ok to soak calrose rice overnight?

[iheartcooking]

I soak my japanese rice for about an hour before cooking... but I was wondering if I could set it all up in the rice cooker the night before and then cook it in the morning for fresh onigiri to take to work. Will white rice sprout if i leave it that long? Or ferment? It's pretty cold in the house this time of year if that is a factor.

[Akitist]

My wife does the long soak and there have been no problems whatever the temperatures are. White rice won't sprout anyhow, as the germ has been removed. I think for fermentation to occur the rice would have to be cooked to make the starch more available to the yeast.

Calrose is OK, but you might want to treat yourself to Akita Komachi or some other premium type from Japan. Hard to call rice transcendent but this makes a good run at it.

[PBSF]

Rice is cheap; it is easy to set up your rice cooker the night before and check out the result for yourself. Sprouting or fermenting are not the problem.

[mrbigshotno.1]

Rice+water/broth into rice cooker, turn on, why soak? You don't need to soak dry beans either.

[todao]

Rice is soaked and rinsed (washed) to remove some of its surface starch.

http://www.justhungry.com/2003/11/jap...

[escondido123]

I think rice soaked overnight would get mushy. Maybe cook it ahead and microwave like some people have talked about with rice.

[link_930]

I second escondido, and think that more than mushy, the rice will come out just... mush. Please correct if proven wrong!

[bushwickgirl]

Rice can be soaked for extended periods, like overnight, with out it becoming mushy. The application of heat to the water the rice is cooked in is the only way the rice becomes soft and palatable, not by merely soaking it in cold water. A combination of too much water to rice ratio and an extended cooking time will result in mushy rice, not soaking overnight in cold water. How do I know this? Because I've done it.

Soaking overnight shortens cooking time somewhat, especially convenient for brown rice.

Hulled rice such as brown or black actually benefit from a prolonged soak, as it relaxes and expands the grain and results in a better cooked texture. White rice can be soaked for up to 12 hours before cooking, with no detrimental effects. Proper draining of soaked rice and correct cooking water measurments are important to avoid overdone or mushy rice.

I see no problem for the OP in setting up the rice cooker the night before. Any fermentation or sprouting concerns will just not occur.

[todao]

+1

[link_930]

Almost 20 years of making rice every day, and I never soaked for a prolonged period of time because of the fear of mush. Now I can set it up the night before and wake up later!

[ipsedixit]

Yes, you can. Won't sprout, won't ferment. You'll be fine.

[bushwickgirl]

Ditto on that advice.