JustAPrepper
09-28-2011, 11:34 PM
It's probably safe to say that most of us have lots of rice in storage and we all know how to cook it but my mother used to cook the "perfect" rice and I never knew how she did it. She passed a long time ago but I think I found her secret and I've been doing it for years now with excellent results every single time and not a single grain stuck to the bottom of the pan.
I start with a small shallow pan with a lid, like mom did, not a small deep pot. (You can try it with a small pot, I just happen to have a pan similar to what my mom used so that's what I use.) I use the 2:1 ration of 2 cups water to 1 cup white rice. I put the water in the pan, cover with the lid to start boiling and while that's happening I put the rice in a fine meshed sieve and rinse it until the water runs clear, rinsing out the starch. This helps to keep it from clumping. NEVER salt your water until it's boiling. If you are using a good pot/pan you will pit and scorch the bottom. Once the water is boiling, add rice and a pinch of salt. Return cover. Set timer for 20 minutes and reduce your heat until you see a thin stream of steam escaping from the lid. That thin stream of steam is the key. Not too much and not too little. It may take a few tries to find the sweet spot but on my gas range it's a 2 on my dial (Low-Med. Low) and my rice comes out light and fluffy, with no "stickage" every single time.
It's also not necessary to rinse the rice, especially in a SHTF situation if water is scarce. I do it now because I "can" and I prefer fluffy rice. Not rinsing the rice first will keep it starchier so it may tend to clump but if you get that little bit of steam coming out of the lid it will still be cooked perfectly all the way through.
I start with a small shallow pan with a lid, like mom did, not a small deep pot. (You can try it with a small pot, I just happen to have a pan similar to what my mom used so that's what I use.) I use the 2:1 ration of 2 cups water to 1 cup white rice. I put the water in the pan, cover with the lid to start boiling and while that's happening I put the rice in a fine meshed sieve and rinse it until the water runs clear, rinsing out the starch. This helps to keep it from clumping. NEVER salt your water until it's boiling. If you are using a good pot/pan you will pit and scorch the bottom. Once the water is boiling, add rice and a pinch of salt. Return cover. Set timer for 20 minutes and reduce your heat until you see a thin stream of steam escaping from the lid. That thin stream of steam is the key. Not too much and not too little. It may take a few tries to find the sweet spot but on my gas range it's a 2 on my dial (Low-Med. Low) and my rice comes out light and fluffy, with no "stickage" every single time.
It's also not necessary to rinse the rice, especially in a SHTF situation if water is scarce. I do it now because I "can" and I prefer fluffy rice. Not rinsing the rice first will keep it starchier so it may tend to clump but if you get that little bit of steam coming out of the lid it will still be cooked perfectly all the way through.