Howdy All,

I've been thinking that I would like to increase my stock of rice. So, I took a trip to my local Sam's club to see what there was to see. There were all kinds of different rice in probably 20 lb bags ranging from 15 to 25 dollars or so. There were also large boxes of minute rice for lots less.

Here goes the questions. First, is minute rice a good choice for long term storage? The plan is to repackage whatever I get into 2 liter pop bottles. I currently just use basic brown rice that I cook in a rice steamer. I saw rice I've never heard of before. Do they cook differently? Taste different? Have different nutritional value? Could you all help me out please? I'm not terribly concerned with the cost, just how well it will store.

Thanks,
LW

my understanding is that instant rice has been pre cooked and then dehydrated, and loses some nutritional value in the process..the hard outer coat of the rice grain is fractured, and I think that would possibly decrease its storage time...I vacuum canned some instant rice in glass jars in case water or fuel was in short supply, but most of my stored rice is long grain

because Wild Rice is a common item here in Minnesota i cook and then dry it in a dehydrator.put away in glass jars it lasts for years.i have some that is at least 5 years in the jars an it's like the day it was put in.i zip locks put away in a grub bag for a two week canoe trip it's still good but maybe busted up a bit.
brought back unused i've taken it out again a year later with no change.the stuff is like a rock until it's cooked,i add it to dry soup mix's to fill them out.
someone told me wild rice is not real rice but it must hold true for the real stuff.

A good sale price for long grain rice would be 33 to 40 cents a lb.

I keep an eye out at the local lower cost grocery stores. One of them (FreshCo, if you're in this neck of the woods) carries an 18 pound bag of long grain rice (I think it's either basmati or jasmine) that goes on for $6.99 a bag every couple of months. Not sure what the brand name is but that's only about $0.38 per pound. I usually grab a couple of bags when they go on sale, and we use a little less than half a bag per month in our regular meals, so it's an easy way to stockpile. It's also an item that we all like and that's easy to prepare so it's a natural for us.

Our family prefers Basmati rice. We feel the rice has a fuller flavor when compared to many other types of white rice. We use an electric rice steamer, which gives us almost perfect rice every time.

Pete

LOVE our electric rice steamer. Best $9.99 we ever spent! Our 9 year old is a champ at using it to make our rice sides for dinner.

We live 2 blocks from an Indian grocery store and buy all our rice there. I sure do miss real Minnesota Wild Rice, though! Time to beg some of my friends/family up there to send us some.

Definitely try different kinds of rice. They each have their own flavors and nutritional value.

Re the OP:

This info on this site seems pretty good (lots of other interesting links too):
http://extension.usu.edu/foodstorage/htm/white-rice

Apparently, brown and wild rice (and presumably brown basmati, yum) are not suitable for long-term storage, as they go rancid over time. This makes me sad -- I find brown rice infinitely superior in flavour and staying power, not to mention fiber and vitamins/minerals. Personally, I would buy extra brown rice and cycle through it in normal household use.

I usually buy the Lundberg (sp?) Rice blends (usual disclaimers: I'm only a customer). They sit in my cupboard, debagged and jarred with a recipe for a label, until I'm ready to use them up--within a year,most times. The blend with the black label always goes over well at my house. This is the kind of foodstuff that we keep on hand and rotate out--always enough for short-term emergencies.

My staple is rice so it is natural (and cheap) to store large quantities. It stores well. We go through a 25 lb bag every month as part of normal useage so rotation is not a problem. The problem is that CULTURALLY, my wife prefers "fresh" rice which is slightly stickier than "aged" rice. We are constantly in "discussions" about this but I have managed to keep 3-6 months of rice on hand at all times.

Conway Yee

Re: repacking the rice -- probably not necessary if you buy the variety of rice packaged in strong plastic bags. Typically Japanese and Korean companies package their products this way. It seems like it may work well for long-term storage. To protect the bags, you can put them in plastic bins, I guess.

Re: long-term storage -- be careful of the bags made of fiber (more typical of Indian companies). Insects can get through and breed, as I have discovered through experience.

@Conway Yee: yeah, fresh rice does taste better, but I don't particularly care about the stickiness. How fresh does your wife want it? I figure the bags advertised to contain "new crops" probably have been siting for a few months anyway...

Is rice suitable for survival scenarios? It's a staple in many cuisines. Almost no one is allergic to rice. It packs a lot of energy for its size, though the white variety has less nutrition than the brown variety. It takes time to cook, and it requires a low, steady (i.e., carefully controlled) heat source. It requires some water, but not a whole lot. But it's harder than boiling water. What are the pros and cons? Maybe we can discuss a bit.

Instant rice has a longer shelf life then the uncooked rice. I think it's about 18 months for white rice. I'm not sure about how long instant brown rice will last. Next time you're at the market, check the box. My only caveat is the cardboard boxes don't store well, so put them in an airtight bag or container for storage. It's "trail food" rather then "kitchen food" quality cuisine.

Also, consider couscous for a staple. It cooks the same but requires lots of spices (very bland). I have hydrated it with room temperature water, but it takes longer then cooking and isn't that palatable. I think it has a 1 year shelf life.

The site I linked to earlier states proper storage can preserve white rice 10-30 years.

Thanks everyone!

LW