If you’ve read our Arsenic in Rice post, you might be wondering whether you should give up rice entirely. Fortunately, research suggests there’s a way to cook rice to significantly reduce the arsenic content, by as much as 40-70%. As arsenic is water soluble, the method involves soaking the rice first and cooking it in an excess of water. By following these recommendations, you and your family can continue enjoying rice, such as in our Spinach, Feta and Rice Bake.
Ingredients
Rice
Filtered water
Method
- First, soak your rice for 8-10 hours in a large saucepan full of water. Ensure the rice is well covered by a good few inches of water.
- After soaking, drain off the water and rinse the rice.
- Add filtered water to the saucepan in a 6:1 ratio, meaning if you started with 1 cup of dry rice, add 6 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil and cooked uncovered until cooked through.
- Drain off the excess water and rinse well before serving.
So now you and your family can enjoy rice whilst minimising your intake of arsenic. You might even like to try it in our delicious Spinach, Feta and Brown Rice Slice! To speed up the process, you can always prepare a big batch in advance, drain it well and freeze the cooked rice in smaller portions. That way, when you need rice for dinner, you can just defrost a prepared portion ahead of time.
