Month: September 2022

Learn how long rice pudding last in the fridge and enjoy it fresh or chilled as a decadent dessert or a breakfast treat by making and storing it properly.

Rice pudding is a type of food that can be prepared in a variety of ways.

It can be made with either short- or long-grain rice, water, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and a number of other ingredients. 

The most common way to make rice pudding is by cooking the rice in milk and sugar until it is soft. 

This dish can be served cold or hot and can be enjoyed as a dessert or breakfast.

In this article, we will look at how long does rice pudding last in the fridge. 

You may also like: How Long Does Steamed Rice Last In The Fridge? 4 Or 7 Days?

How Long Does Rice Pudding Last In The Fridge?

You might have cooked a large batch and want to know how long cooked rice pudding lasts in the refrigerator. 

The simple answer is five to seven days if kept in an airtight container. That’s how long homemade rice pudding will last in the fridge. 

Some people also cover the surface of the pudding with a cling film to prevent thick skin from forming on top. 

Personally, on rainy days, I like to have a bowl of rice pudding at room temperature.

But the question is how long does rice pudding last outside the fridge?

Well, unrefrigerated rice pudding can be kept on the counter for a maximum of three hours. It should be even less – between one and two hours – in warmer climates. 

We don’t want to leave the rice pudding out for longer than that as it poses a health hazard. 

Bacteria can form on moist and warm pudding and cause food poisoning if consumed. 

Setting Time And Hacks to Thicken Or Thin Out Rice Pudding

If you are wondering how long rice pudding takes to set in the fridge, it will take about 50 minutes to set completely.

What will you do if the consistency seems too thick?

Just add a few teaspoons of milk or whipped cream to get creamy rice pudding.  

On the other hand, if the rice pudding is too runny, make a mixture of 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and some water or milk. 

Add this mixture while the rice pudding is still on the stove and stir.

Alternatively, you can add more rice grains to the milk so that the starch from the rice is released to thicken the pudding. 

Is There Any Difference Between The Shelf Life Of Homemade Vs Store-Bought Pudding?

If you have got store-bought pudding and wondering how long is rice pudding good after opening, the answer is three to five days at max, provided it was stored in the fridge at 35°F – 40°F (1.6°C – 4.4°C).

As soon as you open the package, put all the content in an airtight container and refrigerate immediately. 

But sealed and store-bought pudding is edible after 6 months of the best by date. 

Store-bought pudding has a longer shelf life because it consists of preservatives like palm oil.

High-end technology is used to seal the pudding cups to prevent air, moisture, or other contaminants from coming in contact. 

You can even store leftover pudding from the store in a cool place in the pantry, unlike homemade pudding which uses fresh ingredients and needs to be cooled and refrigerated within three hours of cooking. 

However, if you break the seal of store-bought pudding and it smells off or appears lumpy, throw it out immediately.

Besides the ingredients, store-bought pudding also differs in taste when compared to homemade pudding. 

Commercial puddings have an artificial smell while the one you make at home smells wholesome and healthy. 

Steps To Store Rice Pudding In The Fridge

If you have made a fairly large batch, then it’s best to portion them out and refrigerate the leftover rice pudding in individual containers. 

These steps below will guide you to store rice pudding in the fridge. 

1. Rice pudding should be allowed to reach room temperature. To release heat and steam as it cools, you may either spread it out on a plate or baking sheet on a tray or simply give it a stir every few minutes.
2. Once the rice pudding is at room temperature, you may either split it out into numerous smaller serving-size containers or put it all in one big airtight container.
3. In order to completely cover the leftover rice pudding, add a small piece of plastic wrap on top and gently press it down. This will keep the pudding fresh without any skin on top of it. 
4. Put a little piece of masking tape on the lid of each container after sealing it.
5. Put them in the refrigerator after writing the date and contents on the lid. 
6. Within 5-7 days, enjoy your rice pudding. It can be heated up on the stovetop or in the microwave or eaten cold.

Can You Freeze Rice Pudding? How?

Yes, you can totally freeze rice pudding. Freezing rice pudding would allow it to last up to three months if done correctly. Here’s how.

1. Let the rice pudding completely cool. Before beginning the freezing process, you could even leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Rice pudding leftovers should be divided into portions that you or your family may comfortably consume in one or two meals. 
3. Put your rice pudding servings in freezer bags or airtight containers.
4. Before sealing the freezer bag, gently squeeze all the air out. Freezer burn can result from any air in the bag, spoiling the texture of the pudding and making it runny. To allow for expansion, don’t fill it all the way up with the pudding.
5. If you are freezing the rice pudding in an airtight container, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the rice pudding to prevent freezer burn caused by air. To allow for expansion, be sure to leave an inch of space at the top.
6. Grab a permanent marker and some masking tape. Place the tape on your freezer bag or container and write the date.
7. Enjoy within three months of putting the containers in the freezer as that’s how long frozen rice pudding lasts.

Tips To Defrost And Enjoy Rice Pudding

It’s not recommended to defrost and reheat frozen rice pudding more than once. 

Such practice not only ruins the texture and nutritional value of food but also creates the condition for bacteria to develop in the food. 

1. Thaw the frozen rice pudding in the fridge overnight before serving.
2. Frozen rice pudding separates in the freezer so stir well after it’s thawed. 
3. Reheat on the stovetop over low flame. Add one or teaspoons of milk if desired. 
4. If you’re reheating in the microwave oven, add a bowl of water to prevent the rice pudding from drying out. 
5. Don’t let the rice pudding thaw at room temperature to prevent spoilage. 
6. Add a teaspoon of milk or cream to get a rich consistency after thawing. You can also choose coconut milk. 
7. Top the rice pudding with seeds, nuts, and dried fruits for a healthy breakfast.

Can I Use Leftover Rice To Make Pudding?

Sure! The recipe will need to be slightly modified, but it’s really rather easy!

You will need less milk because your rice has already been cooked. 

Use 2 cups of whole milk or 1 cup of whole milk and 1 cup of half & half. 

Leave the rest of the ingredients unchanged.

You need to cook it for 20 minutes at a low simmer to get a simple and creamy rice pudding.

How To Tell If Rice Pudding Has Gone Bad

You can tell if the rice pudding has gone bad by its smell, appearance, and taste. 

A sour smell will indicate it’s not edible anymore. 

If the appearance is watery with a dull color, it has surely gone bad. 

If the rice pudding tastes bitter or sour, you should throw it away. 

For store-bought puddings, check the expiration date by which you should have consumed them. 

Pudding Variations 

There are many different pudding variations that you can make with rice or bread to make it savory or sweet..

01 Savory Pudding Variations

Rice porridge or congee is a favorite breakfast dish in China and one of the many breakfast items made without eggs.

If you’ve made it and are now thinking about how long rice porridge lasts in the fridge, it’s five days if kept in a sealed container.

Then there are meat puddings that are a meal by themselves like white or black pudding that’s made with meat, blood, oatmeal, and animal fats. 

While white pudding lasts for seven days in the fridge, the black pudding will last for about eleven days. 

02 Sweet Pudding Variations

Did you know that the small pearls or boba that are taking the world of sweet tea beverages by storm are also used to make pudding?

Tapioca pearls are used to make a pudding using milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt.

In case you want to know how long does tapioca pudding last in the fridge, it’s about five days.

Other milk-based sweet puddings include chocolate pudding, vanilla pudding, banana pudding, and pudding pie. 

Chocolate pudding made at home will last for five to seven days in the fridge. 

Vanilla pudding will last for about a week in the refrigerator. 

Banana pudding will keep for three to four days in the fridge due to the fact that it contains fresh banana slices that spoil more quickly. 

A pudding pie is a pudding that sits in a dough crust. It’s typically made of homemade chocolate pudding with various toppings on the pie – whipped cream, fresh fruits, chocolate shavings, and so on. 

Because the moisture from the pudding seeps into the pie crust, it tends to fall apart faster.

That’s why a pudding pie lasts in the fridge for two to three days and is best consumed fresh. 

Bread pudding is something that you can make with milk, eggs, dried fruit, and sugar. It can also take on a savory taste if you use bacon bits and suet. 

Refrigerated bread pudding lasts for five to seven days. 

A seasonal favorite is the Christmas pudding that contains dried fruit. Without alcohol, Christmas pudding lasts in the fridge for nine days. 

If you soak Christmas pudding in brandy, you can keep it for two years outside the fridge. You need to wrap it well and keep it in a cool, dry place in the pantry. 

Final Thoughts

Pudding is a versatile dish that can be sweet or savory, meat-based or dairy-based. 

With so many variations all over the world, it’s no surprise that one of the most popular African dishes includes a special kind of pudding. 

But when you’re looking for comfort food, nothing beats a bowl of rice pudding sprinkled with cinnamon and the sweet smell of vanilla.

FAQs

Find out how long sushi rice lasts in the fridge, freezer, or at room temperature, and top tips on how to cook and store both cooked and dry sushi rice.

Sushi is one of the most popular Japanese dishes in the world. 

You can have raw or cooked fish sushi. 

With so many culinary innovations, you wouldn’t be surprised to find fish roe or Masago sushi. 

Sushi is made from short grain Japanese rice seasoned with salt, sugar, and vinegar.

Let’s find out how long does sushi rice last in the fridge.

You may also like: How Long Does Steamed Rice Last In The Fridge? 4 Or 7 Days?

What Is Sushi Rice?

You may think sushi rice is a variety of rice like jasmine, arborio, or basmati rice. 

When you see rice packets in the supermarket labeled as “sushi rice”, it doesn’t actually refer to a variety of rice. 

It simply makes it easier for everyone to pick the right rice for sushi. 

Inside the packet, you will find short-grained sticky Japanese white sushi rice that’s ideal for making sushi. 

Making good sushi rice requires a certain sort of sticky, plump, firm-textured rice and Japanese rice is just the right kind.

So, always look for short-grain rice that’s made in Japan (ideally) or at least the label should have “sushi rice” written on it. Japanese short-grain white sushi rice has just the right amount of stickiness without being gooey to make the best sushi.

The starch content in it is what holds the shape and form together, even after stuffing sushi rolls with fillings.

Good sushi rice looks shiny and polished without the individual rice grains sticking together in a mass.

With more people becoming health-conscious, you can also make sushi with short grain brown rice. 

How Long Does Sushi Rice Last In The Fridge?

Whether you choose white or brown rice, you need to store them properly in the fridge, freezer, or in a dark pantry to avoid spoiling.

You can store uncooked white sushi rice in a sealed and airtight container at room temperature, in the fridge, or in the freezer. 

Brown rice goes through less processing, which means all its outer layers have not been removed. Therefore, it has a higher oil content than polished white rice. 

As a result, brown sushi rice spoils faster as the oil on the surface of the grains makes it rancid.

How Long Does Dry Sushi Rice Last?

Storing dry white short-grained Japanese rice at room temperature will stay forever as long as the storing conditions are dry and away from direct light. 

Try using airtight containers like Mason jars to store dry white sushi rice. 

Uncooked or raw brown sushi rice at room temperature will last between three to six months. 

If you want to extend the shelf life of uncooked brown sushi rice, just store the rice in vacuum-sealed bags in the fridge and they will stay fresh for six to twelve months.

For longer shelf life, store the raw brown sushi rice in vacuum-packed bags in the freezer and they will keep for up to eighteen months. 

Even if you don’t vacuum-seal brown sushi rice, it will stay good in the freezer for two years. 

How Long Does Cooked Sushi Rice Last?

Cooked but unseasoned white or brown rice for sushi will last in the fridge for three to five days. 

The same rice will last for six months if kept in the freezer. 

But, the moment you add seasonings and fillings, the shelf life of the rice will come down drastically. 

Cooked and seasoned rice will last for only two days in the fridge. But it will become dry once refrigerated. So, it’s best to consume it immediately. 

If you have cooked the rice at home, seasoned it with vinegar, salt, and sugar, and have also formed it with Nori seaweed and fillings inside, it will last for twelve hours at room temperature. 

Factors That Affect Shelf Life of Sushi Rice

Consider the following factors that affect the shelf life of rice for making sushi so that you can take the right steps to preserve it properly. 

01 Storage Method

It’s very important that you store both uncooked and cooked rice in a sealed andairtight container or a resealable bag that is clean and dry.

Storing in a container with a loose lid will allow air to dry out the cooked rice and spoil it. 

Bags that may form holes will likely cause the dry rice to spoil as it would be easy for insects to get inside. 

Moreover, rice packets that are damaged will also allow moisture to spoil the rice and cause it to mold. 

02 Storage Time

Refer to the previous section for the storage time of cooked/uncooked, seasoned/unseasoned white or short grain brown rice in the fridge, freezer, or at room temps.  

03 Temperature

Keep dry short-grained Japanese rice in a cool place away from direct heat and light. 

Higher temperatures bring about the perfect condition for bacteria to multiply. 

Uncooked rice grains may contain Bacillus cereus spores that are responsible for food poisoning. 

After you cook sushi rice, you should transfer it immediately to the fridge or freezer after it has cooled down. 

Leaving homemade sushi out at the danger zone temperature of 40°F – 140°F (4°C – 60°C) where bacteria have the chance to grow and spread will lead to quicker spoiling. 

04 Humidity

Moisture or humidity from the air that comes in contact with uncooked rice to prepare sushi will speed up its spoiling process. 

Moist conditions are perfect for mold to grow. 

If you leave too much water after cooking, the rice grains will become soggy and not fit for eating. 

05 Contamination 

The moment dry rice for sushi comes in contact with heat and moisture, it’s likely to get contaminated. 

For contamination-free sushi rice, airtight containers, vacuum-sealable bags – and if you’re freezing it – freezer bags with the air removed are recommended.

For cooked sushi rice, follow the shelf line timelines and keep it in airtight containers to make sure they don’t get contaminated and cause food poisoning.  

While storing rice in the freezer, keep the container away from any other food to prevent contamination. 

Best Practices for Storing Sushi Rice

Follow the handling tips below to store rice for making sushi.  

01 Airtight Container

We can’t emphasize enough the importance of getting airtight containers to store sushi rice. 

Whether you’re storing cooked or uncooked sushi rice, airtight containers will prevent moisture and bugs from spoiling the rice. 

02 Allow To Cool

Take a tray and line it with a baking sheet. 

Once the rice is cooked, spread it on the tray to cool evenly. 

Alternatively, you can spray some oil in a pan and put the cooked rice there for cooling. 

Put the pan or tray for 30 minutes in the fridge to cool down before you spoon it into a clean and dry airtight container or plastic bag. 

If you want to cool the cooked rice at room temperature, you can do that too. 

Just remember that this should be done within two hours of cooking to prevent the formation and spread of bacteria. 

03 Damp Towels

Take two pieces of damp towels. 

Place vinegar rice sushi roll on a piece of damp towel and cover them with the second damp towel. 

Wrap the whole thing with plastic wrap and put it away in the fridge. 

This will keep the rice from drying out in the fridge. 

Although there will be some quality fall in the nori texture, the rice in the sushi will remain soft and plump. 

04 Avoid Freezing 

Although sometimes we have no choice but to freeze leftover sushi rice, hardcore sushi lovers recommend not to freeze cooked rice. 

That’s because the moisture already in the rice will form ice crystals when frozen. 

When defrosted, the ice crystals will melt, releasing water and making the rice soggy. 

The mushy texture will spoil the sushi-eating experience for everyone. 

05 Portion Out

Instead of clumping together a large batch of cooked sushi rice and freezing it, divide the batch into smaller portions. 

This way, there will be no need to defrost the whole pack and then refreeze the leftover. 

You can take out each portion and use it as needed. 

Mark the packages with the date so that you can use them up within six months if you had not seasoned the sushi rice. 

How To Reheat Refrigerated Sushi Rice?

On the stovetop, put a pot of water and bring it to a boil. 

Put the refrigerated rice on a bamboo rolling mat. 

Place the rolling mat on the pot for ten minutes over low heat. 

The rice will be soft and moist without being soggy. 

If you’re short of time, you can also reheat the leftover rice in the microwave oven after sprinkling some water on it.

How to Tell if Sushi Rice has gone Bad

We have already covered how long cooked and seasoned as well as cooked but unseasoned rice to make sushi can be stored in the fridge or freezer. 

Beyond the timelines, it’s not safe to eat cooked sushi even if they look good from the outside. 

When it comes to uncooked sushi rice, it’s harder to know when it is past its expiration date. 

But with the following signs, you can easily find out. 

01 Weevils

If you notice small reddish-brown bugs or weevils inside the packaging or container, then you should throw away the sushi rice. 

Make sure to disinfect the container before the next use. 

02 Moist Texture

Handle the rice grains to check if it feels damp. 

If it does, then the rice has spoiled and should be trashed. 

If you have stored brown sushi rice, check its appearance. 

A shiny appearance accompanied by a rancid smell is a sure sign that it’s time to throw away the brown rice. 

03 Odor

If the rice gives out an unpleasant odor even if you have stored it in the freezer or fridge, it should be thrown away.

Rice past its expiry date tends to give off a bad smell. 

Final Words

Cooked and unseasoned rice will usually last in the fridge for 3-5 days. And in the freezer, it will last for up to six months. 

Keep in mind that when you season sushi rice and add filling and nori, the shelf life becomes much shorter. 

FAQs