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Why the heck can't I cook rice ??


Arjay

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It seems everyone in the world but me can cook rice. I follow the directions on the package and it always comes out like hard, bullets. What am I doing wrong?

I put 1 cup of brown rice with 1-3/4 cups of water in a saucepan with a lid, bring it to the boil, turn it down to a simmer and wait 50 minutes. Lift the lid and voila !! - hard, inedible bullets.

What's the secret?

:017:

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I cook white rice, so this may not apply exactly to brown rice. I know brown rice takes much longer to cook, so assume it would also use more water? My formula for white rice is 1) first saute it in butter a few minutes until it starts to turn golden, 2) water ratio is 2:1 to rice (2 cups water for one cup rice), 3) cook 20-25 min. until I see little "holes" or air pockets in the rice surface (means the water has been absorbed).

Maybe try adding more water and cooking longer.

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1. Try buying brown rice in bulk, rather than in pre-packaged boxes. The boxed rice can be much older than you want to use. The older the rice, the harder it becomes and the longer it takes to cook. Bulk rice is usually newer and takes less cooking time.

2. Use 2 cups of water per cup of brown rice.

3. Follow the same cooking instructions you mentioned: bring the uncovered pot to a full boil, lower heat to absolute minimum, cover, and cook for an hour. Turn off the flame and allow the rice to sit, still covered, for about 10 minutes.

(The buy-in-bulk recommendation is also true for dried beans. If you shop at a tianguis, you'll notice little signs on sticks stuck into the piles of beans "Peruano Nuevo", "Flor de Mayo Nuevo", "Flor de Junio Nuevo", etc. Those are the most desirable beans, as they are newly harvested and dried. They take less time to cook and have better flavor than the old beans sold in plastic packets in your supermarkets.)

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For me, the first step is to stay in the kitchen or turn on a timer; otherwise for sure I will burn it.

Try: 1.5 cups water per cup rice. Put in pot at same time and turn on high flame. When the water boils away enough that it leaves craters on top of the rice, put a lid on and turn it down to absolute bottom temp. (On my stove, this means not the "lowest" setting, but turned to the low flame you get when starting the burner.) This has the effect of steaming the rice.

The first time you can experiment: between 20 and 40 minutes. Lift the lid at 20 and check it. If it's not done and there is still liquid, try another 5 minutes, then another 5, and so on. Unfortunately, steam escapes every time you do this, so it will be a little wonky until you have figured out your stove. You can add add a couple of spoons of water if the liquid is low.

Depending on the rice, using 2 cups of water per cup of rice, as recommended above, is sometimes necessary.

I went through exactly what you're going through when I got here. I always used white rice and the above-mentioned Chinese method. Then I got here and had to deal with the altitude, and my change of preference to brown rice.

You can also buy 10-minute brown rice in bags at Soriana, and I can't tell the difference in flavour or consistency.

But I now use a rice steamer for the microwave. Available for under $10 online, I was lucky enough to get one at Mega some years back for 50 pesos. One cup water to one cup rice; steams in 10 minutes, never burns. I only do rice on the stove now when I'm at someone else's house, lol. (Re-reading this post it sure sounds complicated.)

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Here at Lake Chapala we live at higher altitude and cooking rice and beans, for example, takes longer, at least one hour. Use 2 cups of water for brown rice. Make sure the lid fits the pan and if you are using a gas stove using a heat diffuser under the pan can help. I think I have seen them at times at Super Lake. I use a diffuser under any food that needs to cook at a simmer over a long time period to prevent burning.

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I have a rice cooker that is automatic, however it still takes more water than what is on the bag.

Usually half a cup more of liquid works great. It is not you but where we live.

once you get the balance correct it cooks easy.

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I cook white rice. 2 cups water per cup of rice. Use a pot with a steam vent lid. Bring to a boil with lid on (high heat).

After rice comes to a boil, turn fire to low, cook for 15 min. with lid on. Turn fire off, let sit for 15 min. with lid on.

Perfect rice.

If you don't have a pot with a steam vent lid, lift the cover several times during cooking process.

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I cook white rice. 2 cups water per cup of rice. Use a pot with a steam vent lid. Bring to a boil with lid on (high heat).

After rice comes to a boil, turn fire to low, cook for 15 min. with lid on. Turn fire off, let sit for 15 min. with lid on.

Perfect rice.

If you don't have a pot with a steam vent lid, lift the cover several times during cooking process.

My Chinese cooking master would slice off my head if I lifted the lid during the rice cooking process.

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Wow, so many options - now I'm more confused than ever. One problem with my gas stove is that even on the lowest setting and using a diffuser, everything still boils like mad. I think it's a conspiracy for us to use more gas !!

Thanks for all your advice - maybe I'll stick to potatoes and yams. I actually had good luck last week when I cooked barley for the first time and it was delicious.

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HelperGuy if one follows my directions, the rice will be perfect. I don't have a recipe for cheap shots!

Mine, too. But Arjay, definitely try the methods above and see what happens. It only takes two or three times to get it down pat. And everyone has different success; for example, my girlfriend has been cooking brown rice in Mexico for 30-odd years (eschews white rice altogether), and hers is perfect every time, even though it's a different way than mine.

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Wow, so many options - now I'm more confused than ever. One problem with my gas stove is that even on the lowest setting and using a diffuser, everything still boils like mad. I think it's a conspiracy for us to use more gas !!

Try turning on one of your burners as low as you can get it to go--just the way you do now. Then turn it the OTHER way, as far as you can without turning it off altogether. I bet it will go lower than the 'lowest' setting. Many Mexican stoves are set up this way. Post back to let us know!

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Wow, so many options - now I'm more confused than ever. One problem with my gas stove is that even on the lowest setting and using a diffuser, everything still boils like mad. I think it's a conspiracy for us to use more gas !!

Thanks for all your advice - maybe I'll stick to potatoes and yams. I actually had good luck last week when I cooked barley for the first time and it was delicious.

Mine is the same. I can't get a low heat here. I have to turn it off and back on a few minutes later to try to manage the heat. What's up with that?

Carol

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Try turning on one of your burners as low as you can get it to go--just the way you do now. Then turn it the OTHER way, as far as you can without turning it off altogether. I bet it will go lower than the 'lowest' setting. Many Mexican stoves are set up this way. Post back to let us know!

I've tried that but when I turn it back to that position the igniter under the centre griddle keeps sparking continuously.

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I've tried that but when I turn it back to that position the igniter under the centre griddle keeps sparking continuously.

Most stoves have a tenny-tiny bit of play before the sparking starts, when you have that kind of ignition. But if yours doesn't, using a second rack on top of the base rack might help. (The so-call ring-shaped diffusers are actually concentrators, used for wok cooking.)

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I've tried that but when I turn it back to that position the igniter under the centre griddle keeps sparking continuously.

Why not turn off the igniter by unplugging the stove, or removing the battery if it has one? That would allow you to have full manual control when cooking rice.

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I've tried that but when I turn it back to that position the igniter under the centre griddle keeps sparking continuously.

You should be able to get it to a very low flame without sparking by adjusting the knob ever so slowly backward (toward "off") until the sparking stops. You might have to lightly tap the knob to get the sparking to stop if it's really stubborn.

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You should be able to get it to a very low flame without sparking by adjusting the knob ever so slowly backward (toward "off") until the sparking stops. You might have to lightly tap the knob to get the sparking to stop if it's really stubborn.

Just tried it and it doesn't work. Just keeps sparking away unfortunately.

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Why not turn off the igniter by unplugging the stove, or removing the battery if it has one? That would allow you to have full manual control when cooking rice.

If I unplug the stove, then I'd have to light all burners manually and there would be no light in the oven.

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Most stoves have a tenny-tiny bit of play before the sparking starts, when you have that kind of ignition. But if yours doesn't, using a second rack on top of the base rack might help. (The so-call ring-shaped diffusers are actually concentrators, used for wok cooking.)

Not sure what you mean by a second rack - do you mean a 2nd diffuser on top of the first one?

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Just tried it and it doesn't work. Just keeps sparking away unfortunately.

Too bad. One other thing you might try, just to be sure. On my stove only the back burners allow me to turn back "beyond" the sparking, so you might want to try all burners if you haven't already. I have a Mabe/GE stove. Otherwise, it's a real PIA not to be able to get the flame low enough to simmer!

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About the gas flame on the stove:

1. I believe you can have a repairman lower the flame on a burner by turning down the jet with a wrench. The Whirlpool installation/repair person from Tio Sam's did this when we bought a new stove. I did it on just 2 of the smaller burners so I could simmer things easily. Worth asking about.

2. You can slide the pan a little bit off the burner to get a lower flame. I cook this way all the time and did so in the U.S. Rotate the pan after 15 minutes or so, for best results.

I suspect, OP, that you are using way too little water. That is the only thing that would make the rice cook hard. If it cooks too long, it sticks. If you use too much water, it is mushy. So, your results suggest you are using too little water. I made note the last time I fixed brown rice (it was the bulk kind, not the expensive stuff) and I used 1 cup of rice to 1-3/4 cups of water. I bring the water to a boil, put in the rice, swish the pot, and sit it on a slow burner. I cook it for about 40 minutes. The top on my pan is secure, but not tight, and I peeked quickly at least once. From this you can tell I am a bit sloppy in cooking habits, but my rice turns out just fine, most of the time. (Never mind about those phone calls when I forgot I was cooking and had a burnt pan.)

Hope this helps!

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About the gas flame on the stove:

1. I believe you can have a repairman lower the flame on a burner by turning down the jet with a wrench. The Whirlpool installation/repair person from Tio Sam's did this when we bought a new stove. I did it on just 2 of the smaller burners so I could simmer things easily. Worth asking about.

2. You can slide the pan a little bit off the burner to get a lower flame. I cook this way all the time and did so in the U.S. Rotate the pan after 15 minutes or so, for best results.

I suspect, OP, that you are using way too little water. That is the only thing that would make the rice cook hard. If it cooks too long, it sticks. If you use too much water, it is mushy. So, your results suggest you are using too little water. I made note the last time I fixed brown rice (it was the bulk kind, not the expensive stuff) and I used 1 cup of rice to 1-3/4 cups of water. I bring the water to a boil, put in the rice, swish the pot, and sit it on a slow burner. I cook it for about 40 minutes. The top on my pan is secure, but not tight, and I peeked quickly at least once. From this you can tell I am a bit sloppy in cooking habits, but my rice turns out just fine, most of the time. (Never mind about those phone calls when I forgot I was cooking and had a burnt pan.)

Hope this helps!

That's the amount of water I used according to the instructions on the packet. Do you think turning the flame down on the burners is something I could do myself with a wrench? Thanks.

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