Bucket of Rice
Posted by pathf1nder00@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 62 comments
I had bought a 25# bucket of emergency food rice a year or so ago. It wasnt individually wrapped, but just a big bucket o' rice. Kinda ticked me off cause once I open it, its pretty much exposed and will probably waste a lot.
Been thinking about opening it, to vacuum seal some more reasonable portions for emergency use.
If I opened it to vacuum seal smaller portions, what should i do to better ensure it's longevity storage, especially since I will break the seal on the bucket?
FWIW: this brand is a common emergency food bucket supplier, and everythign else I have purchased has been in reasonable proportions. I wasnt expecting it to be 25# thrown in the bucket. Kinda disappointing.
joshyouarebaker@reddit
Open it and portion it into mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, then seal. Those bags will last over 10 years. The bucket is just for protection at that point.
MarsMonkey88@reddit
You can seal it in small vacuum portions with an oxygen eater packet. I think it’s better to expose it to oxygen to do that than it is to risk an infestation. I somehow got earwig eggs in one of those airtight pantry containers that seals with a top push button. As individual portions of rice will be better in an emergency, anayway.
ExtraplanetJanet@reddit
I don’t usually vacuum seal my rice, I just put it in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and seal the top shut with a hair straightener. 3-5 pounds per bag depending on the size of the bag, and I can usually fit 25 pounds in a bucket still. If I were you I would crack open that bucket, package the rice and then close it again. It should be fine almost indefinitely in sealed bags.
pathf1nder00@reddit (OP)
what size absorber would I use for a 3# bag of white rice?
wakanda_banana@reddit
500-1,000cc of oxygen absorbers
-Thizza-@reddit
Does that stand for the amount of oxygen it can absorb? 0.5 or 1 liter?
wakanda_banana@reddit
“CC" in oxygen absorbers stands for cubic centimeters, which is a unit of volume equivalent to milliliters. The CC rating indicates the capacity of the packet to absorb oxygen. A 300cc packet absorbs 300cc of oxygen, while a 500cc packet absorbs 500cc of oxygen.
-Thizza-@reddit
Right, like I said. 1000cc is 1 liter. Thanks.
positivitittiesss@reddit
Is 2000cc overkill?
BallsOutKrunked@reddit
I don't know the size but I'd go for ones in the \~3"x3" category. You can't really over-do it with them and I tend to put in 2x-3x what I would need to. Mylar does allow a small amount of oxygen over time, so those absorbers keep chugging away as oxygen gets in.
pathf1nder00@reddit (OP)
thanks. I appreciate the help!
pumpkinsam@reddit
I don’t think I would want rice that was individually wrapped.
dinkydinkyding@reddit
Rice party with your neighbors!
KQ4DAE@reddit
I go through that a year. I use a screw top I got at the hardware store works great.
DeFiClark@reddit
White rice lasts way over a year stored cool and dry.
I’ve used rice from large from the store bags that were open 2 or more years and unopened bags that were at least 4 years old.
fusiondynamics@reddit
I've had 15 year old rice that was stored in my cupboard and it was fine. Was in it's original bag.
Ghigs@reddit
As a counterpoint I had like 50 pounds go bad. It started sweating an orange sticky liquid.
drAsparagus@reddit
Moisture was definitely your problem. Next time try putting a dry iPhone in it absorb it all up in a few days.
Thedarb@reddit
Sake!
mmaalex@reddit
This.
I buy 20lb white rice bags for regular cooking. It takes me 1-2 years to get through them and never had any spoilage
mediocre_remnants@reddit
Yeah. Back during the Y2k panic I bought a 25lb bag of rice. It was in my pantry for maybe 5 years before I finally decided to open it and start using it. It took me another 2 years to use it all. It was fine. I didn't notice any difference between that old rice and new bags of rice.
livestrong2109@reddit
That's exactly how I store all my rice and beans. Only added a handful of moisture absorbers and oxygen scrubbers.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Rotating some from 1998 right now at home. Packed properly and looks just like the day it went in the mylar and bucket.
Sistersoldia@reddit
Mylar bags if you can are the best - heat seal with an iron. Oxygen absorbers tossed in will get you almost as good as nitrogen packing. Hand warmers opener and thrown in there are a poor man’s oxygen absorber. I store my big bags of rice that I actually use in Gamma seal buckets and I take out like a gallon at a time to put in glass jars to use. I always open a new hand warmer and throw one into the bucket before I screw down the lid.
I also have a Sodastream attached to a 20# CO2 tank - I’ve used a tube or an arrow shaft to flood buckets with CO2 to purge oxygen first. My wife is Cuban/Chinese …. 25# of rice doesn’t last too long Lol
iambecomesoil@reddit
Where are you getting hand warmers cheaper than oxygen absorbers?
cantiludan@reddit
Dollar General usually put them on sale for 0.10 per package in the spring. I grabbed a box.
Sistersoldia@reddit
lol I have both … I got a case of hand warmers on Crazy Deal from Oceqn State Job Lot that are getting old so I use them up. I did not realize O2 absorbers have gotten cheap.
Forgiven4108@reddit
One pound vacuum sealed packages. Include an oxygen absorbent pack in each one.
Nanny_Ogg1000@reddit
Use 2.5-gallon Hefty Slide Lock bags to seal them up. Double bag them by putting one sealed bag inside the other for maximum strength. It should not take more than 3 -4 of those bags (6 -8 double sealed) to contain 25 lbs of rice. Use as needed and zip back up to store. I did this with a 20 lb bag of rice from SAMS Club. Any Walmart should have these bags.
Link to bags here.
Hefty-Squirrel-6800@reddit
Figure out how much you need for a typical meal and divide it accordingly and vacuum seal it double bag it because rice can penetrate the bag. Wrote directions for preparing it on the outside in case you assign someone else to prepare it. Then seal it back in that same bucket.
Carloocho@reddit
I fill 1 or 2 liter bottles with rice to store. Vac sealing shouldn't be needed, just dry.
PrisonerV@reddit
Lol. Bucket of rice. Hiya. Uncle Roger laugh at you. Hiya.
IAmA_Wolf@reddit
This receipt last longer than my marriage
Report_Last@reddit
I live in the South, we buy rice at my house in 25# plastic bags, transfer 5#s at a time into the cabinet rice container, and it's gone in 6 months.
BatemansChainsaw@reddit
It's not that big of a deal. I dumped the rice in the cleaned bucket and scoop out what's needed whenever and then seal it back up again. Takes a year to go through a whole bucket since it's not an every day food staple, and the food's just fine.
Mission_Reply_2326@reddit
I have one of these and we use it to cook with. I have had no problems. Maybe my family is more into rice than yours is….Mexican rice ✅ plain white rice ✅ stir fry rice ✅ refried rice ✅ horchata✅ moqueca rice ✅ …..getting back to your question: vacuum seal in Mylar bags- iron the bags closed. Make sure you included one of those anti-moisture packets (often they come with the Mylar bags)- store Mylar bags in a bucket (keep mice away)
SpaceGoatAlpha@reddit
This is an extremely common and often brought up topic.
https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/1shvebd/comment/ofgjmjh/?context=3
polaritypictures@reddit
Rice Does get old, especially brown rice. Separating them in to smaller pouches is smart. but I'd suggest using portions of them during the year and replacing it with new occasionally so your using AND rotating your stocks. Your not Out anything, you have fresh stuff, your eating your investment in line. don't let it just sit in the garage cooking and rotting. same with other food stores as well. ROTATE.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
It's really eff'in sad there is still so much piss poor info on storing food properly still in the preparedness movement- handwarmers and similar dumb shit... Sigh.
"If only we could pack like the professionals do"- well shit that's easy, just use proper mylar and proper oxygen absorbers and follow instructions a chimp could do. But no, here are we still trying to re-invent the wheel....
Virginia_Hall@reddit
If it's been open for a year +, you're probably better off starting with a new bucket and then breaking it down into smaller sealed portions. We put our rice into 1/2 gallon glass jars with an O2 absorber and then use one of those vacuum sealers on the lid.
Ra_a_@reddit
Half a pound of rice per week is 25 pounds over 12 months
You can just eat it
We just use retail packaging to store rice for a few years.
No Mylar or vacuum seal
NC12S-OBX-Rocks@reddit
I essentially attempted to post this same question and it was auto-removed because I didn’t meet the requirements for posting in the forum. I quickly retyped the question and posted it to r/cooking. Got lots of great responses. Then a mod wrote me saying they weren’t allowing my post because I posted the same content in r/cooking. 🙁
Bottom line: everyone told me it was bad. I was talking to a guy at work and he said he’d take all the rice (60 lbs) because aged rice is preferred in his country. So it’s all in my car — I forgot to give it to him at work today.
alexseiji@reddit
Store the rice in a dedicated clear sealable container. Weevle Beatles can infest rice if left in the bag or out in general. Several large containers are fine, make sure they really seal though, rubber ringed snap tops are ideal. Any Asian goods store will have them specifically for rice.
Stick to Japanese or California Japanese grown rice. All the other rices from the world are high in arsenic. Regardless of rice, wash the rice until the water is clear to shed more of the arsenic usually found in the husks/husk dust.
OutlanderMom@reddit
Rice lasts for decades if it’s kept safe from pantry moths, mice and moisture. I have several (food grade) buckets of rice, sugar, lentils, flour, etc. a couple I bought from a prepper supply place and some I packed myself. If I bought a big burlap bag of rice (or any dry goods) at Costco, I put it in the freezer for a week to kill any eggs or larva. Spread it out on a towel or newspaper to dry thoroughly and then either pack in bags/jars or loose in a bucket. A tight fitting lid and it’s done. I have one bucket each with flour, sugar/rice with gamma lids (the center screws on and off without having to pry up the lid) that I use to fill my kitchen canisters. I’ve done nothing special with it except freeze it before storing.
SureTrash@reddit
Well, as many others have said, your rice should be fine for a really long time as long as you're closing the lid, and keeping it from moisture and sunlight.
But since that doesn't answer your question: You can throw a couple desiccant packets in the bucket to ease your concerns. If you're wanting to store it long long term, get yourself a 5-gallon Mylar bag, put the bag in a bucket you want to store the rice in, and transfer the rice over. You won't need desiccant in a sealed Mylar bag, but you should toss an oxygen absorber in before sealing the Mylar. Not only will that preserve the rice, but it'll kill any possible eggs (so you don't have to do the freezing method) and keep it from going "stale."
Fit_Acanthisitta_475@reddit
Sounds like you don’t really eat rice. You may not like even in shtf.
PetrockX@reddit
Rice is typically sold in 25lb bags at all asian markets. Why would this supplier do it differently when that is the way most of the world does it and it works very well for them that way?
Hypermofo@reddit
I've had sandwhich bags of rice in my prep totes for years as long as they aren't in the elements and away from rodents should be fine opening and closing the bucket
ResponsibleNeck715@reddit
Thankyou
astilba120@reddit
I have several 25 pound bags in my cellar pantry, it never goes bad, not even 1 bug, I buy white basmati.
Old_Dragonfruit6952@reddit
As long as it stays dry you are fine.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
FWIW: this brand is a common emergency food bucket supplier,
What does this mean? Some new company that doesn't know how to pack properly??? Who is it?
A properly packed (mylar and 02 absorbers) bucket from a legit company will keep for decades.
I know everyone that has no experience rotating food storage thinks that once you open a mylar that all the contents go POOOOFF! in a short period of time but that's not how it works....
We have had buckets with grains with open mylars for years without losing the product. Cut the mylar, get what you need out and roll the mylar back on itself. Reason 762 why you don't "cut off the excess" mylar like all the new folks that haven't really experienced food storage long term mentions.
Also, a 5 gallon bucket will normally hold around 40 lbs. of rice. If it's truly 25 lbs. it's either not a 5 gallon bucket or only 3/4 or so full????
almondreaper@reddit
Rice, pasta, wheat berries atc will last indefinitely if stored in a sealed contained that's dry. Having said that you must put it in the freezer for like 3 days to kill insect eggs and then let it thaw completely to avoid condensation
DwarvenRedshirt@reddit
If the rice is properly sealed with Oxygen absorbers for long term storage, it should be fine till you open it. Then the "clock" will start ticking on it. Meaning you have years and years to actually eat it from that point. As long as you don't eat a few cups and stick it back in storage and forget it, you won't be wasting it.
Lou_Nap_865@reddit
When we buy bulk rice, beans, etc...we vacuum seal in 5 lb increments and then put those in regular buckets with lids.
You could do this with what you already have. Promise, I've done it.
The dessicant and mylar protect the food enough that you don't really 'need' a food grade bucket, just a good lid.
If you do not mylar, then a food grade bucket would be recommended. Preferably with a gamma lid, but not absolutely necessary if you cycle quick enough.
Prolly about 20 years into the rotations at this point for the naysayers.
Also, freezing for the bugs is better twice. Freezing does not kill all the eggs and when it thaws, some will survive. We do a 48 hr freeze, 48 hr thaw, 24 hr freeze then thaw and dry for vacuum sealing.
Again, 20 years...no weevils, no rot. TAKE YOUR TIME! Don't cut corners, it's your food!
It is nice to pull out a 5lb bag for the week and it doesn't affect the rest in the bucket.
This also allows for easier trading, should you go this route. Pre-weighed bags of food will be better than trying to figure it all out when the time comes. This is another topic, though.
I hope this helps any. GL!
Jadedslave124@reddit
Here I am buying 50lb bags of rice and dumping them in a gamma bucket for the next year or so of rice. Keep the lid on. It’s fine
There_Are_No_Gods@reddit
There are quite a few options. I prefer keeping things in their original bulk containers when they arrive packaged like that for long term storage. Then, I plan for and store whatever I need to break it down and store portions of that short term if and when disaster strikes or I'm otherwise using it up near the end of its lifetime.
For example, rather than using all gamma lids (expensive!), I only have a few gamma lids and mostly the cheaper hammer on lids, where during usage I can crack open a cheap annoyingly hard to open lid once, then swap that bucket to an easy to reopen gamma lid while I use it up over days/weeks.
If I want to break down a bucket during usage, such as to combine bulk elements into meal prep ready bundles, then I can store that in smaller reusable containers, from zip-lock style baggies to small metal or plastic tins or other similar storage containers.
The key thing is that the goal of "easy to access multiple times while using" can be fulfilled with a little up front planning while deferring the actual breaking down until it's proven necessary. This avoids wasted labor and the high chances of contaminating or otherwise losing value from repackaging now goods that are already well packaged for long term storage.
Opening-Idea-3228@reddit
This is my strategy too: keep in original container, if possible. Many are then put in bins for convenience.
Then when I open a bulk container, I take my immediate need and vacuum seal the rest in jars (I have many - bought in bulk and pick them up at garage sales or buy products with reusable jars) with oxygen absorbers (only if needed). Mylar bags is my back up.
Chainsawsas70@reddit
Rice sealed up in a bucket with a Gamma seal lid will last for years 😎 and you can add desiccant pouches to it also.
Beneficial_Trip3773@reddit
Ok so umm first bring your rice home. Now put the rice in your freezer. In any container. Leave it in the freezer for 2 days 48 hours . That kills any eggs that may be in it. Now put your rice in a cool dark dry place. Normally i call it the kitchen pantry. It will last longer than you. Bou of course you could just spend money on weird stuff like y'all seem to enjoy. Don't freeze dry it. I'm pretty close to sure that's wasting time.
Little-Carpenter4443@reddit
Now I’m no rice expert, but I would assume that one of those giant sacks of rice would last a very long time and it’s not sealed at all. Those things are made with burlap or whatever mesh they have. I would think something seal should have some ways of getting rid of all moisture or else you’re gonna have worse issues.
Jynxair@reddit
Freeze dry maybe? Idk