The best way to store rice is to put it in some type of airtight container and away from light while keeping the rice at a constant 70° F with oxygen absorbers, which will keep it well for up to 10 years. The best temperature to store grains, including rice, is 40°F or below. Rice can be kept for up to 30 years in cooler storage areas when sealed in oxygen-free containers. Both polished and parboiled rice can be stored for up to 30 years without losing any of its nutrients or flavor.
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Why Store Rice
It’s impossible to go wrong with rice as a long-term food storage item. Rice is cheap, readily available, nutritious, and can be stored for a very long time.
Just one cup of uncooked rice contains 716 calories. This means that with little effort on your part, you can quickly store a calorie-dense meal for emergency situations.
Given that a ten-pound bag of rice yields 100 servings at a caloric intake of 160 per serving, 10 pounds of rice will provide 16,000 calories.
That is a lot of calories for a small investment. Prepping doesn’t have to be expensive, see?!
There are other reasons rice is great for long-term food storage:
- It’s a good source of complex carbohydrates,
- It has an ancient record as a staple food (and still is for many people), and
- It complements other foods well.
How Rice Was Stored Historically
When something has stood the test of time, you can be sure it is good, and rice is no different. For good reason, people have been eating it for millennia! In addition to being filling and healthy, rice also stores very well. This means that throughout history, rice has been a key tool for preventing starvation during times of drought or famine.
And it’s still an incredibly important food crop worldwide. The staple food for more than 3 billion people worldwide, it currently accounts for about a fifth of all calories consumed globally.
But how exactly did people in ancient times keep their rice? Rice, and other grains, were often “solarized” – laid out in the sun to first kill any insects. Then it was stored in earthenware jars or gourds and combined with diatomaceous earth (source). So that it was safe to eat later, they were able to prevent rats, bugs, and moisture from getting into their priceless food in this way.
How Long Can Rice Be Stored?
When properly prepared and stored, rice can last up to 30 years or longer! The important thing is to make sure that your rice is adequately safeguarded from heat, moisture, and pests. You will be in good shape if you are able to accomplish that.
White rice naturally stores for about 4-5 years. But if you can keep the oxygen out of the rice, you can expect it to stay safe and edible for about 30 years.
The most ideal kind of rice to store is white rice. It is easily accessible, affordable, and durable for a very long time. The husks (hulls) are frequently still present on brown and other colored races. Natural oils found in these husks cause them to oxidize and spoil more quickly than they would without them. Refined white rice doesn’t have this problem, and thus, that’s what you want for strong rice long-term as a prepper.
Unfortunately, white rice is not as healthy as brown. Higher levels of fiber, magnesium and other nutrients are present in the husk.
Wild rice looks really good in the chart above, but wild “rice” isn’t really riced at all. In fact, it is a long-grain semi-aquatic grass that thrives in the bays, tidal rivers, and lakes’ shallow waters. The husk is tough and inedible. It’s also very challenging to harvest and refine. Wild rice has been the subject of extensive research at the University of Minnesota. Although it may have a long shelf life, few preparedness enthusiasts will choose to store it in large quantities due to its difficulty in processing and the fact that it isn’t rice.
Which Kinds Of Rice Store The Best?
If properly stored, white rice, also referred to as polished rice, instant rice, and wild rice can all last for more than 30 years. The shelf life of brown, black, and purple rice is only about 18 months.
White rice comes in three different grain lengths: long, medium, and short. Specialty varieties like Jasmine, Basmati, Arborio, Della, Japanese Premium, Toro, Waxy, and others are among these.
The hull is still present on white rice as well as other colored rice. The hulls are vulnerable to oxidation and spoilage due to their oil content.
A word about instant rice: It makes up the majority of many long-term survival food meals, stores well, and rehydrates quickly. Since it contains no fat, it won’t go bad like brown rice’s fat would.
In spite of this, polished uncooked rice is better for long-term storage because it can hold more calories in a smaller amount of volume. Additionally, it typically costs a lot less than instant rice and has better shelf stability than instant rice without special packaging.
How Much Rice Do You Need To Stock?
According to Utah State University, households should stock 300 pounds of grains per person to have a sufficient supply for a full year, with 25 to 60 of those pounds being rice. This is easily accomplished for a fair price.
If a disaster strikes your area and leaves you stranded without outside assistance, you’ll be better off with a 50-pound bag per family member (which will cost you $20 per person at Sam’s Club as of this writing). However, rice is a good place to start and can easily serve as the basis for what you’ll be eating throughout that time. You should also have other food options available to you.
Storage Containers For Rice
The best way to store rice for everyday use is to keep it out of the light and in an airtight container.
Containers that can effectively keep out oxygen and pests are necessary if you plan to store rice for a long time. You also want a container that can block out light if you’re not keeping the rice in a completely dark space. The seal is the most important, however, because without it oxygen absorbers will not work. The container will let air through.
The most popular rice storage options include Mylar bags, Mason jars, food-grade buckets, and cans with an enamel interior.
How To Store Rice Long Term
Like other non-perishable foods, for the best storage quality, you need to consider four things:
- Temperature
- Moisture
- Oxygen
- Pests
Locate a cool place to store the rice that is away from heat sources. Keep rice away from heaters and stoves if you want to prevent temperature fluctuations. It can be useful to store items in a basement, a root cellar, or even under a bed.
Rice will last at least ten years when kept at a constant 70°F (21 °C) temperature, which is better for storage than 40°F (5°C).
Keep the rice you store dry. Your rice is more likely to mold if there is moisture present. Keep that much or less rice in a container that is simple to open. Consider how much rice you consume in a month. To prevent it from absorbing moisture, keep the remainder of your storage tightly sealed.
Oxidation (spoilage) and oxygen are equivalent. Rice can be vacuum-sealed or given oxygen absorbers.
Rice should be frozen for three days or kept in an oxygen-free environment to ensure that any bugs or their eggs are killed. (Even bugs need to breathe.) Every bug and its eggs should perish after two weeks without oxygen.
Put the rice in rodent- and insect-proof containers. Rats and mice can gnaw through Mylar, but insects cannot.
Steps To Store Rice In Mylar
Before beginning, gather your supplies. You will need:
- Mylar bags that are between 5mm to 7mm thick
- Oxygen absorbers
- Sharpie Marker
- 5 or 6-gallon food grade buckets with lids, or other rodent-proof containers
- A kitchen scale that can measure 20 pounds
- Mylar bag sealer
To hold 10 pounds of rice, we typically cut a five-gallon Mylar bag in half. It can accommodate 30-35 pounds of rice if you use one 5-gallon bag per bucket. You can typically only fit 4 1-gallon bags in a 5-gallon bucket when using them.
- Put the date and contents on the Mylar bags and bucket using the Sharpie marker. On the bucket, we apply masking tape and write on it.
- Weigh the rice before adding it to the Mylar bag. Including an oxygen absorber
- Seal the bag after expelling as much air as you can. Keep going until all the rice is bagged.
- Put the rice bags in your bucket, tote, or container.
How To Store Rice In Mason Jars
To store rice long-term in mason jars:
- Put the rice in the container.
- Or, add an oxygen absorber before vacuum-sealing the jar. Use 100cc of O2 absorber per quart.
- For added security, screw on the ring. Label the jar with a date.
Because Mason jars are airtight and inert, there is no contact between your food and aluminum or plastic. They are heavy, can’t hold as much as Mylar bags can, and are simple to break, which are their drawbacks.
For added protection against pantry pests, add bay leaves to any open containers of rice that you have in the pantry.
Rice Storage Faqs
These are some of the queries we’ve encountered in forums for preparedness.
Why Not Simply Store Rice In A Food-grade Bucket Without Mylar?
Some individuals keep their rice in food-grade buckets straight away. Buckets can malfunction, which is why we don’t.
For more than 15 years, we have been keeping food in buckets. We’ve had a number of bucket failures during this time. Usually, as the bucket ages, the lids crack. The food is still completely edible and dry if it is sealed in Mylar inside the broken bucket.
Why Is Mylar Better?
Moisture and odors will be absorbed by rice. Mylar prevents oxidation by blocking out light, moisture, and air. It’s impact resistant and can be used repeatedly.
Can I Store Rice For A Long Time In Foodsaver Bags?
Compared to the thin grocery store bags, FoodSaver vacuum seal bags are superior, but they are not as effective for long-term storage as Mylar or glass.
I once vacuum sealed an entire 10 pound bag of sugar in a FoodSaver bag to test how long it would last. We have a canning pantry in the basement, where I kept it.
After two years of storage, the sugar in the bag absorbed enough moisture from the air to solidify into a brick. The FoodSaver bag was obviously not totally airtight.
Why Not Freeze Rice Instead?
White rice can be kept in a freezer. It will last for a very long time if it is sealed in a container. The fact is, rice doesn’t require freezing. We prefer to keep rice in a different cool location and reserve freezer space for foods that require it.
What Is The Ideal Location For Rice Storage?
Your objective is a cool environment. It can be done in a basement, root cellar, or even under a bed. The rice will become harder and less tasty if you freeze and thaw it repeatedly.
How To Cook Rice When The Power Is Out – 2 Options
Make sure you have a way to cook the rice if the power goes out or if you’re storing it for emergency food. To steam or boil the rice, clean water is also required.
1 cup dry rice = 3 cups cooked rice. 2 pounds of dry rice is 5 cups or 15 cups of cooked rice.
To cook rice over a campfire or small emergency stove:
- Rinse the rice in a strainer by letting water flow through it. As a result, dirt and arsenic are reduced as well as any unwanted materials.
- To a pot, add 2 cups of water for every cup of rice. The combined addition of water and rice.
- Add a pinch of salt to the water that is being used to boil the rice. THE RICE SHOULD NOT BE MIXED OR STIRRED AS IT WILL GET STICKY.
- When it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and COVER.
- For about 18 minutes, simmer it without stirring or peeking.
- Turn off the heat and let the rice rest another 10 minutes
- Use a fork to fluff the rice before serving.
To cook rice in a thermos or wonder oven (insulated cooking container):
- 1 cup of rice should be added to the thermos.
- Pour 2 cups of boiled water into a thermos.
- The thermos should be sealed and laid on its side for 2.5 hours.
- Eat the rice from the thermos.
Increase the amount of rice and water by two or three times for larger insulated cooking containers.
What About The Arsenic In Rice?
When grown under identical conditions, white rice has an average of 80% less arsenic than brown rice. The reason for this is that bran and germ contain high concentrations of arsenic. Due to the possibility of it being bound to the bran, not all of this arsenic will be absorbed by the body.
The levels of arsenic in various types of rice and rice grown in various locations vary. Some of the lowest levels of arsenic are found in:
- White basmati rice from California, India, and Pakistan
- Sushi rice grown in the United States
Except for sushi rice, rice grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas has some of the highest levels of arsenic. (facts provided by the National Celiac Association.)
