Fried rice - two-day waiting period

[seans_potato_business]

I am told that fried rice is best cooked using rice that has been allowed to wait around for a couple of days after boiling. I cooked and drained my rice a couple of days ago and left it on the stove top to mature. Just recently, I noticed an unhappy smell leading to the covered rice! I picked up the pan and notice that it's warm - the stuff is producing its own heat! I mixed it around and it's turned into smelly mush! It's possible that those dastardly little flies (like gnats or midges) had something to do with it.

Thus, my question(s) to you all: is it really necessary to wait a day or two after cooking? What differences does it make? Should it be stored in the fridge during this time?

[GB]

It is true that day old rice makes better fried rice, but you absolutely MUST store it in the fridge. Treat it just as you would treat meat. It is OK out of the fridge for an hour or two, but no longer than that.

[kitchenelf]

Absolutely throw it away now. All you have to do is use thoroughly cooled/cold rice. If you let it cool, then store in fridge all day, it should be fine to make that night. Two days is no different than 1 day IMHO. Lots of times additional rice is cooked and the next day the left-over rice is used to make fried rice.

It didn't have to "mature", it had to cool. What you have now is food poisoning in a pot.

[kitchenelf]

And, if you do put it in the fridge let it cool a bit first on the counter in the bowl you will store it in. Stir frequently to get the middle of the rice cool. Once it comes more to room temp store in fridge with plastic wrap with a few holes punched in it to let excess heat escape. This goes for anything warm you put in the fridge though.

[GrillingFool]

I say put it back on the counter and stick a recording thermometer in it...
see how hot it gets! Train a webcam on it and we can see what develops!
IT'S ALIIIIIIIVVVEEEEE!!!!

Another tip for quicker cooling... dump it out on a cookie sheet and stick it in the fridge.
Cools super fast.

[MostlyWater]

i put my rice in to soak with water in the cooker as i leave for work in the morning, around 8:30 am. as soon as i come home i start the cooker and when it finishes, add the other ingredients.

it comes out fine that way for us. rice is supposed to soak a little. but to let it sit out for days, already cooked? that far i would not go.

[GB]

It is one thing to put uncooked rice in a rice cooker with water. That is safe to do (I have some in mine right now that has been there since before 7am). Once it is cooked though it becomes very dangerous to do that.

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by seans_potato_business

I cooked and drained my rice a couple of days ago and left it on the stove top to mature.

It didn't mature, it rotted.

Mishandled rice is a leading source of food poisoning. You should never leave it in the danger zone for more than maybe an hour.

Google "bacillus." It's nasty stuff

[miniman]

I run my cooked rice under a cold water tap for a few minutes to cool it down quicker. It also washes some of the starch away so it doesn't become a solid lump.

[seans_potato_business]

And why does it need to be cool before frying?