Naturopathic Control: Rice Starch DIY

Uses & Benefits of Rice Starch

rice starch may be used in cosmetic preparations like hair shampoo, skin creams and soaps.
rice starch may help to control excess oil in oily skin.
removing the starch allows you to prepare edible rice that is more suitable for anyone concerned with reducing blood sugar levels, like diabetics.

To make rice starch, you will need the following.

rice, raw, organic & dry
water, COLD (NOT hot)*, roughly 10 times the weight of the dry rice
stick blender. If you use hot water or cook the rice, the non-starch parts of the rice will combine with the starch to the extent that makes it too hard to separate.
cheese cloth or other substitute made of cotton like a thin bandana
a large jug (for blending the rice and water and then for allowing the starch to settle)
a large 'catchment' container (to catch the strained off water and starch). I prefer a tall transparent jug. However, any large container will suffice.
dehumidification:

dehumidifier -- or --
baking sheet, good ventilation and sunlight on a dry day

storage container

Steps for making of Rice Starch

wash rice until water rinses clean. Ex 100g rice
fully immerse and soak in COLD water for roughly 45 minutes. Dry rice can be easily blended in water. However, from within roughly 20 minutes of being soaked, most types of rice begin to absorb water. This absorption helps the blending process necessary for extracting the maximum amount of starch. In fact, my first very successful attempt at this process was with rice flour that I had made previously. Soaking the flour before and after blending it endlessly likely helped considerably. Regarding the water, depending on your container, roughly 3 times the weight of the dry rice should suffice. Do NOT cook the rice or use hot water (see reason above*). Ex 300g COLD water
stick blend until the water becomes milky and the rice feels like very coarse sand.
Add more water (roughly 7 times the weight of the dry rice) and allow it to soak for an additional hour. Ex 700g COLD water.
stick blend again until very smooth. I used the highest setting on my blender to really breakdown the rice, even when I was starting with dry rice flour.
(The milky water contains the starch). Very GENTLY pass the liquid through a cloth. Stretch the cloth above the catchment container and drag a spoon back and forth as the liquid drains through the cloth. I successfully did this process with a cotton wrap, which is the same type of fabric used for making light weight bandanas or handkerchiefs. Other common types of cloth include a nut milk cloth or cheese cloth and into the catchment container. Do not wring the cloth as this is likely to rip it. I keep the cloth moderately taut by tying its ends in a knot on one side of underneath the catchment container.
To maximize your starch harvest, you may add more water to the remaining rice solids in the strainer and repeat the straining process.
cover the milky water and allow starch to settle for roughly 2 hours.
Rinse the starch as many times as necessary until the water above is clear. Even though the water is very milky and opaque, you should see the starch begin to settle within a few minutes. However, ensure the water becomes clear by rinsing the starch. To rinse the starch, drain off the milky water and then stir in fresh water with the settled starch. Repeat this step until the water becomes clear. (The remaining solid rice grains can be cooked with much less water than normal and seasoned to make rice that is low carbohydrate / starch-free and therefore more suitable for diabetics than otherwise).
pour off water and transfer to baking tray
allow to dry slowly in a dehydrator or the sun. Beware, applying to much heat that resembles cooking can result in a gelatinous effect. Rice starch becomes irreversibly gelatinous if combined with water and heat.
pulverize by blending the caked starch and then sift into a storage container. The amount of starch rendered is roughly 20% of the weight of the dry rice. Ex 20g rice starch.