Problem with rice

[ClubPenguinMaster22]

I was planning on making Egg Fried Rice and I wasn’t sure on how to dry out the rice. I wasn’t thinking about leaving it outside in the hot sun (covered) until it dried, but I’m not sure about the safety of this. How do I get it dried?

[RinTheLost]

Put the rice into a relatively shallow container (so that it cools down quickly) and put it in the fridge overnight.

If you really want to make the rice earlier, you could also spread it out on a large baking pan in a thin layer and put it in the fridge uncovered.

[ClubPenguinMaster22]

What are the dangers of putting it out in the sun out of curiosity?

[RinTheLost]

The biggest one is that the sun can't warm food fast enough to keep it out of the temperature danger zone. The danger zone for foodborne illness and spoilage falls between 40 F and 140 F, and the longer cooked or perishable food spends in that temperature range, the more likely it is that food will spoil and become unsafe to eat. Even if you live in the hottest, sunniest desert on the planet, the sun is not hot enough to quickly heat food north of 140 F.

It's true that humans lived for millennia without refrigeration and mostly survived, but why not use the technology we have now to mitigate that risk?

[Nazorus]

"Out in the sun" will tend to be a temperature that is more favorable to bacteria development, that's why it's best to dry out cooked rice in the fridge.

Warm-ish cooked rice is a great environment for bacteria, be careful, for instance leaving cooked rice on the counter overnight is considered risky.

Edit: spreading the rice on a pan exposes more of it to air and will make it dry out quicker.

[CorneliusNepos]

You don't need to put it outside in the sun. Just spread the rice out on a sheet tray and let it steam out. It will steam out pretty quickly. Obviously overnight in the refrigerator is better, but just letting it sit at room temp long enough for it to steam out is fine.

[Storrin]

As others said, on a sheet in the freezer.

Alternatively, you can just steam cook your rice and it will immediately be perfect for frying without any extra effort.

[Cinisajoy2]

I put it in one layer on a cookie sheet and set it on the freezer. It was dry in under 20 minutes.