Preserving Rice

Golgo13 · Heavy Crude Joined: Dec 13, 2004 Posts: 215

So I've been considering stocking up some white rice (as opposed to brown rice, which expires much quicker) and I'm looking for preservation techniques to keep it lasting. What would be a good, cost-effective means of storing large quantities of this grain?

I recall reading that white rice, hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, can last 8-10 years at a stable temperature of 70 degrees F. The problem I'm having is figuring out a way to hermetically seal large quantities of rice. Anybody know of a way to do this?

Specop_007 · Expert Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 6092

Mylar bags like this
http://www.sorbentsystems.com/mylar.html

Oxygen absorbers like this
http://waltonfeed.com/oxy.html

You can find guides like this
http://www.survivalunlimited.com/foodstorage/mylarsealing.htm

You can also use diatomaceous earth to kill bugs
http://www.ghorganics.com/DiatomaceousEarth.html

*I* personally put the food in a mylar bag with some D. earth mixed in then seal it shut. Bugs cant live in a vacuum so using oxygen absorbers should do it to. Some people also throw in moisture absorbers. Its really personal preference. Freezing your grains for 24 hours or so before packing is supposed to kill bugs as well.

Forgot to add, I use a iron to seal the mylar bags. Put a board on the back and get a hot iron and it'll get the job done. For protection to the bag I then seal that in a 5 gallon bucket.
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oliveoil · Coal Joined: Jul 25, 2005 Posts: 18

Hi,

It may be useful to look into nutritional values of white rice. Some people say that its very much akin to white sugar - in that it's an anti-nutrient. This means that as a pure carbohydrate with no vitamins, it drains vitamins from your body, in order to process it as a food source.

I won't go into more details but just consider an example of countries which (during war, Vietnam) run out of whole-grain rice and were helped out by the US who imported huge quantities of white rice, with the result of masses of people becoming ill with beri-beri and other diseases. (Sugar Blues, William Dufty)

You are right, brown rice only keeps for 6 months, but it may be useful to know that you won't survive on white rice alone and may need to supplement it somehow.

DoomWarrior · Heavy Crude Joined: May 06, 2008 Posts: 208

Artman12 · Coal Joined: Jul 10, 2006 Posts: 6

zberry · Heavy Crude Joined: Mar 21, 2006 Posts: 133

If you order from Rainy Day Foods/Walton Feed, they have something called a "SP" or Super Pail. (As opposed to the RB - ribbed bucket)
It's a six-gallon bucket, about 40-45 pounds of grain. They put oxygen absorbers in a mylar bag with the grain, and then seal it, and then seal the 6-gallon bucket.
In other words, they do all the work of putting the oxygen absorbers and sealing the mylar.
This is the route I took with about 12 buckets of rice and wheat.
Here's a helpful video on how to seal bags with a clothing iron.
Sealing Mylar Bags with Iron
And another one from Frugal Squirrels, from where you can get not only mylar bags and oxygen absorbers but also cans of heirloom seeds.
Bucket Packing with Wendy Mae

AgentR · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 8:34 am Post subject: Re: Preserving Rice

1) As far as I know, all white rice that is shipped now has lots of vitamins added to it.

2) You aren't SUPPOSED to eat rice by itself. Rice w/pickles; Rice w/fish; Rice w/raw veggies; Rice w/eggs; etc. Most of what we think of as "healthy" food, has squat for calories; rice provides most of the calories; the add-ons provide the protein, fats, and vitamins.

3) If you shop around, you can find some packaged in sealed, air tight bags. Rice should keep a very long time inside such packages, though they are often somewhat more expensive. (though still very cheap)

One thing I myself am more curious about; is the process of going from harvesting the rice by hand, to having a storable dry product that will last for some years.
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JJ · Heavy Crude Joined: Aug 07, 2007 Posts: 291

is jasmin rice the same as white rice nutritionaly? We eat tons of it...Bing said the farmers are protecting their fields now in the Philippines at night with armed guards...I asked her how do you steal rice out of the field, she said you can get enough for you family in a night (her experience)

oliveoil · Coal Joined: Jul 25, 2005 Posts: 18

Re: DoomWarrior

I don't know if supplementing white rice will work. I wouldn't touch it right now, but these are good economic times. We are talking about long term emergency supplies for survival, so it may be useful.

The superior grain is, whole grain rice, a complete food that brings its own vitamins.

AgentR is correct in saying that they do add vitamins back in white rice, but I am suspicious of this. I mean, why take them out in the first place? They add the nutrients back only because the government tells them to, and probably in minimum quantities required.

He is also correct about having to eat rice with other things. So big bags of rice and cans of beans/vegetables/fish etc may make good emergecy supplies.

JJ, looking at picture of Jasmine rice (on Wikipedia) tells me its white rice. Thais (where this rice comes from) generally only eat white rice, and the quote that it sticks during cooking also means its white rice. Brown rice does not stick. If a label does not say wholegrain, avoid it. Even "brown" rice can sometimes be just coloured white rice, which is ridiculous. Dont trust anyone Smile

I hope this is not too much off topic. The OP's question was on preserving white rice.

Specop_007 · Expert Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 6092

Cashmere · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Mar 27, 2008 Posts: 1449

NeoPeasant · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 11:41 am Post subject: Re: Preserving Rice

Your prospects of meeting your caloric needs from your backyard garden are poor. Your prospects of meeting your needs for micronutrients from your backyard garden are much better provided you have a source of starch for bulk calories already.

At least that's the theory I've been planning around.
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Specop_007 · Expert Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 6092

skyemoor · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject: Re: Preserving Rice

The storage life of brown and white rice is covered at Walton Feeds.

The short of it: people have successfully stored brown rice over 10 years; temperature and oxygen removal are key to preventing the oxidation of the oils in the germ.

The dietary comparison between brown and white rice is found all over the net, just google "nutritional comparison white brown rice"

The short of it; removal of the bran and germ take most of the nutrition out of white rice, though modest amount of 3 of the 25 removed nutrients are added back in.
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TreeFarmer · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 26, 2007 Posts: 299

I've read that you get various nutrients from different types of beans and that the bean mixes (9 types of beans?) go a very long way toward giving you a balanced diet.

Therefore, I would suggest putting back about 1 lb of beans for every lb of rice. You could store the bean mix or buy a variety of different beans (I'd go for the latter if it were me). If you put back a good assortment of spices for soups and maybe some tomato powder you could cook a variety of dishes.

TF