Why does nobody talk about using leftover rice for fried rice the next day?

I keep seeing people throw away day old rice like it's garbage. That stuff is gold for fried rice. Fresh rice gets mushy and clumps up, but day old rice is dry and separates perfectly. I learned this after ruining three batches in a row trying to use fresh rice straight from the pot. Now I always cook extra rice on purpose just to let it sit overnight in the fridge. My go to is adding some scrambled egg, frozen peas, and a splash of soy sauce. Has anyone else figured this out or am I just weird for planning my rice a day ahead?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_martinez13d ago

Ten minutes on a baking sheet" is exactly what I've been telling people too. I feel you on the whole day old rice being dry and hard thing, because I've had that happen plenty of times myself. But for me, it's all about how you store it. I put mine in a container with the lid slightly cracked so some moisture can escape overnight. That makes it dry enough to fry but not turn into little pellets. I've ruined so many batches trying fresh rice straight from the pot, it's frustrating. Honestly, I think both methods work if you adjust a little. You do you with the baking sheet trick, I might try that next time I forget to plan ahead.

shanem3713d ago

Nah man I gotta disagree. Fresh rice fried rice is actually fine if you just spread it out on a baking sheet for like 10 minutes to dry it out a bit. Day old rice always comes out dry and hard in my experience, like little pellets. I'd rather just make it fresh and let it sit on the counter for a bit.

cole35613d ago

Ten minutes on a baking sheet is exactly what I do too, it's wild how people treat day old rice like some sacred rule. It's like the whole "you HAVE to rest your steak for 10 minutes" thing where everyone just repeats it without actually testing if it works for their situation. A little bit of common sense and a slightly different method can save you from eating those sad little pellet grains every time.