How To Store Uncooked Rice At Home

Rice is normally sold in packs and you can’t possibly finish it at one go. Hence, storage is necessary. Sometimes, you may even need to store it for months depending on how often you have it and the amount that you buy. So, how to store uncooked rice at home to prevent wastage? Below are a few simple and practical tips to help you out in keeping your raw rice stay fresher for longer.

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How To Store Uncooked Rice – Use The Right Container

The right container is essential in maintaining freshness. As you would know, rice needs to be kept dry. Moisture is its worst enemy. Rice would turn inedible quicker if there is moisture. This would then attract mold to grow or get infested with bugs.

Hence, make sure that your hands are dry when you handle your rice for storage. Check that the rice itself is fresh and dry before putting it in the right container. This includes checking for bugs or rice weevils which can ruin the whole container of rice. If there are black specks visible, discard them.

The container that you choose needs to be airtight since you need to keep out moisture. You also need to prevent insects from getting in and spoiling the whole heap.

For this purpose, glass and food grade plastic containers are good options. You should avoid containers that emit smells such as wood because rice can absorb strong odors. There are plenty of airtight and moisture resistant containers that are specifically designed to hold rice and other types of grains. Get one of those and you have pretty much solved the problem on how to store uncooked rice at home.

Put It In The Right Place

After getting the right container, you would also need to put it in the right place. You can store uncooked rice at room temperature. But the condition is it should be placed in a cool and dry section of your kitchen. That means you must keep it away from sunlight and heat sources. Even if you have limited kitchen counter space, you can’t dump the rice container in the cabinet right below your stove or next to your oven.

As mentioned above, rice also absorbs odors. So, it makes sense not to store it near your garlic or any strong smelling items such as scented candles or soaps.

If you end up with a few containers, label them so that you would know when you have bought the rice and the type. After all, different types of white rice can look the same. This would also help you to keep track of how long you have been storing it and which one you would need to clear out first.

Add Oxygen Absorbers In The Rice Container

After getting the right container and storing it in a cool and dry place, the next additional thing you can do to ensure your rice stays dry is to put in oxygen absorbers. These are small packets that you can add into the container to absorb moisture. The idea is to slow down bacterial growth and maintain freshness of the rice.

These are the same packets that you will find in many food packaging from flour to nuts. Just make sure that you get the food grade ones and keep them away from young kids who may accidentally ingest them.

Freeze The Rice For Long Term Storage

If you want to store uncooked rice for the longer term, you can refrigerate or freeze it. The key is in slowing down the oxidization process. With a slower oxidization process, the shelf life will be extended naturally.

If you leave uncooked rice in the freezer, it can last you more than a year. During the more humid months, it is indeed a good idea to keep your rice in the fridge to prevent it from getting spoilt.

However, it is certainly not practical to store large amounts of rice in the freezer or fridge. It is heavy and can take up a lot of space. Hence, the best bet is not to buy more than you need for a couple of months. Although white rice has a long shelf life of a few years, it is not a good idea to keep them for too long. Once you have opened up the vacuum pack, oxidization will occur.

Even if you know how to store uncooked rice properly and it is still edible after 6 months or more, it will still lose its freshness and quality. Therefore, don’t be tempted to buy a bigger pack just because it works out to be cheaper. This is especially so if you are not a regular rice eater.