[ricardobeat]

Wait, how long would you soak rice to make it edible? I’d imagine it’s longer than 24 hours.

[s0rce]

I don't think you'll ever get the same texture without heat due to lack of starch gelatinization.

[qbasic_forever]

Backpackers typically use parcooked instant rice. Anywhere from like 30 minutes to all day will make it soft. A lot of folks put their cold soaking food in water at the start of the day so it gets jostled around and softened all day as they hike.

[WastingMyTime89]

It doesn’t work very well with rice. It’s one of the worst thing to take while backpacking. It doesn’t soak well. It takes a long time to soften while cooking and it’s not very good when it’s slightly undercooked.

[hidelooktropic]

It will get moldy before it ever gets cooked. Learn from my fail.

[OJFord]

No mould will grow on soaking (i.e. submersed) rice.

[ghostly_s]

Confidently dismissing someone else's firsthand experience, exactly the level of intelligent conversation this site is renown for.

[gsk22]

Yes, much better to blindly believe an anecdote that contradicts known food science.

[moron4hire]

Mold can definitely grow on the surface of liquids. Have you never left a cup of coffee out on a counter for a few days?

[BenjiWiebe]

It can grow on the surface, but won't be able to grow on submerged rice. Bacteria could still ferment the rice though.

[tsol]

Why would you think that? It's water and starch. Everything a growing bacteria needs.

[BenjiWiebe]

Their point is just that the mold will only grow on the surface, not the submerged rice. Mold needs air, too.

[mixmastamyk]

Mold is a fungus.

[Exmoor]

I've never done it by timer, but a quick search indicates about 90 minutes should be good. I'm always pressed for time and just let it soak while I set up camp, so its usually a little crunchy still when I'm done.

[OJFord]

What are we calling 'edible'? I soak rice a minimum of 30m before cooking, I've definitely ended up leaving it longer than 90m on several occasions, I wouldn't just eat it without cooking as a result.

[_whiteCaps_]

Typically you'd use instant / minute rice when backpacking.

[Scoundreller]

I'd imagine the pressure-cooked (ie: autoclaved) ready-to-eat products like Uncle Ben's Express (or whatever they renamed it) will take over a lot of this, at least for those not on a serious budget.