[How long does it last? ] How to freeze cooked rice and how long it can be stored

What do you do with leftover cooked rice?

It's nutritious and delicious, so many people make a lot of it, but the drawback is that it goes bad faster than white rice.

If you don't plan to eat it right away, we recommend freezing it.

Frozen food can be eaten immediately after defrosting, so it's convenient when you're hungry or short on time.

So this time, we will explain how to freeze and thaw cooked rice, and the key points to make it delicious.

In addition, we will also introduce recipes that transform frozen foods into delicious dishes and recipes for cooked rice.

How to freeze cooked rice and precautions

How to freeze cooked rice

1) Once the rice is cooked, stir and wrap each serving in plastic wrap while still hot.

Remove as much air as possible and wrap it flat and thin.
2) Remove from heat while wrapped in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container such as a Ziploc bag without overlapping each other to remove air.

3) Place a metal bat or aluminum foil with good heat conductivity to cool down the food as quickly as possible and store it in the freezer.

You can keep frozen food deliciously by lowering the temperature setting of the freezer, using rapid freezer, and refraining from opening and closing the refrigerator as much as possible.

Precautions when freezing

1.Wrap in plastic wrap while hot
By enveloping the freshly cooked steam, it prevents it from drying out and gives it a fluffy finish when thawed.

2. Let the air out
Both when wrapping in plastic wrap and when placing in a ziplock bag, air is blocked in a double layer to prevent odor transfer and freezer burn.

However, be careful not to crush the rice.

3. Be careful with konnyaku
Konnyaku has a high water content, and when frozen, it becomes rubbery in texture.

If it is in cooked rice, remove it and freeze it, or chop the konjac into small pieces before cooking.

Many commercially available ingredients have very small ingredients, but if you are concerned about the texture, choose one that does not contain konnyaku.

4. Refrigerate while still fresh
Although freezing can extend the shelf life, do not freeze food that has been refrigerated for many days or left at room temperature for many hours.

The best thing to do is to freeze the cooked food while still hot.

If you want to freeze leftovers, put them in the refrigerator as soon as they cool down and freeze what you can't eat that day.

Storage period of cooked rice

If stored at room temperature, please consume within the same day; if stored in the refrigerator, please consume within 2 to 3 days.

If frozen, it can be stored for about a month.

However, depending on the ingredients and the season, it may start to go bad sooner than that, so please check before eating.

Do not eat food that is stringy, has a strange odor, is watery, yellow, or is dry as it is likely rotten.

If it contains seafood, it will spoil easily, so even if you keep it frozen, try to eat it within two weeks.

Even if you keep it frozen, it will gradually deteriorate, so please try to get it as soon as possible.

If the food has deteriorated, you can make it taste better by making some changes based on the arrangement recipe.

Tips for cooking delicious takikomi rice

1. Absorb water with fresh water
When making rice absorb water, use fresh water rather than seasoned water, which may be troublesome.

Soak the polished rice in fresh water to absorb enough water, drain it in a colander, and season it.

2. Pay attention to water content
Adjust the amount of water after adding the seasoning water.

When using a commercially available base, first add only the rice and water and adjust the water level.

However, if there are instructions on how to make the product you purchased, please follow them.

3. Taste
Add seasonings, adjust water level, stir, and taste.

It's difficult to adjust the taste after the rice is cooked, so make sure it's seasoned just right at this point.

4. Place the ingredients on top
If you mix the ingredients with the rice and cook it, the heat won't circulate properly, leaving a core in the rice and preventing it from being fluffy and delicious.

Mix the seasonings and water with the rice, then add only the ingredients on top of the rice.

5. Start cooking immediately after adding seasonings.
If you leave it out after adding seasonings, it may spoil.

Also, the seasoning may settle and the seasoning may be uneven.

Add the seasonings, mix well, add the ingredients, and then press the switch immediately.

6.Do not keep warm
Once the rice is cooked, turn off the rice cooker and immediately mix the ingredients from below so that they are evenly distributed.

Cooked rice has a high moisture content and is easily perishable, so please do not use your rice cooker's keep warm function to store it.

We recommend 3 ways to eat it: eat it while it's warm, let it cool, then transfer it to a container and store it in the refrigerator, or freeze it.

How to defrost cooked rice

Thaw frozen cooked rice in the microwave.

Natural defrosting is not recommended as there is a high chance of spoilage and the texture will become dry.

To thaw it properly, take it out of the airtight container and heat it at 600W for about 3 minutes while still wrapped in plastic wrap.

Transfer it to a bowl and loosen it, then wrap it loosely and heat it again at 600W for 1 to 2 minutes, keeping an eye on it.

When you stir it at the end, the steam circulates and it becomes delicious.

Arrangement recipe for frozen cooked rice

Save time with frozen cooked rice! What the heck is fried rice?

☑〈材料2人分〉
・冷凍炊き込みごはん　2人分
・ニンニク（チューブ）　2㎝
・ごま油　大さじ2
・卵　1個
・塩　ひとつまみ
・わけぎ　お好みで

<How to make>
1) Thaw frozen cooked rice, remove from heat, and mix with beaten egg.
2) Once the frying pan is heated, add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and add the garlic.
3) Add 1) and stir-fry. When the mixture is completely cooked, add salt and stir-fry further.
4) Just before turning off the heat, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over the surface of the pot and sprinkle with the chopped spring onion, and it's done.

If you want to add more ingredients, add them together with garlic and stir-fry. In that case, add soy sauce or pepper when adding salt to adjust the taste.

Frozen cooked rice is delicious! Nutritious grilled rice balls

☑〈材料〉
・冷凍炊き込みご飯　好きなだけ
・ごま油　適量
・醤油　お好みで

<How to make>
1) Thaw the frozen cooked rice and make it into rice balls.
At this time, if you don't grip it too well, it will fall apart, so if you hold it while it's warm and then try to hold it again after it cools down, it won't fall apart easily.
2) Heat a thin layer of sesame oil in a frying pan, arrange the rice balls and fry until browned.
3) Brush with soy sauce if you like, bake some more, and it's done.
You can do without soy sauce, and it will also be delicious with miso or mentsuyu.

Transform your cooked rice! Japanese style doria

☑〈材料1人分〉
・冷凍炊き込みご飯　1人分
・バター（マーガリンでも可）　適量
・マヨネーズ　適量
・とろけるチーズ　お好みで

<How to make>
1) Preheat the toaster and thaw the frozen cooked rice.
2) Grease a heat-resistant container with butter and then add the rice.
3) Sprinkle mayonnaise on top of the rice, top with cheese, and toast in a preheated toaster until browned, and it's done.
If you want an authentic doria, use white sauce instead of mayonnaise.
It's also delicious if you make a well before baking and top with egg yolk before baking.

Recommended recipes for cooked rice

Classic! Rice cooked with chicken and mushrooms full of flavor

☑〈材料4人分〉
・米　2合
・水　適量
・鶏もも肉　60ℊ
・油揚げ　1/2枚
・しめじ　1パック（100ℊ）
・人参　20ℊ
・生姜　1/2かけ
✩醤油　大さじ2
✩酒　大さじ1
✩顆粒だし　小さじ山盛り2（8ℊ）
✩塩　少々

<How to make>
1) Wash the rice, soak it in water for about 30 minutes to absorb water, and drain it in a colander.
2) Cut the fried tofu and carrots into 5mm wide pieces, the meat into 2cm cubes, the ginger into julienne pieces, and the shimeji mushrooms into small bunches.
3) Put the seasonings from 1) and ✩ into a rice cooker, add water to the 2 cup mark and mix.
4) Once you put the ingredients from 2) on top, start cooking immediately.
5) Once the rice is cooked, turn off the rice cooker, mix everything together and it's done.

If you like, you can add toppings such as chopped seaweed, small green onions, and firm ginger to make it even more delicious.
You can choose the ingredients of your choice, but we also recommend other mushrooms, vegetables, and fish and shellfish such as clams and squid.

simple! green peas cooked rice

☑〈材料4人分〉
・米　2合
・水　2と1/4カップ
・グリンピース（むき身）　70ℊ
✩顆粒だし　小さじ1
✩みりん　小さじ2
✩塩　小さじ2/3

<How to make>
1) Wash the rice, drain it in a colander, and put it in a rice cooker and soak it in enough water for about 30 minutes to absorb the water.
2) Add the seasonings from ✩, mix them together, put the washed green peas on top, and cook.
3) When the rice is cooked, turn off the switch, mix and it's done.
Instead of green peas, you can also use beans, corn, or sweet potatoes cut into 1cm cubes.

For beauty and health! Hijiki and ginger rice

☑〈材料2人分〉
・米　1合
・乾燥ひじき　大さじ1
・新生姜（新生姜でない場合は1/2かけ）　1かけ
・人参　1/3本
・油揚げ　1/3枚
✩水　1カップ
✩顆粒だし　小さじ1
・万能ねぎ　適量

<How to make>
1) Wash the rice and soak it in water for about 30 minutes to absorb the water. Soak the dried hijiki in hot water to rehydrate them, then drain them into a colander.
2) Slice the ginger and carrot into strips, pour boiling water over the fried tofu to remove the oil, cut it in half, and then cut it into thin pieces.
3) After putting the rice in the rice cooker, add the ingredients ✩, mix them together, add all the ingredients except the green onions, and cook as usual.
4) When the rice is cooked, turn off the switch, stir, serve in a bowl, sprinkle with chopped green onions, and it's done.

Conclusion

How do you freeze cooked rice and what are some recommended recipes?

We recommend cooking delicious and nutritious cooked rice in bulk, wrapping it in plastic wrap while it's still hot, and then storing it in a ziplock bag once it's cooled down and freezing it.

If you are tired of eating it as is or if it has deteriorated, you can arrange it to make it more delicious.

Try freezing cooked rice, which is convenient and ready to eat whenever you get hungry.