Proper long term rice storage is essential to protect your stockpile. Whilst rice is considered a non-perishable food, if not stored correctly, it will eventually go bad.
Here’s what you need to know about rice shelf life and storage methods that will keep rice from spoiling for years or even decades.
Does Rice Go Bad?
Like with all dry staples, rice will go bad if it is subjected to moisture, oxygen, heat, or light. Moisture is particularly problematic as rice acts like a sponge. If you store the rice in a high-humidity area, the rice will absorb moisture from the air and can eventually get moldy.
Oxygen, heat and light are also very problematic for whole-grain rice; they will make the healthy oils in the rice start to go rancid fairly quickly. This is why brown rice has a much shorter shelf life than white rice. Even white rice can go bad though, especially in high temperatures.
How Long Can Rice Last?
White rice will generally last for 4-5 years stored in the pantry, even after the “best by” date.
Brown rice will generally last at around 6 months past its best-by date. However, if you don’t take precautions, your rice storage could easily become infested by insects.
Proper storage methods will prevent infestations and allow rice to last 25+ years.
What Are Rice Bugs?
You can’t see them on the rice, but it’s likely there are insect eggs on the rice when you buy it. The culprits are usually moths or weevils.
If you let the rice sit in your pantry long enough, the eggs will hatch and develop into adults. Those adults go on to lay more eggs and suddenly you’ve got a massive infestation in your pantry.
Rice weevils are actually safe to eat and even add some extra nutrients. However, a lot of people are grossed out by the idea of eating insects and end up throwing away all the infested rice.
To keep your rice stockpile safe, it’s best to take steps to prevent rice bugs, such as freezing or microwaving the rice before storage.
Read: how to prevent insects in your food storage and does rice turn into maggots.
Best Way to Store Rice
It’s not recommended to store rice in the plastic packaging it came in; there’s simply too much risk of insect infestation or damage from the elements. Instead, use one of these methods to store your rice safely.
Method 1: Air-Tight Containers
Shelf Life: 4 years (white rice), 6-8 months (brown rice)
The main reason to store rice in air-tight containers rather than the packaging it came in is to prevent insect infestations. If insects hatch inside the container, at least they won’t be able to escape and infest the rest of your pantry. You should still take steps to kill any insect eggs though, such as by freezing or microwaving the rice first.
Keep the rice containers in a cool, dark place. Heat is especially damaging to brown rice; reducing temperature can double shelf life.
Method 2: Freezer
Shelf Life: Indefinitely (white rice), 2 years (brown rice)
White rice will last indefinitely in the freezer. I could not find one scholarly article which actually researched the shelf life of uncooked brown rice in the freezer. Most websites put the shelf life at 2 years but offer no evidence of where this recommendation comes from.
Regardless, putting grains in the freezer isn’t the best solution for long-term storage. If a power outage occurs, condensation will quickly build up in the freezer and the rice will absorb this quickly, resulting in spoilage.
Method 3: Vacuum Sealing
Shelf Life: 4+ years (white rice), up to 2 years (brown rice)
Vacuum sealing isn’t the best storage method for white rice. The main issue is that vacuum-sealer bags are not air-tight; they will eventually allow air and moisture through. Since white rice can already last a long time in basic storage containers, you aren’t really gaining anything by vacuum-sealing.
With brown rice though, vacuum sealing does help a bit. This is because brown rice is more susceptible to damage from oxygenation, so removing air by vacuum sealing does help extend shelf life.
Note that rice is very pointy and can stab through vacuum sealer bags. Consider lining the vacuum sealer bags first so the rice doesn’t poke holes in them.
See Mylar Bags vs. Vacuum Sealing for Food Storage
Method 4: Containers with Oxygen Absorbers
Shelf Life: 5+ years (white rice), 1+ year (brown rice)
One of the simplest ways to store rice is to put it in clean containers, such as jars or food-grade buckets. If you take the extra step of adding an oxygen absorber packet to the container, the food will be protected from spoilage due to oxidation and last much longer. Without oxygen, insect eggs won’t be able to hatch.
Unfortunately, the seal on buckets, plastic containers and recycled jars isn’t the best. They will eventually start to leak air. You’ll also need to add new oxygen absorbers each time you open the container.
Read more about using oxygen absorbers for long-term food storage.
Method 5: Mylar Bags with Oxygen Absorbers
Shelf Life: 30+ years (white rice), 2-5 years (brown rice)
Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers is by far the best long-term storage method for dry staples like rice.
To use, you put rice in the Mylar bags with oxygen absorber packets and then seal the bags closed. Because Mylar is impermeable and metallic, the rice will be protected against damage from oxidation, light and insects.
Brown rice will still eventually go bad because of its high oil content but white rice can last over 30 years like this.
Read more about the best rice storage containers.
I have mylar bags so I can store brown rice that way, but I am curious, would freezing it long-term work just as well? Would it stay good longer than in mylar bags?
Yes, freezing would last even longer than Mylar bags because you don’t have to worry about the oils in the brown rice breaking down and going rancid. I’m not a fan of freezing for long-term storage though. What if the power goes out? And how much freezer space do you have? I reserve my freezer space for storing expensive staples, like all my spices and coffee.
I tried to read through all the messages and didn’t see if anyone asked about diatomaceous earth – I read somewhere a long time ago that DE will kill all bugs so to use that when storing. So I did that a long time ago to my rice. But I never used anything to prevent mold so now I’m wondering what it will look like when I open it. But do you know anything about DE being used in long term storage?
I add several tablespoon scoops of DE to all my grain storages. Add DE to tje container and shake to distrubte DE on all the grains.
I have done this for 10 yrs and no issues.
I know a lot of people use DE for insect control. However, you also need to stop oxidation (such as by storing in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers). Unless you live somewhere really humid, I wouldn’t worry about mold. But there’s no harm in opening your rice bags and checking!
We recently opened some new-crop jasmine rice that has been stored in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers since 2017. It cooked up with a very dry texture and reduced flavor like old-crop rice only ore exaggerated. This to be expected or can it be prevented?
That’s because the jasmine rice has natural oils in it. Even when perfectly packaged, oils will start to break down. It’s still safe to eat but the flavor changes. This is why most people store plain white rice long-term instead of more “natural” and less-processed types of rice.
Well, fantastic. Now what am I going to do with a 25lb. bag of Jasmine rice? Good thing I read this before wasting mylar bags. With that said, I’m about to drive myself crazy trying to figure out if I can get 2 cups of what rice in a 1 pint mylar zip bag and have the room needed at the top to seal. Would you be able to tell me this, pleeeease? Thank you!
buy the 5 gal food grade buckets from the walmart deli. with lids. Buy 5-6 gal mylar bags. 2000cc oxygen absorber per bucket. You can fit 30 lbs of rice in a 5 gal bucket. use a hair iron to seal the mylar bag.
I think i read through most of the comments and didn’t see anyone ask if baking the rice dry at a low temperature for a period of time would be a good way to kill any bugs/eggs and ensure it is extra dry for storage. Any thoughts? I am a crafter and am thinking of all the pinecones and acorns I’ve done this with to ensure it kills any bugs and drys them out.
Baking would probably work. I just have no clue how long and at what temperature you’d need to bakek them! There is some research on this, but I can’t find anything conclusive. One report found that eggs and pupae need to be at 44c/111F before they start dying.
I oven bake my grains, rice oats bread flour 200 degs 20 mins. Then store with couple scoops of food grade diatomatios earth DE .
If moisture is such an issue for rice, why not use a moisture absorber along with the oxygen absorber?
You can use moisture absorbers (aka desiccants) with OAs. You just need to put the desiccant on the bottom and the OA on the top. We talk about that in this post: https://www.primalsurvivor.net/oxygen-absorbers/
Reviewing all the questions and answers was very interesting. Learned a lot. During depression of ‘30s helped Mother can food. That’s all I know. Long term food storage is new to me. Want to learn all I can for children and grandchildren. Want to leave them food while they learn to survive on their own. In this 2022 yr there will be food shortages on planet EARTH that is beyond disbelief. It’s already starting. Watched numerous videos in hopes I can learn more. It’s becoming a genuine pain. Wish all you preppers succeed at this. God bless.
I have recently purchased several Knorr rice sides to use in my long term storage. I am wondering if this is a good idea. I was thinking I could dump the contents into mylar bag with oxygen absorber and seal. The original packaging has a best used by date of Sept. 2023. Have you ever used this food product for long term storage? Is it a good idea?
Personally, I’d save those for your 2 week (short-term) emergency stockpile, such as if the power goes out for a few days. Then you won’t have to open a big Mylar bag for a small emergency. As for long-term storage, Knorr has a decent amount of fat in them, so they will eventually go rancid. Rancid food is actually still safe to eat (won’t give you food poisoning) but it tastes terrible. It would be easier and much cheaper to just buy some instant white rice and throw that in a Mylar bag with some O2 absorbers. White rice can last 25+ years like that! Toss some seasonings and maybe some protein, like TVP or freeze-dried meat, into the bag and you’ve got a meal. You can also package seasonings and proteins separately in their own Mylar bags too.
I really enjoy your site, so much information. Is there a place I can find out what foods to use an OA and what to use a moisture absorber with. I put everything in Mason jars and vacuum seal, but am not sure what needs a OA or Moisture Absorber.
Thanks Sue
These articles have more info: https://www.primalsurvivor.net/mylar-bags-food-storage/, https://www.primalsurvivor.net/oxygen-absorbers/
Hi how do I know if my rice has more then 10% moisture I bought my rice from Lundberg farms they came in large plastic bags
Botulism actually needs moisture levels of around 35% to grow. The 10% recommendation is to play it safe (not my recommendation but what a lot of experts all say). Rice shouldn’t ever be too much above 10%. However, if you live somewhere really humid, you might want to take some precautions – like only packing food when you’ve got a dehumidifier going.
My family and I really love short grain Japanese style rice, and I want to make this part of our long term storage, but most sources I have read say this type of rice has too high a moisture content (they never say how high it is above 10%) and can promote botulism when stored with oxygen absorbers. It seems that adding dessicant might help, but only if the moisture level is slightly above the limit. Is it possible to use a freeze dryer to lower the moisture content then seal in mylar with OAs added?
Yes, freeze drying would absolutely work. Rice lasts a very long time even without special storage though. So, you could just store it in Mylar bags without the O2 absorbers and aim to rotate through it within a couple years.
Is it OK to store white rice in plastic bottles that can be sealed tightly. That is what I have been using for 6 months now and the rice seems alright.
Here’s the problemw ith storing food in plastic bottles: Most plastic bottles are actually “biodegradable” — meaning that they slowly degrade and develope little holes in them (people who’ve tried to store water in plastic bottles often end up with water leaking all over!). Thicker bottles will last much longer than very cheap bottles.
White rice will last a VERY long time even without any special storage. So, plastic bottles is an okay solution for white rice. But you wouldn’t want to put less-stable foods in plastic bottles. Air will leak through the bottle and cause it to go bad.
Would the resealable zipper Mylar bags with the Oxygen Absorbers work for rice, flour, pasta?
The zippers don’t provide a reliable seal. You still need to use an iron to seal the bags. The zipper is more there for a convenience or for short-term storage.
So if I use Mylar bags and OA’s for rice and flour in the portion size needed for my family, is it good to store them in the freezer until needed to get the longest life out of the product?
There’s no need to store them in the freezer. The OA + Mylar bag will keep them safe to eat for years. However, FATTY foods ideally should go in the freezer (fats go rancid in hot temperatures). Since I have limited freezer space, I only keep expensive preps in the freezer — like my really good coffee, spices and certain nuts.
Not one mention about freeze drying rice in a freeze dryer. Is this not good to do? Freeze dry then put in mylar bag with oxygen absorber.
If good which rice works best? White, brown, parboiled?
You would want to cook the rice and then freeze dry. This would create your own version of instant rice. For long-term storage, white rice is best because it doesn’t have as much oil as brown rice. But, if you can rotate through the brown rice within a year or two, it is fine too.
After the mylar bag and oxygen a Turfs is the plastic bucket a big deal can I use a tote instead of pocket
As a container can I use a tote instead of a bucket
I have about 75 pounds of US grown organic brown rice that is super good, harvested this last year. Someone sent me a video saying that oxygen absorbers can allow botulism in brown rice when vacuum sealed. That the low oxygen environment can allow for botulism. Is this true? I would appreciate some more input on this. I don’t want to have to redo all my vacuum sealed rice with oxygen absorbers in them. I have never heard of botulism dried brown rice.
Botulism only grows in moist foods. So long as you don’t let moisture get into the food, it will be fine. This post has more info: https://www.primalsurvivor.net/oxygen-absorbers/
I read many replies that say the rice stored in jars with oxy absorbers will not allow the insects to hatch. What about AFTER they are opened, will the insects hatch then or do the OA kill them?
I’m not sure. It’s possible that some insect eggs might survive. But that’s why I never open my food supply until I’m ready to use it. AND I make sure to package it in reasonable-sized amounts so I don’t have to crack open a 20lb bag of beans 🙂
What do you think about parboiling brown rice, dehydrating it and then storing in mylar with o2 absorbers? How long do you think that would last and is it a good idea?
I’m not sure if it would last longer if cooked first. But I tried this for backpacking meals. (I cook then dehyrate pasta and some other carbs to turn them into “instant” meals). Strangely, the cooked-then-dehydrated brown rice took 30+ minutes to get soft. So, you might as well just store uncooked brown rice since it will take nearly as long to become edible.
I vacuum sealed rice(long grain white) in ordinary food saver bags last year, kept in the basement on a shelf. Decided to check the bags after reading the article and comments. The bags are still tightly vacuum sealed, but the rice has slightly turned brown. I opened a small bag to inspect the rice. Smells ok, but the rice feels oily. Any idea if this is still good? I’m thinking about just tossing it and starting over with mylar bags and oxygen absorbers
I would toss it. 🙁 The fact that it changed color and is oily is not a good sign. The discoloration may be mold from being kept in the basement. It’s generally realllly bad to keep food in the basement. I get people have space issues in their homes (I live in a tiny home!). Instead of putting food in the basement, try moving some other items into the basement and then using that space for food storage.
The basement is sealed, has a dehumidifier, and generally stays below 75 degrees. It is air conditioned in the summer and is heated in the winter.
George
I have an idea. We have empty clean gallon pickle jars. How about vacuum sealing
Rice, noodles, spaghetti etc. 2 servings per bag. Rolling up each bag tightly and then loading them in the pickle jars with rubber seals and screw on lids? Shelf life?
Just thinking out of the box.
Those jars aren’t actually airtight. So, the food wil eventually oxidize. It might not “go bad” in that it becomes unsafe to eat, but nutrients will deteriorate and fats go rancid faster. Those foods generally aren’t too susceptible to oxidation though, so should be fine for 1-5 years stored that way. Just be careful with rice — insects love it and can easily get into those jars. You’d be amazed what Indian meal moths can get into!
We found canned sealed rice in my mother’s house dated 2003. Is it still safe to eat?
If it smells okay and doesn’t have any visible signs of mold, it probably is. But I’m definitely not guaranteeing anything. 🙂 Eat it at your own risk.
I put all of my Lundberg Basmati Brown Rice and Wild Rice Blend, as well as all of my wheat and rye berries, into 1/2 gallon mason jars, and then vacuum seal then to -15 hg. Even after MANY months, when I open a 1/2 gallon jar to fill a smaller, more portion size jar, there is always a whoosh of air rushing into the jar when I open it indicating that the vacuum seal held up with no leakage!
You mentioned microwaving or freezing rice first prior to the chosen method of storage. What is the process for that? (time, temp., etc). I have 2 smaller bags of Jasmin rice that I’d planned on freezing first for bugs and then storing in vacuum sealed bags. I’d wondered too about condensation with freezing/thawing and it seems the microwave method would be better. I didn’t know vacuum sealed bags eventually let in air/moisture, what do you think of double bagging/sealing them?
I cover all of that in this post: https://www.primalsurvivor.net/bugs-weevils-moths-food-storage/
You don’t have to do that step if you store in mylar with oxygen absorbers though: the insect eggs can’t hatch without oxygen.
It’s next to impossible to get a hold of food-safe buckets or mylar bags these days. I recently moved to Central America, and so it’s even harder to get things shipped here. How would rice or beans store in glass jars? I am unable to get canning jars here, but can sometimes find reusable glass jars. It’s a hot and humid climate here. How much shorter would the shelf life be?
Heat and humidity definitely shorten shelf life. It’s hard to give an exact number though. Heat makes the fats in whole grains go rancid. They are still technically edible (won’t make you sick like bacteria does) but the taste is sour and kind of gross. High humidity could cause mold to grow on the foods though, and that definitely is not safe.
Another issue you’ll have with glass jars is insects. They can get in even with the lid on (speaking from experience here!).
Maybe try Aliexpress for Mylar bags. they will take months to arrive but the quality is usually fine and the prices are cheap. You can also try to befriend someone who owns a food-related business to order some oxygen absorbers and other supplies for you. Lots of places will only deliver to registered businesses.
Ok you can can dry products in cans. The latter day saints have a center where you can go to use their cans and sealer. You pay for your cans.
I’m confused when you say vacuum sealing eventually lets air and moisture in. Isn’t the point of vacuum sealing that it keeps out air and moisture? Are you saying the bags degrade over time? What if they are kept inside, undisturbed, away from light? Are they still going to eventually allow air and moisture in?
Yes the seal isn’t that good and lets in air over the course of months or a year. Also the bags allow tiny amount of air thru the plastic, which over the course of the year is enough to contribute some to spoiling. Mylar, because of the metal layer, allows almost no air even after years. And it usually has a better seal and the absorbers take care of the small amount of water/oxygen that seeps through the seal.
Apparently there are tiny holes in the bags which will slowly (very slowly) allow air and moisture in. This isn’t an issue for short-term storage but is an issue if you want to store food in vacuum bags long term.
Is Uncle Ben’s converted rice considered white or brown rice?
It is more like white than brown. You can tell by looking at the fat content of the rice: White and converted rice have 0grams. Brown rice has at least some.
I’ve already vacuumed sealed my brown rice. Would you recommend putting in the freezer for a few days before taking it to the cellar or storage?
Definitely not. Freezing causes moisture to pool. When it defrosts, you can end up with puddles of wetness in the food. Just make sure you keep the brown rice cool and rotate through it in a reasonable amount of time. As for insect control, I personally prefer mylar bags with oxygen absorbers because no eggs will hatch in an oxygen-less environment.
Regarding white rice stored long term in Mylar bags, will the bag impart a metallic (or any other) taste/flavor to the rice?
No, it doesn’t impart any metal taste — even after being in it for years.
I’m glad I found this forum. I was wondering about brown rice in mylar bags, and you have given me some reassurance that it will at least be OK from 9 months to 2 years in Mylar bags. What about sprouted grains and beans? Like sprouted quinoa, sprouted black beans. How will they do in mylar bags with O2 absorbers?
That’s a really good question. Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer. I’m guessing that the grains would indeed go bad much faster because they’ve already been soaked in water, allowed to sprout and then dried. personally, I would just use mylar + o2 absorbers on unsprouted grains as this has been tested. You can always sprout the grains yourself before eating (which may be a smarter way to eat them during power outages anyway, because who wants to waste precious fuel to cook beans, grains, etc.)
How long will vacuumed sealed white rice put into food grade buckets without oxygen absorbers last?
It should last for years but it depends on the humidity levels. Those vacuum sealer bags will eventually let moisture through. After a long time, the rice could theoretically get moldy. Sorry I can’t give you an exact number.
I worry about this question because of botulism. If you’ve excluded air but there is still moisture in there, at room temperature, but no acid to inhibit growth, botulism has all it needs right there.
Moisture has to be below a certain level for it not to grow.
An Aw value of 0.85 or less applies to Clostridium botulinum.
Aw is short for water activity, and it’s not the same as water content!
So it all depends on how dry your dry goods are when you buy them. Suppliers/manufacturers should know what the Aw values of their foods are, (retailers won’t) and I think it’s worth asking!
Some good information here
https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/food-safety/at-the-food-processor/water-content-water-activity.html
and this:
https://www.fda.gov/files/food/published/Fish-and-Fishery-Products-Hazards-and-Controls-Guidance-Chapter-13-Download.pdf
to reach other chapters of this, edit the “13”
How is it that storing in a container with oxygen absorbers extends the shelf life of rice longer than vacuum sealing? A container with oxygen absorbers is not vacuum sealed in the first place so I don’t see how the oxygen absorber could make that much of a difference. You say the vacuum sealed bags will leak air eventually. Will the storage containers not do the same?
Vacuum sealing will extend the shelf life, but not as long as oxygen absorbers. Air can easily leak into vacuum sealer bags. The seal can break on some cheap vacuum containers. On top of this, the vacuum sealer only removes air from around the food and not air located INSIDE the food. This isn’t too big of a problem with rice but some foods (beans, for example) have lots of oxygen inside of them.
you might try vacuum sealing in a glass jar and add your O2 absorber, since the container is rigid and so the food isn’t wrapped tight, and O2 can be drawn out of the inside of things like beans?
If your good is delicate and would be crushed by vacuum sealing, the a glass container is also a good idea.
Is it overkill to vacuum seal rice beans pasta, and then add this tight package to a Mylar bag with o2 absorbers and heat seal the Mylar?
Yes, it’s overkill. 🙂 It’s actually not a great idea to vacuum seal foods before putting them in Myla with O2. The vacuum sealer bags might keep the O2 absorbers from reaching the food and doing their job. Keep in mind that a lot of the oxygen in beans is actually INSIDE the beans so you want the O2 absorbers getting this oxygen and not just the oxygen around the food.
What about placing rice in a sealed container and filling with CO2 … such as in an old beer keg? Is there something about the CO2 that will affect the rice long term, or will replacing O2 with CO2 stop spoilage?
Some people use a method called “nitrogen purging” to push out all of the oxygen from a container. However, it’s fairly complicated to do. Oxygen absorbers are much cheaper and easier and thus (IMO) a better option for most people.
Dry Ice…its cheap easy and usually readily available. Be sure to avoid dry ice that has frost on it as it will introduce moisture into your food. you can avoid this by breaking up a big chunk of dry ice and only using pieces out of the center of the block, but do it quickly.
I’ve tried Mason Jars (dont stay sealed for more than a few years, Mylar bags and Vacuum seal bags with absorbers aren’t bulletproof either. My testing (10 year) showed gamma seal buckets treated with dry ice are the way to go. I only store with the buckets now. The buckets may have turned out better for me since I never moved them once stored.
If your Mason jars don’t stay sealed for more than a few years then you’re doing something wrong. Back in the late 70’s I ate food canned in the 50’s and the seals (and food) was just fine.
Can I vacuum seal rice, beans and oatmeal and add oxygen absorbers? Thank you
Vacuum sealer bags aren’t actually air-tight. They will slowly let some air through. So, using oxygen absorbers will help keep them fresh longer but Mylar is the way to go for long-term storage.
You are wrong period.
Vacuum Sealer bags are non permissive to air..They are made with the same material that makes Mylar bags air tight
The metallic coating just keeps light out.. I wish people would research( (Google it at least) or have the experience to say things. I do both 30 plus years of experience with vacuum sealing and I use Mylar when I seal things in small amounts that I don’t want in light
Thank you Michael, I did as you suggested and I asked Google “What is better Mylar bags or vacuum seal bags?” Google’s reply was If you really want to protect food for a long period of time in open air, Myler bags are your best option. Over the period of many years, vacuum seals may break, allowing air to creep inside.
It is nice to know that you have never had any problem with your vacuum seal. I do have a vacuum seal so I may try it.
Hey man. I just sealed 20lbs of jasmine rice. Packaged 3cups inside paper bag and then vacuum sealed. Then o store the sealed rice inside a food grade bucket with gamma lid. I couldn’t imagine this not working at well if not better than just oxy absorbers and Mylar. I would think if anything the vacuum methods inside a bu key would at least compare.
How about the different Types of white rice? (i.e. White, Jasmine, Basmati)
Is there a better or is this just a preference?
Thank you
Jay
Hi, Most people on other websites are saying brown rice in even in Mylar Bags with Oxygen Absorbers wont’ last more then 9 months. Do you have a resource to store brown rice for 2+ years?
Mylar with oxygen absorbers is still the best way to go. But there is no guaranteed shelf life. With anythign that contains lots of oils (like other whole grains, nuts, seeds…) the key is keeping the temperature low. In hot weather, the oils will go rancid much faster. They don’t go bad at a specific date either. It’s a gradual process. At 9 months they might taste funky but still be “edible” by some people’s standards.
The brown rice that I cooked in my instant pot Thursday night has been in my pantry for over 8 years. It is fine, tastes great – Lundberg short grain organic brown rice from Costco. Comes in a big bag that lasts a very long time… The ‘Best By’ date was in 2014. I also have long grain brown rice that is probably older, again, we eat it occasionally. It went straight from the bag to a bucket with a gamma seal lid. All these armchair survivalists are a hoot – if 8 year old brown rice is not “okay”, most of these folks are going to have *big problems* if anything serious comes down the pike.
How have you stored your brown rice? We eat brown rice very often. I’m new to this. But I definitely see what is coming and am taking action.
i have some precooked and dried rice that was stored in 100 gram sachels with oxygen absorber for a long period .it was made in 1996 it rehydrates ok and tastes ok will it be ok to eat . there is a large volume of it
What about dry canning?
I generally find dry canning to be not worth the time or effort — especially since you can only store a small amount of rice in a jar anyway and jars will easily break during most common disasters. I personally live somewhere with occassional earthquakes and flooding; none of my long-term preps are in glass.
I do the dry canning method for rice and beans. Heat and sterilize the jars first at 230 for 45 minutes. Fill with rice and back into the oven for 2 hours. Pull out and seal with lids and rings, tight! After 30 minutes you’ll hear the lids start to ping. Heat will kill any bugs and it helps dry the rice out. I should mention it’s white rice. Brown rice you put into jars with oxygen absorbers and seal with a canning topper and vaccum sealer.
When rice is in jar and put in oven for two hours at 230 ?
Why heat and sterilise your jars first when you’re then going to heat them with contents for a longer period? That’s surely an unnecessary step – the 2hrs will kill spoilage most organisms in jars and contents, but do at least wash and dry your jars first, as things should be domestically clean before you think about sterility.
I’m mew to long term food storage so forgive what may have answered before, but do I need to freeze white rice to kill any potential insect eggs before sealing in mylar bags with O2 absorbers?
If you are using oxygen absorbers, insects won’t be able to survive nor will their eggs be able to hatch. So you do NOT need to freeze beforehand. this post explains all about moths, weevils, insects: https://www.primalsurvivor.net/bugs-weevils-moths-food-storage/
I bought 50 pounds of white rice to put into long term storage using mylar bags. I read that I need to freeze it first to kill the bugs so I put it all in my freezer for the past week. Then I read that I SHOULD NOT freeze it first because that raises the moisture content. Everyone says the moisture content needs to be below 10% but I can’t find information anywhere about how to check the actual moisture content or any information on how to reduce the moisture content once I’ve frozen it. Help. Have I ruined my rice for long term storage by freezing it?
You definitely haven’t ruined your rice. 🙂 Freezing doesn’t increase moistuer content but can create moisture pockets in the food. Usually isn’t an issue with rice but definitely an issue with dehydrated foods. Just let the rice sit for a while (spread it out, in batches probably because you’ve got so much of it) to get rid of any potential moisture pockets. In the future, you do NOT need to freeze food first if you use oxygen absorbers. Insect eggs can’t survive/hatch without oxygen, so that solves the problem. Oxygen absorbers are cheap and also help the food last much longer. https://www.primalsurvivor.net/oxygen-absorbers/
When freezing I like to have 4-6 serving packages to eliminate waste and re-freezing. For bulk pantry storage I use a “flip” bucket so rotation is easier.
When using the mylar bag and oxygen absorber method, is it still ok to not use a vacuum sealer ? Physically pushing the air out and then putting the absorber in is enough ? Thanks
No need to vacuum seal if you are using oxygen absorbers. You just need to make sure you are using the right amount (measured in CCs) of oxygen absorbers. See this post: https://www.primalsurvivor.net/oxygen-absorbers/
I vacuum sealed brown rice into two large batches for freezer storage. I intend on pulling each one out as needed and placing the rice from the vacuum sealed bag into a air tight store bought container and storing the container in the refrigerator for use over about a 4-6 month timeframe. Is this okay?
Yes, that should work great. I personally don’t have enough room in my refrigerator. So, I just take it directly from the freezer when I want to use it (it is repackaged into family-size portions so I use exactly 1 bag).
Is it ok to use oxygen absorbers in a big plastic storage bin for large quantities of rice. I want to store a 25 pound bag.
Storage bins don’t create an air-tight seal when closed. So, oxygen will get into the bin — making the OAs useless. You’ve really got to put the food in a truly airtight container like a sealed Mylar bag.
What if you used food grade 5 gallon buckets that have a rubber o ring around the seal? Specifically I have been using used pickle buckets from fire house subs, you can get them for $3. Just got to clean the. And deal with the pickle odor.
Yes, the O-ring or gamma lid helps create an airtight seal. You could throw a few OAs inside the bucket before closing and the food *should* last a long time. The problem is that the o-rings can eventually fail. In high temperatures, for example, the plastic gets brittle and will let air leak through. So, it’s a risk. For periods of 1-2 years, this should be fine (if you rotate through the food). If you want to pack-it-and-forget-it, then Mylar is the better solution.
In addition storage bins not a good idea unless they are “food grade”. Non food grade containers contain chemicals that are not healthy.