Is it possible to (safely) make dry instant rice?
For lightweight camping food it would be nice to have rice that cooks quickly without using much stove fuel. Dried instant rice is available (example) but has some downsides: The flavours aren't great (and I find them unpleasantly salty); it's being displaced in the shops by microwavable rice which is much heavier as you're transporting water (it can be heated on a stove).
So I'd like to make my own dried instant rice - perhaps with some dried veg or spices mixed in. But rice is one of the worst foods for breeding nasties so I very much doubt you could just cook it and then put it in a dehydrator. The few ideas I've seen searching online are basically just freezing cooked rice, not dehydrating it at all.
Is there a sensible way to produce dehydrated instant rice at home?
Best Answer
Typically dehydrated foods of this sort are freeze-dried rather than dehydrated by heating. This is a process of sublimation of the water out of the food in a controlled manner under very low temperature conditions. This is generally not practical at home due to the nature of the equipment needed.
However, it seems that the instant rice is dehydrated in ovens. I suspect that you could do it with quite a bit of experimentation by spreading rice out in a thin layer on some baking sheets and heating to around 60 Celsius until dried. This should be hot enough to prevent most bacteria from growing successfully. As you have used the commercially prepared versions before, you already know the texture and how you would prepare it after drying, so you could play around and see.
Personally I like to use instant couscous when hiking - it rapidly (1-2 min) hydrates on addition of just boiled water, and like rice is readily available, easily measured out into aliquots for pre-packaged meals, and can be transported in a package with salt and other dried ingredients for a rapid and filling meal.
Pictures about "Is it possible to (safely) make dry instant rice?"
Can I make my own instant rice?
Just fill the pot up with water and bring it to a boil. Essentially, cook the rice like you would cook pasta. Stir the rice to make sure the grains don't stick together and simmer it for 15-20 minutes (for brown rice). If you're using white rice, it'll take less time, probably 5-10 minutes depending on grain.How do you dry instant rice?
Spread cooked rice out on dehydrator trays covered with non-stick sheets, parchment paper or the liners that came with your unit. Dry the rice at 125\xb0 for approximately five hours.Can you dehydrate uncooked rice?
Spread rice as evenly as possible in single layer on lined drying trays. Liners will prevent small kernels from falling through mesh as the rice dries. Dry at 125\xb0F (52\xb0C) for 6 to 8 hours. Drying time will vary with humidity and type of rice.Is instant rice uncooked?
Instant rice is white rice that has been fully cooked and then dehydrated before being packaged and sold. It cooks in just a few minutes, but the flavor and texture are inferior to normal rice cooked, start to finish, in a more traditional manner.Don't Reheat Rice Without Doing This Simple Trick
More answers regarding is it possible to (safely) make dry instant rice?
Answer 2
You can indeed dehydrate cooked rice. It is a lack of water activity that is one factor which increases the safety of foods, so no problem there. Rice is no more problematic than other foods. As you probably know, dehydrated foods are a staple for camping and backpacking. So, cook your rice at home, then place in a food dehydrator. Once on the trail, a 5 minute pre-soak, bring to a boil, cook for a minute, rest for a few minutes...you are good to go.
Edit: With a potential concern for the growth of B. cereus in cooked rice, I would be more comfortable raising the temperature of the dehydrator to at least 60C/140F. Higher temps for rice in your dehydrator are not a problem, it will just proceed more quickly. Reference here.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: lalu _ua, Polina Tankilevitch, Suzy Hazelwood, Mike