Dry storage of rice

I am moving. I have 49 pounds of rice in my freezer that has been there since Covid. It is organic brown, Basmati, and Jasmine. I bought large food grade (3) contsiners and a bunch of those moisture wicking little packs. My questions are: 1. Can I store different kinds of rice in the same container? 2: how many of those packets per container? 3 does the container have to be filled to the top? Thanks!

hey M Teague, is the rice in the freezer in sealed packets that you intend to put inside the buckets, or are you taking the rice out of what it's in now? (when you ask about storing the different types together it made me wonder)

All of them are in different plastic or burlap bags. Should I dump them out of the bags or store them in the bags in the buckets? I assumed I would have to dump the rice out.

Brown rice does not store well so once out of the freezer the rice needs to be used within 6 months.

Putting the brown rice in a refrigerator will help it last a little longer.

Maybe putting the rice in Mylar with some oxygen absorbers might help the brown rice last longer.

If the plan is to put all in one large sealed container, thaw them out in the open first or you could get spoilage from condensation.

Mk Neal wrote:If the plan is to put all in one large sealed container, thaw them out in the open first or you could get spoilage from condensation.

I'm hoping to hear from other people who use these containers, I've never used them but I do a lot of freezing of dry goods and condensation can definitely be an issue.

I would think it would be best to remove the rice from packaging (especially burlap, as I would think of it as perfect habitat for insect eggs) and put it directly in the buckets, if it's okay to mix the different kinds you have. I would imagine that the less empty space you have in the container, the fewer packets you'll need to use, but I 1) have no experience with these things and 2) i live in humidity central and I'm thinking worst-case scenario.

I've had basmati and jasmine last forever, if you can keep the weevils out  (and if you can't, you can always wash the weevils out when it's time to cook the rice, been there done that). Brown, as Anne mentions, not so much, although around here it's the bugs that get it before it goes rancid.

Myself I do long term storage of rice, you have done very well in freezing it.

Next after you bring the rice out you want to make sure there is no condensation on the rice...

But something I want to caution you about is the brown rice.     It is not suited for long term storage...

"Whole Grain Rice (e.g. brown rice) – Due to the oil content in the attached bran, aleurone and germ, brown rice is susceptible to oxidation and has a shelf life of six months. Keeping brown rice in a refrigerator or cooler will extend the shelf life."

So using the brown rice first probably would be a good idea.

Rice is a food that you can store at room temperature or a bit lower for years, as long as it does not get wet.  Most of the rice you buy in stores was harvested years ago.  In Japan, we can buy a product called "New Rice", sold in the fall of the year that it's harvested. All the other rice in the store was harvested at least 3 and up to 5 years ago - sometimes longer.  

So, you can safely store your rice at room temperature in a well-ventilated (moisture-free-ish), light-free place with minimal temperature variations, like a root cellar or basement, in a clean, dry plastic or glass container with a tight-fitting lid.  It'd be good if you could store it off the floor -- like on a skid or on shelving units. Larger commercial food storage containers are usually on wheels -- that's good too.

Don't mix different rice varieties. Long, medium, and short grain rice cooks for different lengths of time, and will often use different volumes of water. If you mix them, you'll end up with some mushy rice while you wait for the harder grains to cook, or eating some uncooked rice.

I don't know anyone in Japan who stores rice in a refrigerated unit of any size. It might get moldy or buggy if it's improperly stored -- like in a hot, damp environment, or in plastic or paper bags, but no one on this side of the planet is storing rice in the 'fridge.

I'm blessed to be able to buy short-grain Japanese brown rice straight from the rice farmer.  It's great for storing, but I bought a rice polisher so that I could have white rice too. I store my rice in restaurant food-grade Cambro Containers, but I'm not storing the volume that you are. I gave you the link for reference. Depending on where you live, if you're close to a city with restaurants, ask at the City Hall who you should speak with about any local restaurant(s) up for auction.  You might be able to pick up large food-safe containers quite inexpensively that way.  

To specifically answer your questions:
1. Can I store different kinds of rice in the same container?
Sorry, at first I thought you meant to mix different types of rice together in the same container.  Still, I would recommend against this option, unless you are using smaller plastic or glass container with tight-fitting lids to separate the rice, then putting those containers in your larger container. I would not put rice in the kind of plastic or paper bags you get at the grocer or buy online, and then store them in the larger container. Those bags are meant to be sold immediately, or within a shorter period of time than you want to store the rice. I would think that it would invite moisture and/or mold into the container. Don't overcrowd the larger container -- the lid has to have room to go on and remain tight-fitting for the duration.

2: how many of those packets per container?
I would not use them, especially if you are considering placing them in the container with the rice.  Most of them are not food-grade and can degrade. Here's some info on silica gel packs. . Just make sure you're buying food-grade packs regardless of the active ingredients if you're going to use them.  

I worked in a  Japanese restaurant for 8 years (on the east end of Long Island -- where it's hot and damp for about half the year). We regularly bought, unpacked and stored 3 types of rice in 5 or 6 30-gallon food grade containers stored in the not climate controlled basement of a 100-year old building. We did not use the packets you are referring to at all, although we did go through that rice in about 4 months.

Take a hard look at where you're seeing those packets in food storage. Chances are, you're seeing them in commercially prepared and refrigerated foods -- i.e. in environments where it's cool and damp-- like a refrigerator.  It's been my experience that those little packets draw moisture to them, but they don't necessarily keep the moisture away from the food they are touching. Consider using them in the storage room where you'll keep the rice, or in the larger container where you're storing rice in smaller individual containers, but not directly on or touching the rice.  Ask about the capacity to wick moisture from the air from the mfg of the desiccant as they vary from size and active ingredient.

3 does the container have to be filled to the top?
No, I don't think so. It's probably more important that the container is clean, dry and in good shape and that the lid fits snugly. By that I mean that small critters -- ants and other bugs won't be able to find a break in the seal, and the rats won't be able to lift the lid, or chew through the container.

Regardless, inspect the containers at least every 6 months or even every 3 months if they are in long-term storage.  Check for loose fitting lids (does the lid jiggle when you shake it?) and move the containers out of the storage area to inspect the back and bottoms of them for ah, chewing animals.

thanks for the votes of confidence!  I appreciate it.  But I forgot to ask a most important question.  How long will you be storing all that rice?

Barbara Manning wrote:Rice is a food that you can store at room temperature or a bit lower for years, as long as it does

As long as it is white rice.

Brown rice has oils that go rancid.

A lot of great suggestions here as long as they are related to brown rice.

Anne Miller wrote:

Barbara Manning wrote:Rice is a food that you can store at room temperature or a bit lower for years, as long as it does

Brown rice has oils that go rancid.

True dat.  Perhaps we were using the brown rice at a much faster rate than I knew about.  Thanks for the correction.