Best way to store Rice and pasta

[TRex2]

Originally Posted by reubenray

I don't plan on being here in 25 years. I am wanting a way to keep the bugs out. These jars are big pickle jars.

Originally Posted by WRM20

You may already have bugs in the items you are storing. So, don't get upset if you see bugs in a year or two. The bugs are edible, and add protein. Something I learned living overseas in third world countries...

True, the bugs (their eggs) are there, in the rice and beans (and a couple other items) when you buy them. What I do, is throw the package in the freezer for 7 days (inside a plastic bag), take it out and let it return to room temperature for a day, then proceed to store it in my bulk storage. The freezing kills off the bugs, the bag and time to return to room temperature prevents our Ozark humidity from wetting the product while it returns to room temp. I have a small freezer, so I have been doing this to about 5lbs of product per week (not every week) for a couple years.

[TRex2]

Here is an article on Parbroiled rice (Uncle Ben's, for instance)

https://thesurvivalmom.com/parboiled-rice/

When rice is harvested, each grain is inside a hull. That hull is removed and brown rice is the result.

We get white rice when the rice is processed even further by removing the bran.

Parboiled rice is processed completely differently.

The parboiling process occurs when the just-harvested rice is soaked, steamed, and then dried with the hull still on each grain. This allows the grain of rice to absorb the nutrients in the hull and bran and it gives the rice a firmer texture.

Once this has been completed, then the hull is removed. The rice ends up having a pretty light yellow color, although once cooked, the color of the rice is more of a creamy white.

I am currently using rice I bought, just before the pandemic hit, and it seems ok.

Does anyone have any experience with using "parbroiled" rice, more than 5 or so years old?

[YorktownGal]

Originally Posted by TRex2

True, the bugs (their eggs) are there, in the rice and beans (and a couple other items) when you buy them. What I do, is throw the package in the freezer for 7 days (inside a plastic bag), take it out and let it return to room temperature for a day, then proceed to store it in my bulk storage. The freezing kills off the bugs, the bag and time to return to room temperature prevents our Ozark humidity from wetting the product while it returns to room temp. I have a small freezer, so I have been doing this to about 5lbs of product per week (not every week) for a couple years.

When I lived in Texas, I purchased a unusual shaped pasta. The box of pasta must have sat on the supermarket shelf too long. Because, when I cooked it, worms appeared.

Afterwards, I never brought pasta in boxes again. I only purchase it in completely sealed bags. I still freeze pasta for a couple of days to kill off bugs.

The oil in flours ages quickly. I keep flour and any open cornmeal in my refrigerator or freezer (depending on which has more room).