It is what I call real rice. The directions call for a 2 to 1 ratio, liquid to rice and begin it in cold water, bring to a boil and simmer covered for 45 minutes.....That NEVER works.I find I had to use 1 more cup of water and cook it for roughly i hr and 10 minutes.Recently I started to change up the directions; stir frying it with Coconut oil with chopped garlic and chopped onion, adding the broth liquid and simmering for 1 hr plus. Lately even doing that it has been CHEWY, good flavor but chewy. The last two times I have used a mixture of the blend and Brown Basmati Rice.Is it possible that the Basmati cannot be cooked the way I am trying? I would think over cooking would make it sticky.....Just curious to hear some other ways. And we are at about 5000 ft.Thanks

I live at sea level and I do just what the package says 2 to 1 and 45 minutes comes out great every time.

Wild rice is not "rice"- it's actually a grass whose grain head is consumed mostly by North Americans. It also grows in China, but there they use the stems as a vegetable and don't typically harvest/use the grain itself. Totally different grain, and as you've discovered needs different treatment when cooking.The rices themselves also vary wildly as to the best way to cook them. My advice is to look each one up on cooking websites having to do with foods/cooking for the region whatever rice you like is indigenous to.

I use an electric pressure cooker for rice/grains/beans. It's foolproof. Even the most stubborn grains, such as Farro come out perfect.

My $12 rice cooker cooks brown rise to perfection...

I use Alton Brown's method of baking rice. Comes out perfect every time, and I use a brown/ wild rice blend in bulk from Whole Foods. You can google it but basically I put a cup of rice in an oven proof bowl, add 2 1/8 cups boiling water, a pinch of salt, and a tsp of Evoo, and bake at 350 for about 45-50 min. It saved me from buying a pricy rice cooker. I bake it in a KitchenAid toaster oven so I don't even need to fire up the regular oven.

Question regarding cooking Long Grain Brown/Wild Rice

12 Replies

SWMO
Explorer
May 03, 2014
I've never had a problem with beans, but brown rice will go bad because of the oil in the bran and the germ. It is said that while it last months, white rice last years.They say it's best to refrigerate it. I can't say because we don't use it.
pigman1
Explorer
May 02, 2014
As far as wild rice is concerned, where you buy it and what you get makes a world of difference. The stuff you buy along the road for the least price will take half of forever to cook many times. The dark hard grains seem more plentiful and easy to gather, but do not cook up very easily. Try to go to a bit more expensive variety from another supplier.
Go_Dogs
Explorer
May 02, 2014
Brown rice goes rancid quickly, keep in fridge. Beans, too.
Super_Dave
Explorer
May 02, 2014
After a number of failed rice results doing what used to work, I discovered that rice does not have an indefinite shelf life. When my rice starts not turning out right and I go get a new bag of rice, it turns out. I can't explain it but have experienced it a couple of times. I don't use rice that often and it seems to expire on me.
swtgran
Explorer
May 02, 2014
Another pressure cooker user. Sometimes I use my little 3 cup Black and Decker rice cooker. Perfect every time. I think it was $6.
Go_Dogs
Explorer
May 02, 2014
In the electric pressure cooker, tough grains and brown rice is one cup to 1 1/2 liquid X 23 minutes at a high PSI. You can walk away from it, it kicks onto warm when it's done. Plus, the pressure cooker can be used for many different recipes from breakfast, dinner, desserts, etc.
Dick_B
Explorer
May 02, 2014
An internet search revealed that a ratio of 4 cups of water to one cup of rice yields good results. Here is a possible website which I found by doing a Google search: http://pinchmysalt.com/how-to-cook-perfect-brown-rice/
For such questions I would always do a Google search for a much wider audience.
Leo_Benson
Explorer
May 02, 2014
I use Alton Brown's method of baking rice. Comes out perfect every time, and I use a brown/ wild rice blend in bulk from Whole Foods. You can google it but basically I put a cup of rice in an oven proof bowl, add 2 1/8 cups boiling water, a pinch of salt, and a tsp of Evoo, and bake at 350 for about 45-50 min. It saved me from buying a pricy rice cooker. I bake it in a KitchenAid toaster oven so I don't even need to fire up the regular oven.
Johnworth914
Explorer
May 02, 2014
My $12 rice cooker cooks brown rise to perfection...
Go_Dogs
Explorer
May 02, 2014
I use an electric pressure cooker for rice/grains/beans. It's foolproof. Even the most stubborn grains, such as Farro come out perfect.