Ratio of water to rice. This is the area where most people have trouble cooking rice. Most rice is perfectly cooked when the final moisture content is between 58% and 64% moisture. At lower moisture contents, the rice is firmer. The final moisture content is a matter of preference and preference can differ with the type of rice and final cooked application. The math is very simple; 100 grams of rice with a starting moisture content of 12% needs 110 grams of water to be fully cooked at 58% moisture. 100 grams of rice with a starting moisture of 12% needs 145 grams of water to be fully cooked at 64% moisture. One cup of rice weighs about 205 grams. The same cup of water weights about 240 grams. If no water is lost in the cooking process, one cup of water is enough to cook one cup of rice, and yet most recipes call for two cups of water to one cup of rice.
It all comes down to how much water is lost in the cooking process. This is a matter of time required to cook and the nature of the cooking container
The rice cooker. The rice cooker does a great job of handling all of these processes. The rice can be placed in the cooker one hour early to soak. (most people skip this process). When the cooker is turned on, the blanching process starts. As the water level drops, the upper layers of rice get steamed. The rice steams in the cooker until temperatures exceed 212 and the cooker cuts off. Vapor and water cannot exceed the temperature of 212, and so the cooker knows all water is gone when the temperature exceeds this level. (The secret of how the cooker knows the rice is ready.)
). Can't wait for fresh wild blueberry ice cream.
