# rice storage?



## gmalway (Dec 6, 2012)

Hey guys...I got a 40lb sack of rice at Costco and I want to get more. I need to seal the rice somehow...any ideas??? I read that sealed rice can last 8-10 years...is that true?? Thanks for your advice.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

I use 5 gallon buckets for long term storage. Rice gets put in a mylar bag (in the bucket) with a little food grade DE and an oxygen absorber and the bag gets sealed with an iron. I'm banking on it being viable for more than 8-10 years - my understanding is more like 20 years - but with the way things are going with the economy I don't think I'll have a chance to verify that shelf life. 

Welcome to the site! :wave:


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## dlharris (Apr 3, 2011)

Hate to sound dumb?...food grade DE?


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## alwaysready (May 16, 2012)

dlharris said:


> Hate to sound dumb?...food grade DE?


Diatamatious earth hope I spelled it right.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Goshen has a good plan. I prefer to place 3"-4" of product, 2-4oz of dry ice, then fill the bag to the desired level. Seal most of the way immediately and finish the seal the next morning or at least several hours later to allow the dry ice to completely sublimate. The CO2 lifts the oxygen laden air out.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Yep, DE is diatomaceous earth.  Here's a site with some info: http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html
You can sprinkle some into the food that's being stored, it's powdery, and when you eat the food it doesn't hurt you - in fact, it's good for you. But it's bad for little critters. It has sharp edges that cut them up, but they're too small to hurt humans or pets.

Caribou, I've never used dry ice. Where do you get it?


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## gmalway (Dec 6, 2012)

Thanks a ton...I'm going to store a lot of rice because of the shelf life...any other food with a long shelf life that y'all recommend me storing? Besides mres


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Beans to go with the rice for a bit of protein. And gravy mixes etc to make it all more paletteable. MY stores are heavy on Rice Beans sugar and powdered milk and brown gravy mix I can use the sugar and milk to make rice for breakfasts and the beans and gravy to make lunches and dinners. And hpefull can pot some meat to go with it somtimes.


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## Friknnewguy (Jun 30, 2012)

I've heard of someone storing the dried rice and dried beans in glass containers , like wine bottles and canning jars . Any thoughts on that as an alternative storage solution ?


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

goshengirl said:


> Yep, DE is diatomaceous earth.  Here's a site with some info: http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html
> You can sprinkle some into the food that's being stored, it's powdery, and when you eat the food it doesn't hurt you - in fact, it's good for you. But it's bad for little critters. It has sharp edges that cut them up, but they're too small to hurt humans or pets.
> 
> Caribou, I've never used dry ice. Where do you get it?


Around here the grocery stores carry it. Some have it in a cooler accessible to the public, others you need to ask for it. Also the places that ship seafood carry it. I haven't tried it yet but I want to get some of the CO2 cartridges and a way to discharge them into the bottomof the bag.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Would imagine one of the devices using the co2 powerlets to either air bycycle tires or the one that allows you to unload a muzzeloader by forcing co2 in through the nipple could be repurposed to vent into the bottom of a bag to push out air. have to double check the volume of one cylinder compared to the bag volume but then again if the bag is mostly filled shouldn't be that much air left to exchange. Would think a O2 absorber would be cheaper


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## gmalway (Dec 6, 2012)

I thought that I read somewhere that beans don't last long...will they last as long rice? Also someone suggested to me to get non hybrid vegetable seeds for planting in a garden...anyone know where I can get them at a good price?


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

gmalway said:


> I thought that I read somewhere that beans don't last long...will they last as long rice? Also someone suggested to me to get non hybrid vegetable seeds for planting in a garden...anyone know where I can get them at a good price?


I dont know about beans, I store em but don't eat em (I know I know!)

Check your local farmers co-op for seeds. They'll be more viable to your area. Also, just browse around amazon, I've bought a few from there but haven't tried those yet.


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## faithmarie (Oct 18, 2008)

Lentils are great also they don't have to be soaked and pack a good protein and iron punch. 
I would love dry ice also but I can't get it here. CO2 cartridges sound good too.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Wheat stores the best. Beans store for years but it takes longer cooking to get them soft, if you have a pressure cooker it is less of a problem. Lentils and chickpeas are more or less like beans, all of these are better when cooked from dry than from a can imho. 
The lack of nutrition of rice and the fact that I don't love it and can't grow it means I don't store much.
For most people though it is probably a great place to start. Cheap, long storage life calories that most people are used to eating. With some cinnamon and raisins I could eat a lot of rice.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

I've gotten seeds from Amazon, and from a business called thereadystore 

I have rice and beans as a basic calories additive to protein from TVP or MRE entree's and freeze dried. 

Now that I'm canning and dehydrating my need to rely on those will diminish, but I'll probably still plan on using rice as side dish for canned meatloaf and chicken. It's better than nothing


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## Domeguy (Sep 9, 2011)

We have plenty of brown rice in storage, it's got alot of nutrition. and, we know it will store well. 

In 1998 we bought a 50 lb bag of long grain brown rice, open and used a little bit. have a large wicker basket (like a snake charmers) that used to fall over. we put the bag of rice in to stabilize it, and promptly forgot about it. fast forward to 2011. Moved, so we found the bag of rice in the basket. it's fine, smells a little musty, but cooks up into beautiful, full flavored, great tasting rice. we're still using it.


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## Stevegardens85 (May 31, 2012)

White rice will last somewhat longer in storage as votes goes rancid faster. But as long as you know your storage dates, all is good. I like beans for storage due to the protein. I am currently buying a 5lb. Bag if either beans or rice each grocery trip. I'm on a budget.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*brown rice*



Domeguy said:


> We have plenty of brown rice in storage, it's got alot of nutrition. and, we know it will store well.
> 
> In 1998 we bought a 50 lb bag of long grain brown rice, open and used a little bit. have a large wicker basket (like a snake charmers) that used to fall over. we put the bag of rice in to stabilize it, and promptly forgot about it. fast forward to 2011. Moved, so we found the bag of rice in the basket. it's fine, smells a little musty, but cooks up into beautiful, full flavored, great tasting rice. we're still using it.


Brown rice is rice that has not been polished, therefore has more nutrition. However, brown rice has a very limited shelf life before it goes rancid. I have heard that rancid food is carcinogenic.

For many years I only ate brown rice and would eat it with stir fried vegetables. However, for food storage, I have some varieties of rice including long grain, jasmine, basmati. I want to get some Arborio rice for risotto.

I am wondering about rice for sushi, mango sticky rice, and other favorite dishes. I am working on researching rices, recipes and experimenting with cooking some of these.

Does anyone make their own sushi? I have only eaten sushi a couple of times, but I have been wondering about making it after SHTF.


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## webeable (Aug 29, 2012)

White rice will last for 30 years with no real special care, I use 20oz pop bottles that work well for 2 people, and then just add 22 bottles of water to cook. The bottle works as a water bottle or as fire starter.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Long Term Food Storage*

http://www.family-survival-planning.com/long-term-food-shelf-life.html
A very good source of information.
This one is on food preservation.
http://nchfp.uga.edu/


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

I have several of the seasoning,gravy packet/marinate packets(we were decommissioning a ship and the Captain said I could have those packets and about 8 tins of pecans).I was wondering the best way to preserve them....,vacuum seal,maylar bags??????Any suggestions welcome.


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## Onebigelf (Sep 17, 2011)

Sealed in mylar and buckets, rice and pinto beans will both store 30 years. That said I store most of mine in 1 liter soda bottles. Will it last 30 years? Maybe not. Are any of us storing food because we don't think we're gonna need it for 30 years? I'll be happy if nothing happens that forces me to rely on my preps in the next 5-10 years.

In vacuum sealed glass jars I store couscous, which cooks very easily, and lentils. I store a lot of commercial canned beans and vegetables. I also pressure can a lot of meals.

John


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