White rice is the most common type of rice. It is better known for its mild flavor and fluffy texture. The rice is a staple in many dishes and dishes that rely on white rice for a base. Some popular options include; soups, salads, stir-fries, desserts, casseroles, and more. White rice may also be used as an ingredient such as when cooking almost anything with stock or broth.
If you have bought some white rice and left it in storage for a long time, you may wonder if you can eat expired white rice or not.
Yes, you can eat expired white rice. As long it doesn’t have any mold in it, it’s safe to eat. However, the rice won’t taste as good as it should.
How Long Does Cooked White Rice Last?
Rice is a staple meal and it can be prepared in so many ways. One of the most popular ones is cooking white rice, which helps keep the nutrients intact.
Once it’s cooked, the rice needs to be refrigerated or frozen in order to keep it fresh for longer periods of time.
Cooked rice can last for a couple of hours at room temperature.
If it’s been more than 2 hours, it’s best to discard the entire white rice. The rice will more than likely be contaminated with harmful bacteria which could make you very sick.
Cooked rice should last for about three days when refrigerated.
If you want to store it for longer than that, you can freeze it in an airtight container. Rice that has been frozen will last for about six months.
How Long Does Uncooked Rice Last?
Uncooked rice can last up to 3 years if it is stored in an airtight container and kept cool.
White rice lasts for a very long time if it’s stored properly. It doesn’t contain much moisture, which is the reason for its long shelf life.
How To Tell When White Rice Is Bad
White rice is a type of rice that has been milled or polished to remove the outer layers of the grain and leave only the white inner layer. White rice can be distinguished from brown rice because it contains more water and fewer nutrients has a higher glycemic index and is not as nutritious.
In general, if white rice has any of these bad signs, it means that you should not eat it.
Below are some of the signs to look for in white rice:
– It smells bad or musty.
– It turns blue in color after cooking.
– The grains are mushy and soft rather than firm in texture.
– It contains clumps of white (not yellow) grains even after rinsing it thoroughly under running water.
– The kernels are covered with a thin layer of husk or bran.
What Happens If You Eat Expired White Rice?
Eating expired white rice won’t cause you any harm if there are no mold in it.
If there are mold, you should discard the rice. Consuming it can lead to food poisoning. It is best to avoid expired or moldy rice, especially when cooked white rice.
What To Do With Expired White Rice?
White rice has a shelf life of one to two years and then begins to have an ammonia smell. What happens when the starches, proteins, and sugars all combine.
The rice also starts to become dry and brittle as it begins to break down.
There are many ways that we can use expired white rice:
– Add it back into your cooking recipe just like normal.
– If you have leftover fried rice in the fridge add the expired white rice back in with the ingredients. It will add some texture to the dish.
– Make a risotto by combining leftover cooked rice with butter, chicken broth, or vegetable broth, and cheese.
– Make fried rice with it: Follow the recipe on the back of a fried rice bag and mix in your expired white rice.
– Make cauliflower fried rice with it: Follow the recipe on the back of a cauliflower fried rice bag and mix in your expired white rice.
– Make pickled vegetables with it.
Conclusion
As you can see from this article, consuming expired white rice is fine. Just make sure there are no mold in it.
If the white rice is cooked and it expires, you should discard it right away. It will not taste very good and could be contaminated with harmful bacteria.