Soaking rice ?

[tonttu]

A while ago , someone wrote in a post , that she is soaking her rice for a while before cooking it , but now I can´t find it anymore !

It would be great , if you could help me by reposting how you do it , which rice , how long , etc !  

[skreader]

I soak & rinse rice before cooking. I try to let it soak for at least 10 or 15 minutes before rinsing and then cooking, but sometimes, don't really have the time. Then I just rinse it several times.

We buy "Golden Elephant" white rice (it's a common brand of white rice from Thailand), usually in a 8 kg bag and then mix it up w/ a 2 kg  bag of Thai red rice  in our rice bucket (sometimes some brown rice too) and then just scoop from the rice bucket when getting ready to cook..
 

[MrsGregory]

What does soaking the rice accomplish?  If you're adding the rice to a sofrito or some kinda tasty paste in the pan before adding the liquid, is the rice dry before you do that?  Are y'all rice-soakers also soaking wild rice, or just actual rices?

Thanks in advance for satisfying my need to know! 
 

[tonttu]

Well , I usually rinse it well with hot water before cooking , but the girl posting it , said , she soaks hers for up to several days in the fridge and it´s supposed to make it more palatable/easier to digest , plus it is supposed to help pull the arsenic out , that can be in rice , so I was just wondering , since I don´t remember  exactly HOW she did it 

[MrsGregory]

Thanks!  I googled around and there were a number of resources advising me to soak my rice in some water and vinegar before cooking it in order to increase nutrient availability and improve the taste and texture.

I might try it, if I can remember to report back, I will.

[skreader]

Originally Posted by MrsGregory 

What does soaking the rice accomplish?  If you're adding the rice to a sofrito or some kinda tasty paste in the pan before adding the liquid, is the rice dry before you do that?  Are y'all rice-soakers also soaking wild rice, or just actual rices?

Thanks in advance for satisfying my need to know! 
 

I rinse rice before cooking in the rice cooker. I don't do it to the risotto rice.

Why soak rice?

1) It satisfies flat-mates, husbands, and other possibly interested parties because it is the *correct* way to deal w/ rice before cooking it.

2) Soaking and rinsing removes dust and other stuff that may have gotten into the rice between the farm and  the kitchen, the and gives you a chance to find and get rid of possible detritus.

3) I've read somewhere it helps make it less sticky? But I think people tend to rinse glutinous rice too, before cooking.

[blessedwithboys]

You'll want to hop on over to Tradition Foods.  You'll learn all there is to know about soaking rice, grains, and beans!

[Rrrrrachel]

My dad is A big grain and bean soaker. He has a whole laundry list of reasons it's healthier. I never get my act together to do it,but according to him a short soak is better than noting and a longer soak, 24 hours or more, is even better. You can't really do it wrong, is the good news.

[tonttu]

Originally Posted by Rrrrrachel 

My dad is A big grain and bean soaker. He has a whole laundry list of reasons it's healthier. I never get my act together to do it,but according to him a short soak is better than noting and a longer soak, 24 hours or more, is even better. You can't really do it wrong, is the good news.

So, basically he rinses and then soaks ? Does he rinse after soaking or does he use the soaking water to cook the stuff in ? I am asking for the rice , dumping the bean water is a no-brainer !

[Rrrrrachel]

Definitely dump the soak water. I actually don't know if its rinse/soak or soak/rinse. I suspect it's rinse/soak/rinse!

[MrsGregory]

Seconding, the foods I do soak, I dump that soak water.  Sometimes twice, depending.

[Einen]

I started soaking our rice about a year ago.  First I rinse it and then let it soak for a few hours.  

I was in a rush the other day and just made the rice without soaking it.  It tore my stomach up!  But I don't remember that happening in our presoaking days???

[tonttu]

Originally Posted by Einen 

I was in a rush the other day and just made the rice without soaking it.  It tore my stomach up!  But I don't remember that happening in our presoaking days???

I kind of felt the same way after following some of the posters suggestions , but the other day was in a hurry and just rinsed it off with hot water before boiling it 

Plus , one of my kids is allergic to potatoes and so I always have to work that into our meal planning , and rice is a big staple , but after reading about it containing arsenic , I feel soaking it to get as much as possible out , is more important than ever 

[MrsGregory]

It's not rice, but we ate at a friend's house recently, and her beans weren't soaked (just cooked from dry), and I suddenly understood why people "have trouble" with beans.  So now I'm motivated to start soaking all my grains as well as my legumes.

[MrsGregory]

Well, my report from the field.

I soaked my white rice over the weekend;  I rinsed it as usual, and then soaked it in room temperature water for about 20 minutes, and then cooked it as usual. 

Um... no.  Nope.

Bright side:  now I know how to prepare rice for rice balls. 

[Rrrrrachel]

I did some soaked brown rice tonight. I soaked it for about 24 hours. I cooked it by adding less water than usual, then just adding a little bit of liquid at a time until it was done. Turned out well!