How Long Is Rice Good For In The Fridge?
To put it simply, you can store rice in the fridge for up to three to four days. After this, their taste and texture will start to suffer, and then their quality will also go bad. However, you can store them in the freezer for up to two months too.
Cooked rice keeps for 4-6 days in the refrigerator when cooked and refrigerated right after you buy it. If you know that your rice will likely be sitting in the refrigerator for more than a couple days, you are better off freezing it. To extend the shelf life of cooked rice, it is best to store it in an airtight container within your freezer. At room temperature, cooked rice will stay fresh for two or three hours without being stored in the fridge.
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When you leave the cooked rice for more than two hours at room temperature before storing it in the fridge, then you are better off throwing it into the dustbin. Cooked rice left out at room temperature too long is a common source of food poisoning, so chill the rice immediately and store it. You can get food poisoning from rice if you do not put it into the fridge quickly after you cook it.
If you have a family of one to two members, and do not like cooking rice that much, then cook it only once and keep it for longer time in refrigerator, saving you both your time as well as your money. Cooked rice, when chilled and stored in a sealed container inside a refrigerator, will remain completely edible for 4-6 days, perhaps even longer, if you have a modern, efficient (read expensive) refrigerator. Rice is best eaten soon after cooking, which is the following day, but in general, cooked rice, when properly cooled and stored, lasts for three to five days.
Cooked rice, when cooled and stored correctly in an airtight container, lasts for three days in the refrigerator, or for three months in the freezer. Cooked rice in the refrigerator will last for less than a week, but frozen rice will last six to eight months in your freezer before you can eat it again. For maximum storage, cooked rice should be kept only in a freezer set to freezing temperature, using either a sealed container or microwaveable plastic bag. Storing cooked rice at zero degrees Fahrenheit certainly extends its storage time up to six months without harming its quality, but will stay safe beyond this time.
| Storage | Shelf life |
| At room temperature | 2 hours |
| In refrigerator | 3-4 days |
Cooked brown rice will retain its good quality for six months in the freezer, but it will stay safely frozen indefinitely if kept at or below freezing. Cooked brown rice can be stored, covered tightly, in a shallow container in the freezer for up to 4 days. Cooked brown rice only lasts for a brief time, 3-5 days, whereas wild rice will last just as long as white rice. Wild rice has a similar shelf life to white rice, lasting anywhere between five and seven days in the refrigerator.
Most experts say cooked white rice, such as jasmine, will keep for 5-7 days in the refrigerator. Uncooked rice does not have to be refrigerated, and dried white rice, wild rice, jasmine rice, basmati and arborio rice can last years if stored at room temperature without being opened. If you are looking to reduce contamination, uncooked rice may also be placed in a refrigerator or freezer to extend its shelf life. While uncooked rice is not quite as perishable, it may spoil when stored in dank areas, or if mold, insects, and vermin are able to reach them first.
Leftover rice is the main culprit, according to NHS, because one, it is starchy, and two, it is often left at room temperature longer than recommended. If leftover rice is refrigerated and chilled for one hour, it is safe to eat for up to six days, but always check and sniff the leftover rice to ensure that it has not gone bad. If you are not making stir-fry rice, or your rice has been sitting in the refrigerator longer than one to two days, you might be wondering whether it is still safe to use and eat. It is also possible that, if there is a lot of humidity in your refrigerator, you will notice that there is a strange smell coming out of your rice, should it have been stored for too long.
If you place rice in your refrigerator right away, the heat causes condensation and makes your grains moist. Leaving the rice hot and damp will encourage bacteria to grow, ruining it and making you sick. Give your refrigerated rice a good visual inspection before heating, because if it is been contaminated, mold can form in just one day after putting it in the refrigerator (been there). Even after a day or so, the rice in the refrigerator gets tough, but heating it up again rejuvenates the rice.
Once cooked, if the rice is left in the temperature danger zone for more than four hours (between 40degF to 140degF) the bacteria may multiply, and the remaining rice is then contaminated, which could make you sick if you eat it (think minor vomiting or diarrhea within 24 hours). For rice, which is denser and can retain heat for longer, the best way to prepare leftovers is to lay the rice out on a shallow sheet pan in order to let steam escape and to chill rapidly, before moving it into a sealed container and keeping it in the refrigerator. Freezing cooked rice is a good way to make sure that you are not letting any leftovers turn rancid in the refrigerator, and you can easily defrost it at any time to use for meals.
Whether I am going with white rice in the rice cooker, brown rice in the crock pot, or even rice in the microwave, I make enough so there are leftovers. That is, I tend to cook a big batch of rice for meals, instead of having to make a little bit each time I want some.
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The latter is because brown rice is less processed than white rice, and the oils that make it healthier are also why it goes bad more quickly. This means white rice lacks a lot of nutrients brown rice offers, but also has a lot less fat, which is susceptible to rancidity. For brown rice, every grain has its outer bran layer (where the oils are) intact, which is why it keeps only for about one year, or perhaps one and a half years (for example, Bens original recommendation is 16 months).
How long is rice good for once refrigerated?
Cooked rice can be stored in the refrigerator for about three to four days and they can be stored in the freezer for at least one to two months. If you notice any changes in smell, taste, appearance, or if there are signs of mold growth in your rice, you should avoid consuming it and discard it immediately.
How can you tell when rice goes bad?
If there are any signs of mold growth in your rice, you should immediately discard it. If it starts smelling like old paint, then it means that the rice has gone rancid. To avoid food poisoning and stomach cramps, it is best to throw out any leftover rice after 5 days in the fridge.
How can you tell if rice is spoiled?
Simply look for symptoms of decomposition, such as holes, bugs, moisture, or water, which can foster the formation of mold. In the case of brown rice especially, you might also keep an eye out for stains, an odd or rancid scent, or an oily texture.