Long term bulk rice storage

[Sky1950]

I hope I have posted his in the correct forum....I didnt see a forum for long term food storage

Because of increased family needs, I am going to have to store much larger quantities of food and I need a little advice...

right now I have stored my rice in the following manner... I buy a 2 lb bag, freeze it for a week, then toss it into the micro for 5 minutes followed by vacuum sealing the bag with my food saver.. I use this procedure to try to eliminate "buggy" rice that develops if you dont take procedures to destroy the micro eggs in the rice....

I need to buy bulk now (25 lb bags) and quite a few... whats the best procedure to eliminate the "buggy" conditions that develope in stored bulk rice over time?.. I'd hate to have to break down large bags and repeat the procedure I described above... any ideas?...thanks

[stephpd]

One of the best methods of storing food and easiest is in Mylar bags with O2 absorbers inside 5 gallon buckets. There are several thread here on just that. The process is real easy. Put the bag in the bucket and fill 90%. Add the O2 absorber and seal with an iron or hair straightener. Put lid on bucket and store in a cool place.

That's it. The O2 absorber will remove the O2 that bugs need to live. Within 2 weeks all bugs, including eggs and larvae will be dead. And the food will be protected from oxidation, bugs, bacteria and rodents (just check occasionally for these) for at least a decade, if not more.

[goose3]

Store bulk rice in 5-gallon buckets using mylar bags and O2 absorbers.

The O2 absorbers will create an inert atmosphere in which those bugs aren't going to do much, if they're even there.

That's how I store mine. I think your freezing and microwaving is unnecessary if you do that. And it's certainly easier to buy 25# or 50# bags of rice, to say nothing of cheaper, and store it that way.

[FarmerJohn]

I go to the mormon canery and can all of mine in number 10 cans and they process it so you dont have to worry about buggy rice

[ohiocarry]

+1 on everything said here. IF you're talking VERY large amounts use the same method already described and use metal trash cans(omit the mylar) with tight fitting lids. I don't store this way so I'm not sure how many o2 absorbers you need to include. Best way is to store in the 5 gal buckets with the method described above. Just store more. If money is an issue(and when isn't it) check with local bakeries. Most give the buckets away free. A little elbow grease and time to clean the sticky stuff but well worth the price.

[Lowdown3]

www.bucketpacking.com

That's all you need to do, watch and repeat.

[Sky1950]

Originally Posted by Lowdown3

www.bucketpacking.com

That's all you need to do, watch and repeat.

thanks to all of you... this does seem to be the solution

[Gretta]

I'm new & hopefully not too late in the game! Thanks for the answers to this most basic of questions. Food storage is a huge concern.

[Steps]

My wife stopped by one Wal-Mart and an Albertsons and came home with 14 buckers for free. We were looking for 5 Gallon but they only had 3. I will change how I pack the food for free buckets though so I was very excited.

Great savings!

[OhioMan]

Originally Posted by Sky1950

I hope I have posted his in the correct forum....I didnt see a forum for long term food storage

Because of increased family needs, I am going to have to store much larger quantities of food and I need a little advice...

right now I have stored my rice in the following manner... I buy a 2 lb bag, freeze it for a week, then toss it into the micro for 5 minutes followed by vacuum sealing the bag with my food saver.. I use this procedure to try to eliminate "buggy" rice that develops if you dont take procedures to destroy the micro eggs in the rice....

I need to buy bulk now (25 lb bags) and quite a few... whats the best procedure to eliminate the "buggy" conditions that develope in stored bulk rice over time?.. I'd hate to have to break down large bags and repeat the procedure I described above... any ideas?...thanks

( like everyone else said about the 5 gallon food quality buckets)

The freezing method for bugs does not work, mother nature is smarter than we are, those bug eggs sit in field in -40 degrees and hatch out just fine when the weather gets warm.

The enemy here is oxygen, mylar bags and oxygen absorbers is the way to go.

[Lynn731]

Yes, but wouldn't one have to eat the dead bugs when you heat the rice to eat?

[Steps]

I have never run across any as we rotate our stock, and we have stored food in this manner for some time now.

[tedennis]

i have to admit that a lot of people love these vacuum sealers. and while they have their place, long term food storage is not it.

bucket, mylar, o2 absorber. easy as that.

[stephpd]

Originally Posted by Lynn731

Yes, but wouldn't one have to eat the dead bugs when you heat the rice to eat?

Have you ever seen these bugs. Most of them are really small. It's not like I can even see their legs without a magnifier.

And what's wrong with a little extra protein?

Ever eaten a hot dog?

There are 'allowable' limits of bug parts and rat droppings in processed foods as is.

[arleigh]

Oxygen ages the food , and that is far more important than the buggs.
This info is pure gold, thanks to all.

[MikeK]

I use food grade diatomaceous earth along with O2 absorbers. Bugs that hatch in an environment with O2 absorbers only live a generation or two before dying off. But the DE kills the larva outright. There's no real need for the DE since the O2 absorber will take care of the problem. I guess I'm just squeemish and don't want the bugs in there to begin with, or fear an O2 leak that would let them flourish. Just a backup, but it's cheap insurance.

[tmcmaster]

Originally Posted by Lowdown3

www.bucketpacking.com

That's all you need to do, watch and repeat.

VERY informative!!!

[w6f7]

I have rice that is 4 yrs old and and i did nothing but put it in plastic jars. No bugs..

[FanOfFreedom]

Originally Posted by FarmerJohn

I go to the mormon canery and can all of mine in number 10 cans and they process it so you dont have to worry about buggy rice

I sure wish we had a Mormon cannery around here. Lots of Mormons, but no cannery.

[FanOfFreedom]

Originally Posted by Steps

I have never run across any as we rotate our stock, and we have stored food in this manner for some time now.

I am currently using rice I have stored without O2 absorbers or anything. No bugs. Ever. But I really think that when TSHTF, and you are REALLY hungry, you won't even notice those things if they are there. I agree with this person.