F**king brown rice.

[Chan790]

Instructions say: bring water to a boil, add rice, reduce to a low simmer and simmer for 40-45 minutes.

It's been 1 hour, the rice is still al-dente and there's still water in the pan...oh and it's boiling away even at the lowest stovetop setting so I know it's not too low.

This is why I stick to Minute Rice.

[Enrique]

1. do you have it covered?

brown rice takes a long time, but 1 hr seems long...

[Chan790]

2. Yes. I do.

Shouldn't I?

I think it's the rice, It's bin rice from the local organic grocery and this is not the first time I've had an issue with it...I also threw some in a soup I was making about 4 months ago and it came out chewy. I just assumed I hadn't cooked it long enough.

[Kaleva]

6. I add the rice to the soup after the rice is done.

[Enrique]

16. it could possibly be the rice's fault

with cooking beans, if they are too old then you can boil them forever and they will never get soft.

Regarding chewy, there's no way around that, that is a characteristic of brown rice, it will never have the fluffy texture of white rice.

[Chan790]

18. By chewy...I mean like undercooked pasta.

glutinous and crunchy in the middles.

[Systematic Chaos]

46. That must be some very old rice, then.

I eat brown rice several times a month, with lots of veggies and low sodium soy sauce and a dash of chili garlic paste.

Never had some that wouldn't cook through, but once from the dollar store we got some that had a shitload of those un-chewable outer husks in it. We barely avoided wasting a couple pounds of rice with that batch.

But don't lose faith! Brown rice is one of the healthiest and most complete foods you can eat, second only to potatoes.

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. It should be done by now. I cook brown rice all the time.

[fishwax]

4. It's weird that it is still boiling at low

I usually reduce to a little below medium low, cover the pot, and leave it on for 32 minutes. At that point I check to see if any water is left; usually it needs another 3-5 minutes.

How much water did you put in? I'm still confused as to why the water would still be boiling. Unless you're in Leadville, Colorado, or someplace like that

[Chan790]

5. 2 cups water, 1 cup brown rice.

No. Montgomery County, MD, county water lines.

I just checked on it, still got water, still chewy...getting closer. At this rate, it's going to be 90 minute rice.

[madinmaryland]

29. We use jasmine rice, and it is damn near fool proof. Bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Doesn't matter about the water to rice ratio. It will be done in 20-25 minutes.

[MiddleFingerMom]

7. Though I would prefer the fiber and nutrients in brown rice...

.
.
.
... I've never had much luck preparing it (and white rice is virtually mistakeproof for me).
.
.
It just hasn't been very enjoyable, so I stopped trying and get my fiber and nutrients
elsewhere (HELLLLO, raisin bran!!! ).
.
.
.

[Phentex]

35. Same here!

I don't make white rice at all and will still make brown but I'd rather not eat rice at all at this point. I don't even find the fiber or nutrition all that great in the brown either.

[kurtzapril4]

38. I cook rice like I cook pasta

I use a lot of water. Don't have to cover it. I boil it the amount of time it says on the directions. Then I drain it. Rice always comes out fluffy and light.

[MiddleFingerMom]

39. I think I read a recipe that called for that long ago -- I'm going to have to try it. Thanks.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. The trick to rice: begin the time when the water is boiling.

And do not raise the lid under penalty of dea--uncooked rice.

[Flaxbee]

9. Microwave: 10 minutes high, 20 minutes 50% power. Done.

Maybe another 2-3 minutes on high after that.

Works for me every time.

I do realize some people think microwaving is a sin, but it's the ONLY way I will ever prepare brown rice.

[Chan790]

11. I wish I'd known that method before I started.

I'm not a microwaver, but for this PITA I'll make an exception.

[Flaxbee]

22. It really makes a huge difference. This is for one cup of rice to 3 cups of water...

the 2-3 extra minutes at the end are to sometimes just zap off any excess water... not to finish cooking the rice, which after 30 minutes at two power levels is usually just about perfect (to my taste, anyway).

[struggle4progress]

10. I've started doing my rice in a double boiler

It's gonna take forever anyway

[panader0]

12. My brown rice turns out great.

Bring two cups of water to a boil. Add a bit of butter or oil (I use safflower oil), and a sprinkle of salt. Add one cup of rice. I like short grain organic rice, it has a nutty flavor. Return to boil. Cover. Reduce heat to low. Open in 45 minutes. Perfect.

[Chan790]

13. That's pretty much the instructions I have.

At the 45 minute mark, I had water in the pan.

Now I have no water and the rice is uncooked still. I'm going to add more water and nuke it.

[noamnety]

14. I'm going through this with oatmeal.

My store had steel cut oats at 50 cents a pound, so I thought I'd try them. Geeeez, it turned a 3 minute project into an overnight ordeal if I want oatmeal for breakfast. The kicker is it's not even any healthier. WHY DID I DO THIS???

[Chan790]

15. No idea.

Really. I'm nuking the rice with an additional 1/2C of water for 10minutes. If it comes out hard still, I'm throwing it away and going to Little Caesar's for a $5 pie.

[Ikonoklast]

36. Look, just because you are having some difficulty cooking some brown rice doesn't mean you should

then go out and commit dietary suicide.

You have friends here.

[pokerfan]

40. I love steel cut oats

and my store also has them in bulk for fifty cents a pound which is about three servings. Thanks to Roger Ebert, I also make my oatmeal in the rice cooker. I add bananas, blueberries, chopped dates, raisins, whatever is handy.

Breakfast good for the rest of your life. Start with oatmeal. I like the stone-ground organic oatmeal. Put in as much as you need, and the specified amount of water. The water is important. I like my oatmeal a little al dente. You may like yours a little softer. With experience you can make small adjustments in the amount of water.

Slice your bananas, your peaches, your applies, pears, plums, apricots, strawberries, your Kiwi. Throw in your blueberries, your blackberries, your boysenberries, your this berry, your that berry. Drop in maybe a couple dried prunes. No, stupid. Not all the fruits at once. We're making breakfast, not fruit compote. Let's say two fruits together are nice. Bananas and peaches make Peaches 'n Cream.

While you're doing this, your oatmeal is already cooking. Figure out the hard way when to add the fruit to the Pot so it tastes the best and doesn't get all boiled to death on you.

[luv_mykatz]

17. I use a different technique.

I use 3 cups of water to 2 cups of brown rice.

Bring it to a boil.

Boil uncovered until water is just below the surface of the rice, and steam vents appear on the top of it.

Now, lower the heat to low, and cook covered until water is absorbed, about 12-13 minutes.

Fluff with a fork, and eat. Yum!

I also rinse the rice with cold water, 3 times before adding the water for cooking. This removes excess starch. I got this technique out of a Chinese food cook book. Works for me.

[pokerfan]

19. I cheat

Add rice and water. Push the lever. Rings a bell and switches to keep warm mode when done. Doubles as a food steamer.

[Chan790]

21. I had one.

My roommate's mother thought it was a crockpot and ruined it.

[Yavin4]

20. Nice Post, John McCain n/t

[MrScorpio]

23. I like al dente

I eat brown rice all the time… Love it

[Brickbat]

24. I have that problem with quinoa.

Takes all afternoon. It's ridiculous.

[GoCubsGo]

32. Maybe your heat is too low when you simmer.

It should only take about 20 minutes after it hits boiling. Simmer 15 minutes, and let it sit, covered, for 5 more. You could also be using too much water. It should be 2:1 water to quinoa.

[Art_from_Ark]

43. I agree-- about 20 minutes should be long enough

I actually followed the directions the first time I cooked brown rice and half of it ended up black and stuck to the pot.

[Phentex]

34. I have the opposite problem...

I seem to need more water and less cooking time. Odd.

I tried lowering the heat to see if it helps but it seems to be hit or miss.

Wonder why yours is slow?

[mykpart]

25. I just can't eat brown rice.

I've tried it several times, but I still like the fluffy white stuff. I buy Uncle Bens, because Adele Davis said it really did have more nutrients than regular white rice, so even if it has a racist picture on the box, that's what I eat, and I apologize to everyone for it.

[pokerfan]

31. I eat brown rice for the nutrition

but when I want something decadent I make rice cooker risotto. I've used this recipe:

I LOVE risotto, but I don’t love babysitting it on the stovetop to make sure it’s not charring itself to the bottom of the pan. Enter the rice cooker. Now risotto couldn’t be easier. Follow this basic recipe and add whatever extras you like.

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (Pearl rice also works)
4 1/2 cups chicken stock, heated (or 5 chicken bullion cubes dissolved in 4.5 cups hot water)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
vegetables you might want to add (optional)

Put the rice and heated chicken stock into the rice cooker. (The stock must be hot so that it can get right to boiling once the cooker has warmed up.)

The cooking time is one cook-cycle plus 10 minutes. So set it to cook, and then once the bell goes and it switches to “warm”, just let it set another 10 minutes without lifting the lid.

I often like to add some mushrooms, onions, and any veggies I might have in the house. So in the meantime, I cut them up and sauté them a bit in olive oil.

http://tastyplanner.com/recipes/rice-cooker-risotto

[cantbeserious]

26. Rice Cooker Is Your Friend - Highly Recommended!

[pokerfan]

30. Roger Ebert agrees

First, get the Pot. You need the simplest rice cooker made. It comes with two speeds: Cook, and Warm. Not expensive. Now you're all set to cook meals for the rest of your life on two square feet of counter space, plus a chopping block. No, I am not putting you on the Rice Diet. Eat what you like. I am thinking of you, student in your dorm room. You, solitary writer, artist, musician, potter, plumber, builder, hermit. You, parents with kids. You, night watchman. You, obsessed computer programmer or weary web-worker. You, lovers who like to cook together but don't want to put anything in the oven. You, in the witness protection program. You, nutritional wingnut. You, in a wheelchair.

And you, serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. You, person on a small budget who wants healthy food. You, shut-in. You, recovering campaign worker. You, movie critic at Sundance. You, sex worker waiting for the phone to ring. You, factory worker sick of frozen meals. You, people in Werner Herzog's documentary about life at the South Pole. You, early riser skipping breakfast. You, teenager home alone. You, rabbi, pastor, priest,, nun, waitress, community organizer, monk, nurse, starving actor, taxi driver, long-haul driver. Yes, you, reader of the second-best best-written blog on the internet.

Read the rest: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/11/the_pot_and_how_to_use_it.html

[canoeist52]

27. We make it about once a week.

1 +1/2 cups rice to 3 cups cold water add salt and butter as desired. Start it all cold on high 'til it boils - stir it once to mix salt. Cover tightly and steam on the lowest setting for 50 minutes without checking or stirring it (very important) . After 50 minutes, I check it ever 5 min. Usually done by an hour.

[Lisa D]

28. Here's my never-fail brown rice recipe, courtesy of Alton Brown

Baked Brown Rice
1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or may use veg. oil)
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish.

Bring the water, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-brown-rice-recipe/index.html

[siligut]

33. Brown rice is high in insoluble fiber and B vitamins

I think you bought crap rice, sorry. Buy Lundberg brown rice in a bag next time. I ate a whole lot of brown rice when I was a poor college student, I haven't been as healthy since.

[Throd]

37. The best way to make brown rice is to throw it away and make Thai long grain jasmine rice.

Brown rice tastes like a wet paper bag.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

41. brown rice is hard to make

though i tend to make it the same way i make it with vegetable stock which makes the rice taste better.

[warrior1]

42. what's your altitude?

[OriginalGeek]

44. True Story: I was married before I knew what brown rice was

All my life growing up my mom would make brown rice. It wasn't until I was married and eating my wife's cooking that I found out there was rice that was brown.

My mom called it brown rice but all it was was white rice that she had fried in butter for a minute, added 2 cubes of beef bullion and then the water. It came out brown and that's what I thought was brown rice.


I nearly got couched the first time my wife served me "brown rice" - I took a mouthful expecting mom's brown rice and was unpleasantly surprised and shouted "WTF is this?!" There was no beefy goodness - just brown ricey taste. I like it now but that was a bity of a shock back then. Took some fast 'splainin' to keep me in home cooked meals...


And don;t even get me started on dessert brown rice...my dad used to make that for me when I was really little - while the rice is still hot, dump in butter and brown sugar and mix till it's all melted and sticky and gooey...damn, now I'm hungry...

[riderinthestorm]

45. My pot 'o brown rice disaster is sitting on the stove as we speak.

90 min later I presume its done. I can't be bothered to check since we ate 40 minutes ago WITHOUT the fucking rice!

My husband will eat that gelatinous mess and claim to like it.

The rest of us never can wait it out so we go ahead and eat dinner without it. I only make it occasionally to pacify my husband otherwise we stick to white rice.

I hope he does manage to wade through the 3 cups sometime in the next few days or its got to go in some soup or something.

But I totally hear you. Its a pain in a pot on a stovetop....

[JCMach1]

47. Rice Steamer....!

Plus always remember it will be a bit crunchier because it has the shell on.