How A Slice Of Stale Bread Can Rescue Watery Rice

Cooking rice can be a tricky endeavor. You can't lift the lid while it's simmering or you'll release some of that precious steam, and you can't cook it for too long or in too much water, or you'll end up with mushy grains. It's inevitable that we'll mess up sometimes. If you do end up with soggier rice than you'd like, there's a quick fix that utilizes, of all things, stale bread.

When we pour too much water in the pot for cooking rice, or when we let it simmer for too long, the grains open up and turn into a gummy goo. But if you have a slice of stale bread lying around, all you need to do is place it over the top of your rice as it finishes cooking. What does this accomplish? The dried-out bread will absorb some of the extra moisture from your overly-watery grains, leaving them fluffy and edible. It's important to note that the rice must still be salvageable for this trick to work. As long as your grains are still somewhat intact, the stale bread should be enough to soak up extra moisture, but it won't be as effective if what's in your pot looks more like porridge than rice.

When fixing your mushy rice with a slice of stale bread, look for the thickest slice you can find, as this will absorb the maximum amount of moisture. And while you can simply place it in your pot as-is and let it do its thing, it's a good idea to take some of the load off of the bread by draining your pot first. Then once the bread is on top of the rice, cover your pot back up and let it simmer on low heat for a few minutes longer. If you're cooking a lot of rice, or if you think it needs extra help, use two or three slices of stale bread. This doesn't just work for a pot over the stove; if you have a rice cooker, follow the same steps.

Not only can you use stale bread to fix your mushy rice, but it may also be helpful if you're trying to keep your leftover grains fresh. While storing them in a Tupperware can cause condensation, leading to overly-wet rice, including a slice of stale bread in the container may help absorb extra moisture in a similar fashion. So, the next time your loaf is starting to harden up, save a few slices in case you need them to save soggy rice.