# Storing Rice / Beans In Mason Jars or Buckets



## neil-v1

Does anyone know how long rice and beans will last if stored in glass mason jars or pails with oxygen absorbers? I have heard up to two years on the rice and maybe an eternity on the beans. Are these timelines correct? 

I am not a big rice eater, but it is cheap and I am sure I could learn to love it in a s.h.t.f situation, but I thought it would last much longer than a year or two. Right now, we use very little rice so I would be buying and storing it almost solely for an emergency and not on the basis of a regular rotation.

I have also heard it should be frozen for a while to kill any bug eggs that may be in it????? Will the rice and beans just lose some of their taste if used after say five years, or would it cause my flesh to rot and fall off? 

Also, I have some old mason jars that have rusty lids on them. Are these ok to use if I run them through the dish washer? Thanks.


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## Emerald

Beans and rice if stored in mason jars with a good lid and ring and kept dry will last quite few years. I do think that beans and rice do need to be cooked longer the older they are, but I am not sure how the nutrition would be after say, 10 years or so.
Now I buy used mason jars and have had boxes of them just left on the doorstep too, and if you can get the rusty rings and lids off and give them a real good soak in strong vinegar/water in the sink over night, then wash them in hot soapy water, that rust will come right off and the jars will be like new. Just check the rims carefully for nicks or chips that would let air in. 
Due to the dreaded pantry miller being rampant in our area, all most all of my dry goods like rice, and beans and cornmeal and flours etc.... have to be sealed really well in tight containers. Most of my herbs are all stored in the different sizes of mason jars also, and then stored in the drawer or cupboard.

As for freezing stuff to kill off critters, I think it works very well, I have been known to store my extra flour in food safe frosting buckets (.99cents from my local bakery0 the good ones even have a rubber gasket in the lid) and then the buckets get stacked in the big freezer for at least a week, longer if I don't need the room in the freezer. But I do use about 25lbs of bread flour every other month or so, so it hasn't really gone bad on me yet.


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## gypsysue

Don't overlook the possibility of using other glass jars, such as from juice, peanut butter, pickles, salsa, etc. as storage containers for dry foods like rice and beans. It frees up your mason jars for canning.


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## bunkerbob

This may sound different, but I use my large pressure cooker to vac seal quart size mason jars. Just place food item, beans, rice or pretty much anything dry into jars with O2 absorbers, then put on lids and rings, tighten, place jars in pressure canner, remove or cover the rubber safety button on lid using heavy tape. Now seal lid on cooker, hook up vac hose(I have a refer vac pump) or from your vac sealing machine to the vent pipe that the pressure regulator sits on and draw a vacuum. Let the jars sit in there for a few minutes, now release the vacuum. Open the canner lid and check the jars, the lids should be concave similar to canning in the conventional manner. Take off rings and check the lids with your fingernail, if they resist they should be good to go. 
I've been doing this for quite a while and have had no problems with lid failures. 
Some vac sealers come with an attachment that will do small mouth jars in the same way, my method will do just about any jar with a good sealing lid.
I leave the jar rings on for extra protection.


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## Emerald

Bunkerbob! you are a genius! I have been using the little mason jar lid sealer that came with my food saver and I could have been doing lots in a "vacuum chamber".. Thanks for the great info!:congrat:


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## horseman09

Neil, we have used 2 qt plastic juice jugs with o2 absorbers for years for all our dry goods. A discussion on another thread asked about brown rice storage -- I opened a jug of brown rice dated 02-09 last week. I don't think I could have distinquished that rice from brown rice right off the shelf.

Regarding freezing to kill bugs -- no need if you use o2 absorbers.


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## Emerald

gypsysue said:


> Don't overlook the possibility of using other glass jars, such as from juice, peanut butter, pickles, salsa, etc. as storage containers for dry foods like rice and beans. It frees up your mason jars for canning.


You're so right! I get the gallon glass olive/pickle jars from my BIL who works in a big kitchen- they are so good for so many things... like my big heirloom seed collections- it only takes one mouse to eat thru plastic Rubbermaid tubs for me, now all the good stuff is hidden behind glass!


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## Bigdog57

I use the clear plastic Dixie Crystals Sugar bottles - hold about 3.5 lbs of rice, beans varies in weight by type - smaller pack tighter for more weight. I seal the lidwith plastic bag material under it as I tighten. Three years later, tastes fine.
I also use the NEW quart and gallon paint buckets from Lowes/Home Depot, using a plastic or mylar bag as a food-safe liner. "Gold" lined food grade buckets are available for higher cost, not needing a liner.

The white Nondairy Creamer bottles work well for dry food storage too, sealed like the sugar bottles. I write contents on all with black magic marker, with date sealed.

If you buy spaghetti sauce, the Classico brand uses Mason jars that take standard Ball lids. Gotta love 'double-duty' packaging!


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## gypsysue

I'm sure everyone knows this, but just in case...
When you get the jar filled with rice, beans, whatever, shake the jar and tap on it and jiggle the stuff down as tight as you can without making it into powder! That not only allows you to get more in the jar, but more stuff in the jar equals less air space.


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## gypsysue

Someone gave me an interesting idea today! Vacuum seal (or put in a ziplock and squeeze air out) some bouillion cubes and toss those in the jars/buckets with the rice. Have them there, handy and ready to use. (Not that everything you make with rice will want to have bouillion in it!)


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## Bigdog57

I avoid bouillion as it is mostly just salt, MSG and some other not-so-healthy ingrediants. A bit of salt, pepper and butter make a good rice flavoring.


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## gypsysue

Yeah, regular commercial bouillion is not fit for regular consumption. If the SHTF it would be an "okay" addition to pots of beans and rice, with the addition of whatever veggies, greens, or wild foods you have around. It would at least add a little flavor, and the sodium would be diluted and probably welcome, considering the active lifestyle we'd all the thrown into.

Fortunately we buy ours from a health food co-op and it doesn't have MSG in it or some of the other chemicals, and it's not a part of our regular diet. We make our own broth most of the time. But I'm glad to have it to stick in with the rice and beans for our long -term storage.


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## neil-v1

Should the jars be vacuum sealed or will the O2 abs. create enough of a vacuum? I do like the bullion idea too. Even if you don't want to use the bullion all the time it will be safely tucked away and can be used in anything. The bullion cubes should not hurt anything right? Thanks.


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## gypsysue

Nah, the bouillion cubes won't hurt the rice or beans. I'd put them in a ziplock bag to keep them together. They keep just about forever. It would at least add some flavor to a pot of "whatever" occasionally!

I don't vacuum seal the jars with rice or beans in them. I just make sure they're air-tight and in a dark, cool place, preferably one that doesn't have a lot of day/night temperature changes. A basement, crawl space, or root cellar are ideal. Other good places are under beds, in closets, under dressers or sofas. 

There was a time when we had 3 cases of canning jars stacked three high at each end of our sofa. We cut a piece of plywood the size of the boxes and laid it on top, covered both with tablecloths, and had a matched set of "end tables". We put a lamp on them and no one knew what they were!


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## neil-v1

Is a 100cc 02 absorber a good size to use in a large mason jar for storing the rice and beans? Thanks.


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## horseman09

neil-v1 said:


> Is a 100cc 02 absorber a good size to use in a large mason jar for storing the rice and beans? Thanks.


That should be fine, Neil. We use 500cc packets in 2qt jugs with lots of extra absorbing capacity to spare. Just out of curiosity -- the 500 cc are dirt cheap, about $14 per 50 -- why do you use the little ones?


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## neil-v1

I have everything but the packets. I figured I would ask first. I will also go with the big ones. Thanks.


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## lanahi

If you can keep out the bugs, white rice and beans should last practically forever. I store some in mason jars to save space because I want to store canning jars too...why not have them do double duty? Tamping the food in the jars tight eliminates air space that bugs need to live, so I haven't used O2 absorbers yet, and so far it's fine. 
Old beans last forever but the older beans take longer to cook and sometimes do not get soft at all. Soaking them for longer before cooking might prevent that.
Brown rice is more wholesome but unfortunately does not store well. It will turn rancid because of the oils in it.


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## horseman09

lanahi said:


> Brown rice is more wholesome but unfortunately does not store well. It will turn rancid because of the oils in it.


Brown rice stores well if you use 02 absorbers.


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## Lowdown3

YouTube - Long term food storage part 1

Is where put a video produced 4 or so years ago showing you how to properly pack dry goods for long term storage.

Your better off with buckets than mason jars- more durable, easier to load out, CHEAPER and also a LIGHT BARRIER.

The argument about only using a small portion at a time therefore the mason jars are the better way to go isn't viable. At any given time we have 3-8 buckets open in the kitchen and pantry area with grains, beans, oatmeal, etc. in them. You get what you want out of them and roll the mylar back down on itself. If you KNOW it's going to be a couple months before you get into them again, you COULD re-seal the mylar but unless it's something hydroscopic, it really isn't necessary.

I've been storing food since 1986-87 and eating storage food on pretty much a daily basis for over a decade.

White rice will store much better than brown as brown still has the germ. Better for you, yes no doubt. Store better? No way. We have had brown rice get bugs within a few MONTHS.

Lowdown3

Survival and Preparedness Forum


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## horseman09

Lowdown3 said:


> YouTube - Long term food storage part 1
> Better for you, yes no doubt. Store better? No way. We have had brown rice get bugs within a few MONTHS.
> 
> Lowdown3
> 
> Survival and Preparedness Forum


You won't get bugs in anything if you store in smaller amounts (we use 2 qt juice jugs) *and* use 02 absorbers.


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## lanahi

Weevil eggs are often already in the grain or flour or bean when you buy them. They do, however, need oxygen to survive.


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## goose

Here is just one link on the long-term storage life of various foods:

Shelf Life of Canned and Dry Foods by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E. - Grandpappy

Do a google search on "long term storage rice" and do it again for dried beans, pintos, whatever. THere's a fair amount.

The above link--which is consistent with other sources I've found online--suggests up to a 30-year storage life for rice and beans, stored w/ oxy absorbers in sealed containers.

The oxy absorbers will remove about 21% of the air volume from a sealed container or package. When used properly w/ mylar bags and squeezing out as much air as possible before sealing, that reduction in oxygen (as it's bound up w/ the oxy absorber) will create a partial vacuum. The bag will suck in around the items being stored (unless there's too much air left), leaving a vacuum-packed result similar to the bricks of ground coffee you can buy.

Here's a very good article on them, how large an oxy abosorber you'd need for various apps, and so on:

Oxygen Absorber Packets

Finally:

This is a great forum and there are lots of great ideas and sources here, but don't rely on just one source for advice; look online, try to confirm elsewhere with independent sources what you learn in any place. Google is your friend, and when you find contradictory advice (which, if you do this, you will), then resolve it.

I've done a *lot* of reading on long-term food storage, mostly online, and as I've learned more and more about it, I'm more and more comfortable that I'll get 20-30 years out of what I'm storing. The trick is doing it right, so don't skimp; nothing is sillier than storing food for the long term and sacrificing quality of storage for price.

And you have no idea how much I hope I have to throw those food preps away after 30 years of storage.


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## bunkerbob

If you have read my previous posts on long term storage, you will see that I have been doing it since the 70's. About every 5 years I open the bulk wheat, tvp, rice and so on and taste test it. Have not had one go bad yet, I then recharge with CO2 and new bay leaves as always and nowadays use the O2 absorbers as well. Some of the first ones I did were in 5gal metal square cans with food grade plastic bags. I use the food grade buckets now with gamma seal lids.


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## Clarice

If your older dried bean won't cook tender, just can them in a pressure canner and they will be just fine. I had this problem with a small amout of pinto beans. So I soaked the whole 5# bag and heated them through. Canned them according to ball canning directions for fresh pintos and they were great.


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## Desertrat1

*Food Storage*

I use a vacuum sealer for rice, beans etc. I don't have to open a large container for a few meals and you can stack the sealed bags in a plastic container to protect them


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## Bidadisndat

We've used rice that has been stored for 3 years and have had no problems.
I'm now using ten 70 litre plastic barrels to store rice. These each hold 60kg (132lb), which lasts us for 6 months. (We're big rice eaters, as Mrs Bid was born in Japan.) We buy the rice in 10kg bags, which is frozen for three days before being emptied into the barrels. Dry ice is first placed in the bottom of the barrel, then a piece of plastic, so that the rice is not in direct contact with the ice, and the lid is put on loosely. As the dry ice 'boils off', the CO2 reverts to its gaseous form which, being heavier, will slowly rise in the barrel and displace the air. The next day the lid is screwed down firmly onto its 'O' ring seal.
(The down-side of using these barrels when filled is, not surprisingly, their weight. Tip: Hand trucks are very useful in the storage area.)


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## HozayBuck

*Stored Beans*

I may have posted this before but oh well......

In 1975 I bought 300 lbs off of a farm truck in East Helena MT, my wife was LDS so I showed up with all these beans and she liked to have died..lol

Not knowing any better we used 5 gal pails from a bakery, lined them with plastic garbage bags and dumped in a sack filled them right up, still not knowing any better I tossed in some crackers and then twisted the tops and tied them

When we split the sheets in 83 we also split the beans . In 2002 I used the last of my pintos, still fine, did seem to need a longer soak then usual but they ate good, the last 5 gal pail was Grt Northerns which I'm not wild about so I gave them to some friends in 04, and they were fine...

Guess I was lucky? OH !! the crackers while not fresh but still chrisp tasted just fine...go figger!!

Also we don't have the bug issue up here and I[d be surprised if anyplace in the Pac. Northwest does?? maybe WA and OR, ??


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## Bidadisndat

I considered using garbage bags as liners for my barrels, but found out that they release toxic gasses over time, and are not recommended for food storage. With the last four barrels I filled, I left the rice in the bags it came in.


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## Mcflye

There has been a lot of talk about mason jars and buckets, but nothing has been said of Rice or Beans already oxygen absorbed in a #10 can - just to throw that out there for anyone 'new' to the prepping idea and isn't aware that such an option exists.

We support all varities - whether jars, buckets, or cans as long as they are packaged correctly ( as they all have their perks and drawbacks).

White rice will store 30+ years if packaged and stored correctly - Brown rice will typically only last about 18 months (due to the oil content). We have heard of a few scenarios where it lasted longer but the trick with Brown Rice is that when it does decide to go rancid, it usually turns extremely quickly - as in it is fine one week and then completely spoiled the next.

As for Beans, they also have a 30 year shelf life if stored properly. The thing to watch with beans in that the older they get the longer they take to cook or soften. One trick to offset this is to have a good supply of Baking Soda in your storage and then add a teaspoon or two to the water when you presoak the beans to aid in and speed up the softening process.


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## gypsysue

Mcflye said:


> As for Beans, they also have a 30 year shelf life if stored properly. The thing to watch with beans in that the older they get the longer they take to cook or soften. One trick to offset this is to have a good supply of Baking Soda in your storage and then add a teaspoon or two to the water when you presoak the beans to aid in and speed up the softening process.


I've never heard the baking soda tip before! Thanks! I have older beans that have been taking a LONG time to soften and fully cook! I'll try the baking soda!

(Costco has 14-lb. bags of baking soda for around $7)


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## NaeKid

Mcflye said:


> As for Beans, they also have a 30 year shelf life if stored properly. The thing to watch with beans in that the older they get the longer they take to cook or soften. One trick to offset this is to have a good supply of Baking Soda in your storage and then add a teaspoon or two to the water when you presoak the beans to aid in and speed up the softening process.


Another use for the amazing baking soda!!!

:thankyou:


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## greaseman

I have been saving dry products in mason jars for quite a while. I also bought a vac seal setup with the jar sealer attachment setup. I wash new jars, let them dry, use a new lid, and vac seal the stuff. I've had powdered milk sealed for years, and the vac seal is still on. I recently opened some rice that had been stored months ago, and it was fresh as could be. I love this method of storage as it defeats bugs, and is a smaller convienent ammount of food to use, rather than some large ammount. The only downside is storing all those quart jars, but then again, that's the whole purpose of saving up food>>>


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## lotsoflead

here's is a great way to store if storing under a 100 pounds or even more, it just takes a lot of space. first put the bag of rice in a freezer for a week to kill any hitch hikers, then take it out and after 30 days put in in again for another week to kill anything that may have hatched. if storing in these juice bottles or mason jars, the most important thing is keep them in the dark.


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## lotsoflead

NaeKid said:


> Another use for the amazing baking soda!!!
> 
> :thankyou:


should mention that any beans soaked with baking soda will have some of the gas relieved also.


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## thoughtsofTHAtmom

Instead of hoping to throw them out, you should throw them into your regular food rotation. This way, you're also adding new products that will be good 30 years from NOW instead of 30 years from 5 years ago. It helps keep your storage fresh and also gives you the opportunity to learn how to use it.



goose said:


> And you have no idea how much I hope I have to throw those food preps away after 30 years of storage.


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## JayJay

gypsysue said:


> I've never heard the baking soda tip before! Thanks! I have older beans that have been taking a LONG time to soften and fully cook! I'll try the baking soda!
> 
> (Costco has 14-lb. bags of baking soda for around $7)


I tried the soaking with soda with some old beans I had and they did cook very well...pinto, by the way.


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## BillM

*Pinto Bean recipe*

I have a recipe for Pinto Beans.

Carefully count out exactly, two hundred and thirty nine beans.

If you accidently get one extra Bean, they will be two farty !

:2thumb:


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## ComputerGuy

BillM said:


> I have a recipe for Pinto Beans.
> 
> Carefully count out exactly, two hundred and thirty nine beans.
> 
> If you accidently get one extra Bean, they will be two farty !
> 
> :2thumb:


And what is wrong with that!! LOL:dunno:


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## Tribal Warlord Thug

we keep our rice and beans in 1 gallon wine jugs....we get a lot of them from a bar that loves our homemade wine...


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## Emerald

rabidcoyote666 said:


> we keep our rice and beans in 1 gallon wine jugs....we get a lot of them from a bar that loves our homemade wine...


Well I just had a "smack the forehead moment!" Here I was making wine in mine! But damn! They sure look good to keep dry goods in.. Humm... gonna hafta get more.. And it will save my mason jars for canning! 
Thanks for the photo! And the light bulb going on!:2thumb:


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