definitely better than some of the results I've seen from stovetop-cooked brown rice. I like the Kokuho Rose organic short-grain brown rice pretty well, though it's expensive. Korean markets usually have good price:quality ratio for rice.

Edited September 5, 2011 by Will (log)

[threestars]

I never tried freezing rice ever since. How do you do it? You just put the rice in a sealed container and put it directly in the freezer? I will try it next time we have some left over and see what will I get.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Depends on the type of rice and how much, and I haven't timed it exactly, but I'd say 4 rice-maker measures of brown rice takes around 45 minutes in our ten-cup simple rice cooker, which can only claim the iron-clad logic of "on," "warm," and "unplugged."

[Lisa Shock]

I never tried freezing rice ever since. How do you do it? You just put the rice in a sealed container and put it directly in the freezer? I will try it next time we have some left over and see what will I get.

Yes, just put it in a container and freeze. I own a FoodSaver vacuum sealer, but do not use it for rice because it tends to crush it. And, if you don't seal at full vacuum, you have the same freezer burn issues as not sealing it and are, IMO, wasting a bag when a reusable storage container would work as well. Also, if you look for square/rectangular shaped containers, you can pack the freezer pretty efficiently.

[mgaretz]

I never tried freezing rice ever since. How do you do it? You just put the rice in a sealed container and put it directly in the freezer? I will try it next time we have some left over and see what will I get.

Yes, just put it in a container and freeze. I own a FoodSaver vacuum sealer, but do not use it for rice because it tends to crush it. And, if you don't seal at full vacuum, you have the same freezer burn issues as not sealing it and are, IMO, wasting a bag when a reusable storage container would work as well. Also, if you look for square/rectangular shaped containers, you can pack the freezer pretty efficiently.

I haven't found the FoodSaver will crush the rice - it looks like it does, but upon reheating it's fine.

[threestars]

Lisa Shock - thanks for the tip! Will try it out next time. I hope FoodSaver will do well.

[Will]

I never tried freezing rice ever since. How do you do it? You just put the rice in a sealed container and put it directly in the freezer? I will try it next time we have some left over and see what will I get.

Our "hamster" method is, take a sheet of (microwave-safe) plastic wrap, square or rectangular, put warm rice in the middle, fold two sides of the plastic wrap in, then fold the other two sides in.

Later, just nuke it straight out of the freezer. You can size the hamsters so that you end up with however many servings of rice you want.

[Arey]

Since I'm only cooking for one, when I make rice I use 13 3/4 ounces liquid, 6 1/2 ounces white long grain rice, and have enough for that nights meal plus three 1 cup servings frozen in freezer containers for later. Right now I have saffron rice, rice with peas and mushrooms, and plain rice in the freezer section of my refrigerator. Eventually I'll make rice pilaf with parsley and pine nuts, and curried rice and freeze some.

The only drawback to doing this is the amount of time I spend rubbing the outside of the container with mineral oil to get the residue from the label off.