For those looking to get into long term food storage rice should be near the top of your list. Not only is it versatile and tastes good but rice is one of the easiest foods for long term food storage.
Rice is a quintessential food for SHTF and emergency food storage. If you’re not familiar with the meaning of SHTF check out our post on the topic here.
Why store rice long term?
Rice stored properly lasts a long time.
Bulk rice is cheap and readily available!
White rice tastes great!
Rice is rich in calories
Rice is easy to prepare
Can rice go bad?
As with every other food, rice goes bad if exposed to moisture, oxygen, and heat. Moisture is especially problematic due to rice being a sponge.
When stored at a high moisture level, rice can absorb moisture and eventually become moldy.
Oxygen, heat, and light can also cause problems with rice because it can cause the oils in the rice to go rancid very quickly. This is why brown rice has shorter shelf life than white rice.
Choosing your rice for long term food storage
White rice is generally the best choice when it comes to long term food storage. There are numerous types of rice available and they all have different shelf life depending on how they are prepared and stored.
Unlike white rice, brown rice has a much shorter shelf life than other rice due to it’s natural oils. Wild rice is much more difficult to prepare than white rice and I generally avoid it.
If your goal is to store rice long term, white and wild rice has the longest shelf life. Even basic storage methods can keep these rices good for up to five years. If you take it a step further you can store white and wild rice thirty years or more by ensuring the rice is stored in an oxygen free container.
If you’re looking to store other foods like pasta long term, check out our other post here.
Rice Storage Containers
It’s critical that you choose the right storage containers when preparing your rice. There are numerous storage methods and each has it’s own pros and cons.
Your containers must prevent pests from contaminating your rice. Preventing your rice from moisture and oxygen exposure is also critical.
Storing Rice Long Term
The best storage method to store rice long term is by filling mylar bags with rice and an oxygen absorber then placing the sealed bags in food grade buckets.
I’ll cover some alternative, less effective methods later.
What you’ll need:
Rice
White rice has the best shelf life and tastes best to me.
One five gallon bucket will hold about 35lbs of rice.
Food-grade buckets
Since you are using mylar bags normal buckets from Home Depot will also work.
I still prefer food-grade buckets if possible.
Bucket lids
Gamma lids are special bucket lids which thread onto the bucket. They allows you to easily access the contents of the bucket and reseal as necessary.
Traditional bucket lids are inconvenient but they get the job done.
Mylar vacuum sealer bags
Choose mylar bags in a size that allows you to keep most of your rice sealed. This helps protect your remaining rice from contamination as you start to use your supply.
I like 1/2 gallon bags for this reason. Some people use 1 gallon bags.
Food-safe oxygen absorbers
Choose a size appropriate for the mylar bags you are using
1/2 gallon bags need 200-400cc oxygen absorbers
1 gallon bags should have 400cc oxygen absorbers
You can’t use too much oxygen absorbers. If in doubt, use more.
For a deep-dive into oxygen absorbers go here.
Preparing rice storage containers
Place your rice in mylar bags
Put an oxygen absorber in the mylar bags
Vacuum seal the mylar bags
Place the vacuum sealed bags in your bucket
Label your buckets with the date they were sealed
Store your buckets in a cool, dry place off the ground
Other rice storage methods
Freezing rice
White rice can last nearly indefinitely when frozen. Freezing rice also kills any bugs in the rice. You can put the rice in an airtight container and simply place it in your freezer space.
The main downside to this method is it requires electricity to power your freezer. Many natural disasters will cause electrical outages and I prefer not to rely on my freezer. Secondly, you’re reliant on your freezer not breaking. In an emergency situation getting your freezer fixed will be a challenge.
Airtight container with Oxygen Absorbers
Mason jars and other airtight containers can work well in conjunction with oxygen absorbers to store rice long term. As long as you keep the containers in a cool and dry place out of the sun you can easily keep rice for at least 5 years.
Be sure to use large enough oxygen absorbers to ensure you have an oxygen free container.
Vacuum Bags
These are your standard plastic vacuum bags. They can work ok but these bags are not totally moisture or airtight. Eventually your rice can spoil using this method. It’s only marginally more effective than the plastic package your rice came in.
Dealing With Pests
No matter how you configure your rice storage containers, pests will try to get in. Be sure to periodically check your rice storage for signs of pest intrusion.
Rodents will try to gnaw through containers. I’ve had storage buckets compromised by rodents. Although buckets are still very resistant to rodent damage.
Rice weevils
These are going to be one of your main concerns when storing rice long term. The small insects will contaminate and damage your stored rice.
If you’re using oxygen absorbers in vacuum sealed bags the lack of oxygen in the bag will kill rice bugs.
An alternative method is to freeze rice which will kill any rice bugs.
If you discover rice weevils in your rice, they do not make the rice unsafe to eat should you absolutely need to.
Rodents
Depending on how you’re storing rice long term you may be dealing with rodents. Glass jars and metal cans are essentially rodent proof.
Food grade buckets are very rodent resistant but I have had rodents chew into a bucket before.
How much rice do I need to store?
According to FEMA they recommend having at least 72 hours worth of food and water stored for emergencies.
This is not nearly enough in my opinion. I’d have at least a month of food and water per person in your household if possible. More is better.
A five gallon bucket full of rice will have about 24 days worth of food for an adult if all you ate was rice.
According to Utah State University you should have 25-60 pounds of rice per person per year. Total grains in an emergency food pantry should be approximately 300lbs per person per year.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rice Storage
What kind of rice should I store?
White rice has the longest shelf life of any kind of rice. It doesn’t matter if it’s long grain white rice or short grain. Basmati or any other variety of white rice, it doesn’t matter.
Can I use zip lock bags to store rice?
Ziplock bags are not airtight or moisture proof. Eventually air and moisture will get to your rice. A better alternative would be mylar vacuum bags, mason jars or other airtight containers.
Can I store rice directly in food grade buckets?
Yes, you can store rice directly in food grad buckets but I don’t recommend it. Firstly, there is potential for the buckets to fail causing your rice to spoil. Having your rice also in a mylar bag will help in this scenario.
Secondly, if you need to start eating your rice you will have to open the entire bucket thus exposing all contents to contamination. By rationing your rice into smaller mylar bags it protects your supplies.
Can I use instant rice for long term food storage?
Yes you can. It will keep just as long as normal uncooked white rice.
How can I prevent rice weevils in my rice?
You can freeze your rice before sealing in mylar bags. This will kill any potential insects. Also, if you’re using a airtight container with oxygen absorbers the bugs will not have air to breath.
What if I find weevils or worms in my rice?
Your rice will still be safe to eat. Although I’d try and remove any bugs or worms before eating. You can freeze rice to kill any bugs or worms in the rice.
