Brown rice questions

[KIN]

It's been a while since I've made brown rice and, to be honest, I never liked it! It was always a bit crunchy. So, if I soak it for an hour will that help? What is the ratio of water to brown rice? Anything else to make it softer???? Thanks!:)

[nova mama]

I use a rice:water ratio of 3:5, sometimes even more water. I don't think it should be crunchy, just more firm than white. HTH!

[vettechmomof2]

I alwyas use chicken broth to cook it, wit a very small amount of water if I am low on broth.

I cook it until the mosture is almost gone. It is never crunchy for us.

[Crissy]

I don't recall the exact water to rice ratio I use, but I've never had a problem with crunchy brown rice.

Unless you are thinking of wild rice, which definitely has a different texture.

[KIN]

I'm definately thinking of brown rice. Maybe it wasn't exactly crunchy but much more firm?? I don't know! I added much more water than usual (1 cup rice to 4 cups water). I use a rice cooker, so I'm hoping it turns out o.k.! :)

[mamaof2andtwins]

Bake it in the oven. I never have crunchy brown rice. Boil water, salt and butter/oil on the stove. Pour boiling water mixture over rice that has been sprinkled in a casserole dish. Cover TIGHTLY with aluminum foil. I use heavy duty or two sheets of regular. Bake at 375 for 1 hour.

 

Oh, I use 1 cup of rice to 2.5 cups of water.

 

Jennie

[cjzimmer1]

Both the basmati and jasmine rice I have call for 2 parts water to 1 part rice. I've had crunchy rice when I didn't cook it long enough. It takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour for me. It is chewier than white rice though.

[buddhabelly]

We cook it on the stove top in a regular saucepan with tight-fitting lid. The lid is important because all the moisture will be absorbed into the rice, but if the moisture is allowed to steam out (evaporate) it won't turn out right.

 

I heat 1-3/4 cup (that's one and three-quarters cup) vegetable or chicken broth to a low boil. Then add exactly one level cup of brown rice. Bring back to a boil, then lower heat to "simmer" and put the cover on. Cook for 45 to 50 minutes (no peeking!), until all moisture is absorbed. Fluff it a little bit. Yumm, no butter or salt necessary! This is one of the ONLY foods that my son never complains about eating.

 

Actually I usually don't use ALL broth, but a total of 1-3/4 cup broth/water mixture. It usually depends on how much broth I have on hand. This is one of the only ways my son gets vegetables (from the cooking broth), so I use vegetable broth almost every time.

 

If you use a rice cooker, be sure you use their instructions for brown rice. White rice cooks completely differently. I've never used a rice cooker for brown rice, so I can't help you there.

 

Julie

[Laura Corin]

It shouldn't be crunchy. I use a ratio of 2:1 in my rice cooker and it comes out nice and soft.

 

Laura

[battlemaiden]

When I use my rice cooker I just use a bit more water than the measurements for white rice call for. It helps if I dot the rice with a few small pats of butter.

 

Jo

[Delighted3]

I usually soak the rice for about an hour and then after the rice cooker switches to warm, I wait for 15 minutes before opening the lid. My rice cooker doesn't have a brown rice setting, so not opening the lid for the extra 15 minutes lets brown rice cook for the extra time to get softer. If your rice cooker has a brown rice setting, then maybe just soaking the rice first will help it to have softer texture.

HTH,

Joy

[KarenNC]

2 cups water for each cup brown rice on the stove top, bring to a boil, cover and turn down to med low (around 2 on our stove), leave for 45 minutes and it comes out fine.

[Spy Car]

I'd suggest you try soaking the brown rice 18 hrs (or so).

 

Sprouting is claimed to enhance the nutritional value of the rice, and for certain it shortens cooking time (slightly) and it softens and improves the texture of brown rice (but does not make the rice "mushy").

 

I think you will find an over-night soak to your liking.

 

Bill

Edited January 20, 2009 by Spy Car

[Liz CA]

I alwyas use chicken broth to cook it, wit a very small amount of water if I am low on broth.

I cook it until the mosture is almost gone. It is never crunchy for us.

 

I never soak rice like legumes but I put whatever amount of rice in the pot, pour olive oil on to just cover it (not having the rice swim in it) and simmer it a little until it starts making popping noises. Then I add double the amount of water than I had rice and let it simmer for close to an hour or until all the liquid is gone. I add a little butter and broth to the water, as well as sea salt.

[Matryoshka]

I use a ratio of 2:1 water:rice in a pot with a tight fitting lid on the stover, bring to boil, simmer for 45 min always comes out great. Not crunchy. I always check at the very bottom of the pot (without stirring) to make sure all the water has been absorbed. If for some reason it hasn't, I give it another 5 min.

[Peela]

I make the recipe in Nourishing Traditions- i soak for a night or most of a day- several hours. Then I cook with a decent dob of butter, and salt. its yummy. the pre-soaking definitely helps it cook to a softer consistency that my family prefer. I cook mine in a rice cooker, but it takes over half an hour, wheras white rice is only 15 minutes.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

If you heat the rice, dry or with a little oil, in a skillet, before you cook it in water, it will cook better. I'm not sure why, but it helps get it past that "crunchy" texture.

[Peek a Boo]

I'd suggest you try soaking the brown rice 18 hrs (or so).

 

Sprouting is claimed to enhance the nutritional value of the rice, and for certain it shortens cooking time (slightly) and it softens and improves the texture of brown rice (but does not make the rice "mushy").

 

I think you will find an over-night soak to your liking.

 

Bill

 

our brown rice hasn't been crunchy since the first few trials, anyway, lol...., but I'm tempted to try this. My problem is we'd forget about it and come back to a rice jungle, LOL!

 

i agree it probably needs longer to cook and more moisture. I'm waiting to buy a pressure cooker :D

[susie in tx]

I soak mine in water and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Most of the Nourishing Traditions people use lemon, but I'm more likely to have the acv around. The point is to have an acid in there.

 

After soaking, I drain, put water or broth in to cover, heat to a boil and then simmer with the lid on. I'm a peeker, so I never know how long it takes. Once I started soaking, though, it didn't seem to matter that I peeked. Or peek, as the case may be.

[lvbnhome]

I also did not like brown rice, but that was because I always had LONG grain. I have found that the MEDIUM GRAIN is what my family likes best. SHORT grain brown rice is most often used in desserts, like a pudding. So, we like the medium grain, less chewy and just overall tastes better to us.

 

One tip I either got on this board or the old SL board is how to cook brown rice. Mine was ALWAYS sooooo crunchy or either I couldn't get it consistent enough, all the way through. So here's what I do. Now, just to encourage you...I did it tonight.. and it came out fluffy, like white rice.

 

1. Put 1 TB butter in a pan, add your rice and brown it. Not to burn it, but enough that you kind of toss and coat it, so it can brown for a few minutes.

 

2. Add BOILING water (from tea kettle, or microwaved water) to pan. Enough to cover plus about 1/2 inch above rice.

 

3. Put on a firm lid, turn heat down to simmer. Let rice steam on stove, until all water is evaporated. takes about 20-30 min.

 

This is how I cook brown rice now, and it is perfect EVERYtime.

 

White/Jasmine rice, I put in the rice cooker. that seems to work better for that kind of rice, for us.

Hope this helps you.

lacy