How long is rice good in the fridge?

In this brief guide, we will answer the query, “How long is rice good in the fridge?” We will also discuss the signs and indicators to determine if the rice has gone bad.

How long is rice good in the fridge?

Rice can be good in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can still keep it for as long as a week, however, the rice will have lost most of its freshness by that time and will not taste good. The shelf life of cooked rice largely depends on the way it is stored so the more careful you are while storing your rice, the longer it will stay fresh. 

You can determine whether the rice is still good by smelling, tasting, or by observing the texture of the rice. It has to be noted that no matter how careful you are while storing the rice, it shouldn’t be eaten if it’s been there in your fridge for over a week.

How to know if the rice has gone bad?

You can observe several changes in your rice to determine whether they can still be eaten or need to be discarded. Let us discuss some of the major and minor signs that the rice has gone bad:

Rice is very hard and dry

The most basic sign that your rice has gone bad is that they are very hard and dry. We are not talking about the normal kind of hard and dry which is normal when you store your rice in the fridge. 

This clearly indicates that the rice has lost most of its moisture content after sitting in the fridge for a long time. The cooked rice in your refrigerator is past its prime and needs to be discarded. 

It is important to understand that with every passing day that leftover rice is kept in the refrigerator, it will become drier and harder. The grains become extremely hard, dry, or even crunchy only if it has been in the refrigerator for quite a few days. 

The best time to eat rice is a few days after it is cooked. So it is in your best interests to just discard the rice if it has been there for any more than that. Rice that has been cooked should be kept in an airtight container to extend its shelf life.

The rice was not refrigerated for a long time

If your rice was not refrigerated for a long time before you stored it in the fridge, it is likely that they have already gone bad even before the storage. The cooked rice should be left at room temperature as little as possible. 

The moist surroundings provide the best conditions for bacterial growth. And although refrigerating the rice will not stop that growth completely, it will certainly slow it down. 

The rice has undergone numerous cooling and reheating cycles

The number of times rice is cooled and reheated should be kept to a minimum. Constantly cooling and reheating the same rice establishes the ideal conditions for bacteria to thrive. It is recommended to only reheat leftover rice once, as a general rule. 

It is better to throw away any additional leftovers if you have to repeat this more than once. If you have more rice than you can consume in one or two meals, it is a better idea to freeze the additional rice instead of storing it in the fridge.

It has an unpleasant odor

Your rice should be thrown out right away if there is an unpleasant smell coming from it. That rice is no longer safe to eat at this point because it has most likely been in the refrigerator for more than four days. You might also sense a sour smell if bacteria has started to grow in your rice. It is best to discard rice that gives off any kind of strange odor.

To increase the shelf life of rice, follow some of the storage hacks here.

Conclusion 

In this brief guide, we have answered the query, “How long is rice good in the fridge?” We have also discussed the signs and indicators to determine if the rice has gone bad.

Citations 

https://www.thekitchn.com/4-signs-your-cooked-rice-has-gone-bad-228342

https://www.bhg.com.au/how-long-does-cooked-rice-last-in-the-fridge