Clever uses for rice
Inexpensive, filling and delicious – rice is a staple of households around the world.
But it’s useful for so much more than cooking dinner – here are a few of our favourite clever uses for rice.
Dry out electronics
Accidentally drop your smartphone in the sink or spill water time is of the essence – water can fry the electrical components inside your phone. Drop it in a bowl or bag of rice and leave for a couple of days. The rice will absorb as much moisture as possible, reducing the likelihood of a ruined phone!
Make a heating or cooling pad
You can make a useful heating or cooling pad with some fabric and a bag of rice. Sew a simple fabric pouch – or, even simpler, repurpose an old tube sock and tie the end or sew it together. Fill the pouch or sock with rice and seal. You can leave it in the freezer then use as a cooling pad, or put in the microwave for a minute or two for a heating pad that stays warm up to an hour.
Prevent rust in your toolbox
Moisture in your garden shed or garage can encourage rust to form on your tools. Try this trick instead – sprinkle a few grains of rice into the tray of your toolbox and leave them there. If moisture does get in, the rice will absorb it and help prevent rust from forming.
Blind bake your pastry
Forget expensive pastry beans. In a pinch, rice works in the exact same way. It’s cheap and can be used and reused several times.
Ripen fruit
Uncooked rice can help ripen fruit faster. Place rice in the bottom of your fruit bowl to help encourage it to ripen. Or, if you need it even faster, fill a Tupperware container with rice, place your fruit inside, then seal the lid. You’ll be amazed how quickly it does the trick!
Test the oil temperature for frying
If you find your thermometer is unreliable when heating oil for frying, this old trick will help you figure out when the oil is hot enough to cook with. Drop a single grain of rice into the oil – if it rises to the top and begins cooking, the oil is ready to use.
Sharpen blender blades
Blender blades will dull over time and can be tricky to sharpen. This simple trick will make them much more effective. Fill the blender with uncooked rice – about a half cup should be fine – then turn the blender on and let it run for roughly two minutes.
Do you know any clever tricks for uncooked rice? Share your wisdom in the comments below!
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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