Home-Dried Instant Rice
Cook rice at home, dry it, and it rehydrates in the pot in ten minutes instead of twenty-five.
- calories
- 340
- weight
- 3 oz
- cal / oz
- 113
- protein
- 7 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 30 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total time
- 40 min
- water
- 300 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Liquid fuel
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Bikepacking
- Winter / snow
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Dehydrate ahead
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Long grain white or brown rice | 1 cup dry | basmati dries in separate grains instead of clumping |
|---|---|---|
| Water for cooking | per package directions | all of it should be absorbed |
| Salt | 1/4 tsp | optional, in the cooking water |
| Water at camp | 300 ml per serving |
Method
- At home: cook the rice until every drop of liquid is gone. A rice cooker or pressure cooker gives you the most separate grains.
- Move the rice onto lined dehydrator trays while it is still steaming. Do not let it sit and cool on the counter.
- Spread it thin and break up any clumps with a fork.
- Dry at 150°F until the grains are hard, dry, and rattle on the tray. Figure on 6 to 8 hours; brown rice takes longer.
- Cool completely, then store in a sealed bag or jar.
- At camp: boil 300 ml of water per serving, dump the rice in, and take it off the heat.
- Cover and let it sit 8 to 10 minutes. Stir once at the end. If it is still firm, add a splash of hot water and wait longer.
Rice is cheap, keeps forever, and takes twenty-five minutes of simmering that a backpacking stove cannot afford. Drying cooked rice moves that fuel cost into your kitchen. What you carry is already cooked, so the pot only has to rehydrate it, and the stove can go out the moment the water boils.
The safety part is not optional. Uncooked rice carries Bacillus cereus spores that survive the pot, and they multiply fast in rice sitting at room temperature. Load the trays while the rice is still steaming and dry at 150°F or higher, so it never idles in that window. Dry until the grains are genuinely hard, not just cool to the touch. Any soft grain is moisture that will spoil the bag.
Packing
Portion the dried rice into single-serving bags before the trip. It weighs the same as raw rice but burns far less fuel, which is the whole point.
Variations
- Quinoa, couscous-style small grains, and brown rice all dry the same way.
- Dry the rice mixed with a bouillon cube's worth of powder so camp dinner is one bag.
- Pair with a foil pouch of tuna or a packet of refried bean flakes for a full dinner.
https://www.thepurposefulpantry.com/diy-instant-rice-with-a-dehydrator