Rice Size ?

This topic has 7 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 11 months ago by Italiancook.

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December 12, 2016 at 10:53 am #5935
Italiancook
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I'm trying to make brown rice in my new rice cooker for the first time. I'm confused, because the directions are based on rice length . . . short grain, medium grain, long grain. I have no idea how to tell the size of rice. Today, I used Jasmine Brown Rice. I read the bag, but it doesn't state the length of the grain. Can anyone give me a clue as to how to guess the size?

I decided this brown rice is either medium or long grain, so I used the directions for medium. I hope that if it's really long grain that it will still turn out, because I'll be ready for my Chop Suey over rice lunch by the time it's finished cooking.

Also what do y'all use as a rice washer. For years, I've used my strainer, but some rice always becomes caught between the rim and the mesh. So I bought something labeled a rice strainer off Amazon. I'm so unhappy with its performance that I threw it away. Before I try a different brand from Amazon, I'd like to know how you wash rice.

Thanks!

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December 12, 2016 at 11:21 am #5936
Mike Nolan
Keymaster
I'd treat your jasmine as a medium-grain rice. However, the amount of water rice absorbs is not just a function of grain size.

I just rinse the rice off once or twice in the rice cooker's pan. A family friend says her mother ate rice every day for most of her life and she never rinsed rice off.
December 12, 2016 at 2:02 pm #5939
BakerAunt
Participant
I do not rinse rice.

My rice cooker has different markings for brown rice. It seems to need a little more water, which makes sense as it takes longer to cook.
December 12, 2016 at 3:19 pm #5940
RiversideLen
Participant
I only rinse rice if the package directions say to. Otherwise I presume the rice is prewashed. If the rice is enriched, it has vitamins sprayed on the outside of it, rinsing would wash it off.
December 12, 2016 at 4:23 pm #5941
Italiancook
Participant
I've always rinsed rice. Recently, I checked a package, and it did not say to rinse. I guess I rinse, because I grew up on an orchard. Washing fruit was a big deal to remove surface pesticides. The instructions to my rice cooker say to rinse some types of rice . . . maybe all types, but I know only the ones I've used.

I think you're right, Mike, that the Jasmine Brown Rice is medium grain, because the rice turned out beautiful. It also tasted good and worked well with the Crimini mushrooms in the Chop Suey.
December 12, 2016 at 5:15 pm #5942
Mike Nolan
Keymaster
I buy mostly Basmati white rice, though I do have some Arborio for things like risotto. My wife, who didn't eat much rice before she went on a low-carb diet, doesn't like the smell of jasmine rice, when I bought a bag of it several years ago I wound up giving most of it away.

I also have some wild rice, which I don't think is technically a form of rice.
December 13, 2016 at 1:06 am #5945
luvpyrpom
Participant
Short grain rice is more of the Japanese rice, like sushi rice or the glutenous kind. You can see the difference in sizes when they are side by side. And Mike is right, wild rice is considered a water grass seed, not a grain.

I generally wash my rice irregardless of what the packaging says. I just use the smallest mixing bowl I have. Swish the rice and water and then pour out the water. Repeat. My mother used to say rinse a minimum of three times. I tried a couple of times of using a fine mesh strainer but thr grains would stuck in the mesh which was a hassle to clean. Thus the bowl and tilt water out.
December 13, 2016 at 9:25 am #5947
Italiancook
Participant
Correction: I said I used Jasmine brown rice yesterday. Wrong -- when rereading the package, I realized it's Basmati Brown Rice.

Luvpyrpom, I'll try your method of washing the rice. It'll be cheaper than buying another rice washer bowl. Thanks!
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