# Wild Rice=worms When Cooked???



## LEFSElover

EEK GADS!

This is the third time I've made wild rice that when it hits the hot oil, these little thingies come out and curl up.  

DH asked me to do a casserole for him for work lunchean tomorrow so I'm doing it today, so all he has to do it take it out of the frig in the morning and go, not wait on me to finish it.  It's a Hawaiian ham/pineapple/wild rice/mango/papaya/white rice dish with orange jam/soy/ginger/pineapple vinegar.  Anyway, in putting the wild rice in the hot oil, much of it exploded.  What's up with that?  I've tossed 3 purchases so far, bought it in bulk, in Canada this weekend.  OH PLEASE STEER ME with what's wrong with it or if it's not, in fact, worms...someone please tell me so, is there something inside of wild rice that does this? HELP!
Because until I hear from someone, it's staying in the pot, then it'll get tossed too​


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## Alix

Lefse, when wild rice cooks, it breaks the outer black husk and curls up. Could it be that it just LOOKS like worms?


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## LEFSElover

Alix said:


> Lefse, when wild rice cooks, it breaks the outer black husk and curls up. Could it be that it just LOOKS like worms?


Oh yes, it could be that it just looks like worms.  But always when I've bought it before, it's been in like an Uncle Ben's zipper bag with regular rice and it's flavored, all I do is add water to that.  Never noticed it happening in the prepared stuff but really, this would be the 3 toss out I've done and it's too expensive for that.  Yes, the husks did [some of them anyway] break, I can see that...........so it's safe then?


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## Maverick2272

Aside from the fact that this completely grossed me out after reading it..... It would completely freak me out if this happened to me... wife says maybe the oil was too hot so instead of splitting open (as Alix said) it did more of the explosion thing and then the inside shrunk fast in the hot oil causing it to appear curled up.
Either that or the place you bought it from has some serious explaining to do!


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## Alix

LEFSElover said:


> Oh yes, it could be that it just looks like worms.  But always when I've bought it before, it's been in like an Uncle Ben's zipper bag with regular rice and it's flavored, all I do is add water to that.  Never noticed it happening in the prepared stuff but really, this would be the 3 toss out I've done and it's too expensive for that.  Yes, the husks did [some of them anyway] break, I can see that...........so it's safe then?



I think so. I make wild rice on its own all the time and it does what you describe and there are no worms in it. Just the outer black husk breaking and then sort of curling up backwards. Its all fine. Likely the exploding was as Maverick says, product of too much heat too fast. I think you are OK. The worms would not be inside the rice grains, but rather inside the bag next to the grains. Does that make sense? (I am on cold meds and might be babbling!)


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## LEFSElover

Okay, thanks guys.  It's safe then.  I have had this in the refrig, so never out in the warm so 'they' could form.  And no, not in the bag at all, just appeared in the wild rice or so I thought, continuing on with the casserole now.
Again, thanks folks.....


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## Alix

Let us know how the casserole is! (Is it Stampede Casserole by any chance? Thats a personal favorite of mine)


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## Katie H

Been cooking wild rice for years and, yes, it can curl.  I have a friend who is a Chippewa Indian who has given me tons of the wonderful stuff.  Just be sure to wash the real wild rice well before cooking.

The Uncle  Ben's stuff is so "not"  wild rice.  Try to stay away from it.  Real wild rice is available at most Wal-Mart stores.  If not, check out the Internet.  You won't be dissapointed.


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## jpmcgrew

I think Quinoa does the same thing when its cooked it gets a little white curly tail perfectly natural in fact thats how you tell its finally cooked enough.


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## LEFSElover

Alix said:


> Let us know how the casserole is! (Is it Stampede Casserole by any chance? Thats a personal favorite of mine)


Um, don't know what that is.  It's just a twist on a recipe handed down through the years, with as usual, my twist to make it cultural, as it's a Polanesian day celebration for a coworker who's retiring.
Oh do tell, what's stampede casserole?


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## Alix

I'll post it for you later. I have to find it first.


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## sparrowgrass

My kids wouldn't eat wild rice for just that reason--"Looks like bugs, Mom, I am NOT eating that."

Too bad, more for me.

I have friends in Ely Minnesota who mail me rice from time to time--they can buy a five pound bag for $22.

You can order it from Mealey's in Ely:  Mealey's Gift and Sauna Shop - Home

Do a search for wild rice on that site.


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## buckytom

more worms, please.

i love wild rice, and better yet, the stories of how it was manually harvested by the native americans. i've used similar techniques with my canoe and wild mountain-lake blueberries.

uncle ben's is made from soylent green, btw.


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## Alix

buckytom said:


> uncle ben's is made from soylent green, btw.



You're kidding right?


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## Michael in FtW

Actually, if you read the label on the Uncle Ben's box ... it's "Long Grain and Wild Rice" with herbs. I have a couple of dishes I make using it because straight wild rice would be too heavy. 

Actually, LEFSElover - they are not worms - they are maggots. Just look at the size! Worms would be bigger. 

All silliness aside - when you add uncooked rice to a pot with hot oil - the moisture in the "rice" will rapidly expand and "pop" (the same thing that happens in pop-corn). This is how I start off my pilafs ... I saute onion and maybe some garlic, then when I add the rice I stir it around to make sure it is coated with fat and when the first few grains start to pop - that's when I add my stock.


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## licia

I had a similar thing happen to me many years ago.  My mom always made the best Great Northern Beans, so I thought I would make some. The problem was I was working and didn't have the time in one night to cook them properly, so I cooked them most of the way one night and refrigerated them. The next night I started to finish them for dinner only to see little pink worm looking things on top. I thought they were bad so I tossed them. When I told my mom, she said it was the eyes of the beans that separate and rise to the top. I suppose because they were refrigerated, it was more evident than a complete cooking cycle would have been.


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## quicksilver

_ I was perusing some of these older threads and found this one. I used to like wild rice mixed with white and brown.  But now??????????????????_​__ 
_       The next time you decide to make this, post in_
_  "What Are You Cooking Today?"_​__ 
*          "WORMS!!!!!"*  bet you get a good response, again!

_Ha,ha!_​


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## Constance

Alix, did you ever post your recipe for Stampede Casserole?


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## Alix

Here it is.


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## Robo410

1) oil is not water...wild rice into hot water is different from wild rice into hot oil

2) Uncle Ben's product has been parboiled already so it cooks in less time etc but also the husk has been conditioned.

3) wild rice is not a grain but a grass so it acts differently from other rices going into hot oil.

so I doubt it is worms as wild rice is grown in watery wetlands.  cook some in water and see what you see.  

if they are worms, it's just extra protein...perfectly safe.  (just kidding)


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## LEFSElover

I am continually amazed at how smart you guys all are.
 I had forgotten about this thread and am now in the unsubscribe mode and deleting a bunch of threads I have gathered up in my CP. So happy I came back to this cause as usual, I learned so much more from the fine folks here.
  Alix, thanks for posting, I had wondered about it too.
 It is very similar to the one I have done before but mine added sour cream at the end of the cooking time before baking and didn't contain the curry.  Crazy as it sounds cause it's so easy, this is one of my husbands favorites.
  So glad you found the recipe, thanks........​


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