After cooking rice, let it cool, and then put in freezer bags or freezer containers in serving size you usually use. Take out as needed. Put in a colander and run hot water over and through it. This will defrost the rice in less than 5 minutes and plump the grains back up.
Source: My grandmother Rose Mary Cheramie shared this tip with me.
By Kathy Bourg from Jefferson, LA
This page contains the following solutions.
Living in Louisiana we eat a lot of rice. Since it's just the two of us now I've learned to freeze the cooked rice. After it's cooked and cooled I put in in a large ziplock freezer bag and flatten it out.
Make big batches of rice and freeze in meal sized portions to use later when preparing quick meals. When freezing individual sized portions, freeze leftover vegetables, meats and sauces for hassle free and cheap work lunches.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
What effect does freezing have on rice?
By Miss Brodie
Uncooked rice freezes nicely, cooks the same on thawing as it would if never frozen.
If it is cooked and frozen as a separate dish, it may be a little watery when you thaw it but the reheating process will absorb the moisture.
If it is cooked and frozen as part of a dish (casserole, etc), it might add a little watery-ness but the reheating process will absorb the moisture and not be a problem.
That's been my experience over the years, anyway:) Hope this helps.
Can you freeze cooked rice?
By Diane N
I've been doing it for years. I've frozen rice in meals, and on its own. If freezing rice on its own, I use heavy duty zip bags.
The important thing to remember about reheating frozen rice is to let it defrost first, then reheat it slowly at a lower heat-always with a cover.
I use a covered microwave safe casserole dish to reheat rice that's been frozen but I've also done it in a conventional oven too. The secret is using 25% power (or 'low') in the microwave, and no more than 180C/350F in the oven.
Hope this helps.
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I credit my genius mother in law with this idea for making meals over rice a breeze: She cooks up several bags of white and brown rices at the beginning of the month.
