What happens if you eat expired rice?
Rice comes in so many varieties and has long been a pantry staple for good reason. The most popular kinds of rice are the white and the brown varieties.
If you find rice past the expiration date in your pantry, you can still safely eat it without getting food poisoning in most cases. To find out more about expired rice, let’s look at if uncooked rice expires, how to tell if rice goes bad, does minute rice go bad, how long white rice lasts in the fridge, and what to do with expired rice.
Does uncooked rice expire?
Rice is a pantry staple in most homes and in survival kits. Uncooked white rice is considered to be shelf stable and if it is stored in a sealed container like a bag or tight plastic container it has an indefinite shelf life and can last upwards of 25-30 years.
Brown rice is completely different from white rice because it is still considered whole. White rice is actually brown rice that has had the outer layer of bran, germ, and endosperm removed. This means that brown rice and other whole grain rices can go bad quicker than polished and milled white rice.
The average shelf life is only 6 months for brown rice that is stored at room temperature. This is because the rice has a higher oil content that can go rancid.
Pro Tip: if you love to eat brown rice and decide to stock up on it, consider freezing it to make it last indefinitely!
How to tell if rice is bad?
There are three major factors that can cause rice to go bad. These are pests, mold, and water. If you are properly storing your rice than you should not notice any of these.
If you go to use rice and notice an odd color or any pests within the rice, it is best to go ahead and toss it. Same thing if you notice any signs of mold. Just like other common molds, rice will have a fuzzy green appearance when it has been affected by mold.
If your rice has accidently been exposed to water or high humidity, you will notice that it tends to be clumped together in the bag or container. You could still use the rice if it has a few tiny clumps, but it may not taste as good. If the rice has fused together or has lots of large clumps, just go ahead and throw it out.
It is best to always store rice away from moisture and humidity to ensure that the rice will last a long time. If your rice has a weird or off odor that is similar to ammonia, this can also be a sign that the rice was exposed to moisture, and you will want to toss it.
Does Minute Rice go bad?
Minute rice is a brand name for quick cooking white rice. The only real difference between regular white rice and Minute rice is that the Minute rice is parboiled.
This “instant” rice cooks quicker than regular rice but most people think the texture and taste is not as good as regular rice.
The fact that Minute rice is already pre-cooked is what makes the shelf life so much less than traditional white rice. Minute rice is usually only good for about 6 months from the date of manufacturing.
If you use minute rice a few weeks past the expiration you will probably be fine, but if it shows any signs of pests, mold, or moisture then you definitely want to dispose of it.
How long does white rice last in the fridge?
Once you cook any rice and then store it in the fridge in an airtight container, you should get another 3-4 days. Just know that refrigerating rice can make it lose its moisture and get crunchy.
If you leave rice out on the counter for more than 2 hours, it is best to go ahead and throw it away.
Some of the best ways to use refrigerated rice is to make stir fried rice, rice pudding, and adding it to soups or stews. You can also freeze cooked rice and use it later.
Now if you don’t have a great place to store uncooked rice in a pantry or cabinet, then you can actually store your uncooked rice in the fridge or the freezer. This will greatly extend the life of your rice!
Keep in mind that refrigerators and freezer do have a good amount of humidity (about 65%), so put your rice in a tight Tupperware container or use a vacuum sealer to keep the moisture out!
What to do with expired rice?
If you determine that you don’t want to risk eating possibly bad rice that is past its expiration date, there are other uses for rice that don’t involve eating it!
10 uses for rice that don’t involve eating it
Keep in mind that all of these options will work well with dry rice that show no signs of mold. If you see signs of mold, it is best to just throw it away.
- Keep for electronics – I’m sure you have seen that if you get your phone wet you are supposed to seal it in a bag of rice. Why ruin perfectly good rice? (Once it absorbs the moisture it needs to be tossed.) If you have the tendency to get your phone wet a lot, it may make sense to have a bag of old rice handy just for electronics.
- Clump & moisture proof – I’m sure you have seen saltshakers in restaurants that have rice in them. They use rice in saltshakers to keep the salt from clumping. If you live near the ocean or a particularly humid area, you can put a little rice in the container to keep the salt from clumping. You can also add rice to any area that is prone to moisture to absorb it up. Some people use it in their toolboxes to keep their tools from rusting. You can make a little sachet out of cheese cloth or just throw a handful of rice at the bottom of the toolbox.
- Weights – Have you ever seen how expensive pie weights and pattern weights for sewing can be? Save yourself a ton of money and use expired rice next time you bake an empty pie shell. My mom used to keep a ziploc bag for just this purpose. She labelled it and kept it with the pie pans so no one would try to cook with it. If you are a person that sews and uses patterns, just fill some small snack size ziploc bags with rice to make some easy-to-use pattern weights.
- Cleaner – If you use an automatic coffee grinder or spice grinder in the kitchen you may notice that it starts to get pretty dirty and starts to smell after a while. Simply fill up the grinder halfway with dry white rice, and grind away. This will not only clean the grinder, it could help sharpen the blades, and it will minimize the odors.
- Sharpener – Just like it will help sharpen grinder blades, dry white rice can be used to help sharpen blades on food processors and blenders!
- Rice packs and hand warmers – If you have ever bought a rice pack for your neck or hand warmers then you know how pricey these items can be. It is super easy to make your own! You can even add drops of essential oils to give a nice aroma while soothing your neck.
- Rice Wine or Rice Wine Vinegar – rather than toss the rice, why not try your hand at making your own rice wine or rice wine vinegar? There are tons of easy recipes on Pinterest, and all you need is a glass jar with a lid like a mason jar!
- Ripen fruit – this sounds totally weird, but if you have a piece of fruit that you want to ripen super quick, just bury the fruit inside a container of rice. The rice will trap the gases emitted from the fruit and make it ripen faster. The time it takes will depend on the fruit and at what stage of ripeness it is already in.
- Air Freshener– Want to add a little smell good to your car without buying expensive air fresheners? Simply make a little bag of rice using cheese cloth or any other thin mesh-like cloth like organza. Then put a few drops of your favorite essential oils and shake the bag to distribute the scent. If you notice the scent isn’t as strong in a few weeks, just add a few more drops of oil.
- Dry Flowers and Leaves – Just like rice will help ripen fruit, it can also help you dry flowers and leaves! Simply grab a large container and line it with about 1 inch of dry rice, arrange your flowers and leaves on top of the rice layer. Once your flowers and leaves are placed, gently fill the container with rice so everything is covered. Leave the container alone for at least a week, then gently pour the rice out of the container. All of your flowers and leaves will be dried and preserved. The great thing is you can keep using the rice over and over again too!
Is it safe to eat expired rice?
It is totally safe to eat expired rice as long as you check it out first. Remember if you see any signs of pests/bugs, green mold, or moist and clumpy rice than it is best to toss it.
Rice is a great pantry staple to stock up on when it is on sale. I routinely find 1-pound bags of rice on sale for around 50 cents instead of the normal price around 1 dollar.
We typically eat a rice dish once a week, so I know that I will use a one-pound bag of rice at least once a month. If I can find larger bags of rice cheaper, I will buy those but lately the little bags are what go on sale the most.
Every once in a while, I do a bad job of rotating the stock in my pantry and I do come across a bag of expired rice. It is no big deal to go ahead and use the dry rice as long as it looks and smell fine.
If you’re also a fan of rice milk, check out “What happens if you drink spoiled rice milk?” to learn how long it is really good for drinking and cooking!
If you’re thinking about giving up rice for a Keto style diet, you will definitely want to check out “Is it cheaper to make your own Cauliflower Rice?“
