Advantages of Enriched Long-Grain Rice
The reason enriched long-grain rice should be in your pantry is because it keeps longer at room temperature.
Brown rice has an outer bran layer that contains natural oils. These oils can go rancid quickly at room temperature. For this reason brown rice should be refrigerated. Brown rice will last up to 6 months in the refrigerator, or up to 2 years in the freezer.
White rice lacks the phytonutrients of brown rice, but at least enriched long-grain rice adds back in B vitamins and some minerals. It has less naturally occurring arsenic than brown rice because the husk has been discarded. That is why I choose it over any other kind (and there are many kinds of rice!)
How to Cook Rice
Rice has an easy-to-remember cooking ratio: 1:2. That means for every cup of raw rice, you put two cups of water into the pot. Use a pinch of salt for every two cups of water.
When the water comes to a boil, cover and let simmer about 15 minutes. Your altitude will influence cooking times. Uncover and stir.
Remove the pot from the heat, cover again, and let sit about 5 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
Do not wait too long to serve rice, not more than 1 or 2 hours. Once refrigerated, consume rice within 3 to 5 days.
Countering Glycemic Spikes
Rice as a carbohydrate is high in starch and may create glycemic spikes. Cooling the rice is the best way to create resistant starch. You should refrigerate rice for a day anyway if you intend to use it for fried rice. Resistant starch digests more slowly and lowers the glycemic response. You can re-heat the rice later and not lose the resistant-starch benefit. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26693746/
Other ways to lower the glycemic index are to
-Add a healthy fat when served, such as olive, sunflower, or coconut oil. This will alter how carbohydrates bind and break down.
-Add a tablespoon of quinoa for each half cup of uncooked rice. Quinoa adds protein and fiber.
-Add a lean protein, such as chicken, salmon, or eggs
-Add citrus juice or a splash of vinegar (rice vinegar). Acid helps slow down gut enzymes that convert starch to sugar.
Rice Texture Tricks
-A few drops of lemon juice added to simmering rice will keep the grains separated
-A splash of vinegar and a few drops of honey added to simmering rice will make it “sticky.”
