Does it matter if you soak rice for 30 minutes or perhaps a whole hour before cooking?

[SEEING-TO-BELIEVE]

what do you know about it?

thank you

 

[dragnlaw]

I know for some techniques one soaks the rice but I don't know why and I've never done it. Can't help you on this one!

 

[pepperhead212]

Depends on your rice, and why you are soaking it. I just made something last night with brown basmati, and soaked it for 2 hours, starting in hot water, though it didn't really cut much time off the cooking, but that was brown rice. For white rice, I only soak when following a recipe that is specific about, and this is because the recipe will cook it less then, than if added raw. Soaking an hour will cut more time off the cooking, and also cut the amount of liquid the rice will have left to absorb, and I'm assuming they've played with these times and amounts, so I don't have to! I see this a lot in Indian recipes, where lentils or rice are soaked briefly, other times, much longer.

 

[HeyItsSara]

i've heard it makes it fluffier.

 

[SEEING-TO-BELIEVE]

i will try to make my question clearer.
what is the difference between 30 and 60 minutes when soaking in cold water..? if there is any

 

[lastmanstanding]

i will try to make my question clearer.
what is the difference between 30 and 60 minutes when soaking in cold water..? if there is any

There isn't much difference. But if it's raw rice immediately after harvesting, it's better to wash just before cooking, no need soaking at all. If you soak it a long time it will be stickier.
Generally speaking, rice need not be in water for a long time before cooking.

 

[Badjak]

Generally speaking, rice need not be in water for a long time before cooking.

Unless it is sticky rice, but that's a whole other ball game

You can soak rice but it is not necessary.
Plus the difference in soak time is easy enough to test at home
Soak 1 portion for 30 minutes, 1 for 60 and one portion with noo soaking.
Cook and see what you prefer

 

[lastmanstanding]

We soak raw rice overnight to make rice flour at home. When it has been in water for about 12 hours it's really easy to grind in the electric blender or pound in the mortar, in to a very fine flour that's used in making various foods.

 

[Steve Kroll]

i will try to make my question clearer.
what is the difference between 30 and 60 minutes when soaking in cold water..? if there is any

Your question is still not clear. Why would you want to soak it at all? Do you have a recipe that calls for doing that?

For normal side dish applications, I've never soaked rice, although I usually rinse it. And I only rinse it so it doesn't bubble up and make a starchy mess in my Japanese rice cooker. If I'm just cooking it on the stovetop I don't bother.

 

[SEEING-TO-BELIEVE]

some recipes [indian for example] ask to soak in cold water before cooking..

most of the time im too, just rinse..

 

[lastmanstanding]

some recipes [indian for example] ask to soak in cold water before cooking..

most of the time im too, just rinse..

The reason given is that it cooks the rice evenly. But when you cook on gas stove or electric cooker it won't matter much as the heat spreads evenly, unlike on firewood. They also say that it shortens the cooking time but I haven't noticed a big difference. Or any difference actually.

 

[dragnlaw]

I thought the book for my zojirushi rice cooker gives one recipe where you soak, all the others just rinse, but just looked and no, no soaking but all the bags of sushi do!

 

[HeyItsSara]

rinsing rice is an old fashioned thing

 

[dragnlaw]

rinsing rice is an old fashioned thing

But not out of style. LOL!! It is highly recommended by many and for various reasons. I never use to but do now.

 

[Steve Kroll]

rinsing rice is an old fashioned thing

I don't understand. Why "old fashioned?"

I always rinse the rice I add to my rice cooker for one reason. If I don't rinse it, it bubbles up and coats the top of the rice cooker with starchy stuff. Rinsing the rice makes the cooker easier to clean. It also makes the rice less sticky. Beyond that, I guess it's a personal choice.

 

[FrankZ]

When we had a rice cooker it suggested rinsing the rice, it even came with a colander to do so. Still have that.

 

[jennyema]

rinsing rice is an old fashioned thing

An old fashioned thing but quite necessary most of the time

 

[lastmanstanding]

The most important reason for rinsing rice is the hygienic concern. Rice harvesting, husking, measuring, storing, and transporting are various stages that can create an outer layer of dust, bug excreta, or even human saliva or sweat. The water that comes to contact with it may not be exactly suitable for human consumption.

Then there could be tiny stones stuck with rice, coming from the harvesting or the mill. Or from the packaging stage. When you rinse the rice it goes down and then you throw it away with water.

Then there could be an unnecessary outer layer of flour coming from the husking process which might make it a bit sticky.

What's shown in the advertisements, the pristine conditions with everything including workers with a glowing skin is not the real situation in farming, milling, packing, transporting, and selling. So it's a great idea to wash the rice before cooking.

 

[taxlady]

Doesn't some white rice have a coating of vitamins and minerals to enrich it? I seem to remember reading that you shouldn't rinse that rice, because you rinse that enrichment off. I only use wholegrain rice. I usually rinse it. I get less grey scum stuck to the pot that way.

 

[lastmanstanding]

Logically there should be. But white rice often come polished, which is why the rice is like shiny pearls. If it comes with the bran then yes it's nutrition. I think some countries have regulations that certain vitamins be added to white rice. So when you wash the rice it might go away. But it's rare. Even if you cook whole grain you can lightly wash it once without doing much damage, just to wash the dust or anything. I only eat brown rice, whole grain, but if it's milk rice I eat the white rice.