How long can I keep cooked rice in the fridge?
I made white rice on Sunday and had quite a bit left over. I put it in a container in the fridge but I'm not sure how many days it'll last before it goes bad. How long is it safe to leave it in there?
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Don't leave it in the fridge for more than three or four days because after that mold and bacteria start growing that you can't see. The best thing is to store it in an airtight container with a tight lid, so it lasts those days no problem. If you have a lot of leftover rice, it's better to freeze it in portions - that way it'll keep for a couple of months and you can thaw it when you need it.
Forget about keeping it longer than three or four days because after that it starts to go bad, but honestly it really depends on how you store it. If you put it in a sealed airtight container in the fridge, it can easily last those three or four days without any problem, though in my experience the rice gets a bit off by the third day. What's really important is that you don't leave it at room temperature even for a bit after cooking it, because that's when actually dangerous bacteria start growing.
Three or four days is what they'd generally recommend, but honestly, rice that's stored properly in an airtight container will easily last up to five days without any issues, as long as your fridge is at the right temperature. The key thing is putting it in a container with a lid as soon as it cools down - don't wait for it to get to room temperature because that's when bacteria really start multiplying. If after those days it smells off or looks weird, better throw it out, but generally it holds up fine longer than those three or four days people mention.
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