Uses for rice water?

Any good ideas for using up the milky water that normally goes down the drain when rinsing rice?

Amanda Sims
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8 Comments

Smaug
Smaug August 17, 2015
Basmati rice is traditionally polished with talc, so best to keep the rinse water for plants. Probably the best idea, anyway- small amounts of starch in the water won't really help anything in the kitchen, it just adds a minor random element (the notion of thickening sauces with pasta water has always cracked me up).
 
Amanda S.
Amanda S. August 17, 2015
Ah, talc! That's very helpful to know. And it sounds like that wouldn't harm the plants.
 
702551
702551 August 17, 2015
You can use it to blanch veggies or boiling pasta.

Personally, I don't bother. I just use it to water plants.
 
702551
702551 August 17, 2015
Same thing with bean water.

I could freeze it to add to stock later, but that's too much of a hassle. I'll use it in the kitchen if I have an immediate use for it, otherwise the plants get it.

Unless you're a starving peasant, life's too short to worry about stuff like this.
 
HalfPint
HalfPint August 17, 2015
My mother used rice water whenever she made pickled mustard greens. This recipe mentions using rice rinse water when making these pickles, it's really fascinating: http://www.thaitable.com/thai/recipe/pickled-mustard

 
HalfPint
HalfPint August 17, 2015
I also found some other uses for rice rinse water:
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/11/22/beautiful-faces-and-floors-five-great-ways-to-reuse-the-water-from-rinsing-rice/
 
Amanda S.
Amanda S. August 17, 2015
@HalfPint—I am very fascinated by that article. Thanks for sending!
 
Susan W.
Susan W. August 16, 2015
My mom, who lives in San Diego, rinsed her rice into a big pot and pours the water onto her avocado trees. I'm sure you are looking for a culinary use. Can't wait to see the responses.
 
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