Many people have asked more about my freezing brown rice technique. It’s actually quite simple, but I thought I’d share the details because, of course, anything frozen can quickly become frost-bitten and gross if you don’t do it just so.
Here’s the deets on freezing brown rice (or any type of grain, for that matter):
WHY
Why freeze brown rice? Well, brown rice takes for-ev-er to cook. And during the week, that’s a pain in the butt come dinnertime.
But when you pre-cook and freeze brown rice, all you have to do is re-heat it for dinner. It’s a real sanity- and time-saver. And it tastes virtually the same.
HOW
Again – it’s a pretty easy process. Step 1: Measure out your rice and water. You’ll want about 1.5 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry brown rice. I make about 4 cups dry at a time. Step 2: Combine rice and water in a large pot, cover, and turn to high heat. Bring to boil. Step 3: Turn to medium-low, remove cover, and let simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes. Step 4: Once most of the water is gone (you should only see a bit of water in the bottom of the pot when you move the rice around with a spoon), turn off heat, give the rice a stir, and let stand for 5 minutes.
Step 6 is very important. Spread the still-hot rice on a cookie sheet or casserole dish so it can FULLY cool off and any remaining moisture can evaporate. I usually let it sit out for an hour or so. Then, scoop into tightly sealable tupperware or plastic freezer bags and place in freezer. Edited to add: I forgot to mention that you should freeze the brown rice in the amounts you want to reheat it or it becomes a big chunk of ricey goodness.
REHEATING
Now, of course, comes the important part: reheating the frozen brown rice.
I’ve found that the method that works best is to place the frozen brown rice in a wok, turn the heat to medium, add a bit of olive oil or butter and a few tablespoons of water, and stir-fry. You could also microwave but the texture wouldn’t be quite the same.
What healthy cooking timesavers do you use?
Have someone else make it 🙂
I plan the menu and my boyfriend cooks dinner- so it’s ready (or almost ready) when I walk in the door at night. It’s wonderful!
If we are having chili or soup, then I will make it on Sunday (while he watches football), so all he has to do is re-heat it or add the finishing touches when we have it during the week. Works out well.