Tip for Making Perfect Rice

I must admit, I only cooked with instant rice when I got married because I could never get long-grain rice to turn out. I wasn’t always happy with instant rice, though, because it has a different texture. So, I set out to conquer the world of slow-cook long-grain rice, and after several attempts I am happy to report that I prevailed. Here’s the trick to making perfect rice:

heaping cup(s) rice
scant cup(s) water
1 T butter
1 t salt

Decide how much rice you need based on the chart on the box/bag of rice. (When making rice, always measure twice as much water as rice.) Here’s the trick: measure the rice using “heaping” cups and measure the water using “scant” cups. Pour both into pan; add butter and salt. Stir. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir again. It should look like this:

Cover with tight-fitting lid and turn heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes on low. Remove from heat, keeping lid on pan, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.