Brown rice degradation

[Philbo]

Hello,

I stored some grocery store brown rice in the garage about February, as my first effort in long term storage.  As time went by and I read more and more, I looked and noticed some flying bugs in and around the (not airtight) plastic containers.   Finally after a long hot summer (hotter and longer than I expected for NC) I decided to inspect the bags with a mind to rotating the rice  out of LTS.  Well the flying bugs were indeed inside the tubbies, but I did not see any in the rice.  What I did see was lots of brown residue inside the intact plastic bags.  It was dry and like tiny particles, not dust.  I decided to sieve out the brown stuff with a strainer, which went pretty well.  I did see a few (only 3 in the batch of rice that I sorted) insects, tiny worms. 

Since I had the bags out I decided to cook up a cup of brown rice for dinner.  I use an excess of water and boil for 40 minutes, works every time.  Except this time, the rice was extremely white, and really mushy.  It seems I was left with white rice, that was way overcooked, and the brown stuff was the bran from the rice grains.    Now I don't know if it was due to the high heat, or the insects, or what, but it surprised the heck out of me.  Has anyone ever experienced this, or heard of it?

Philbo

[Mr. Bill]

I'd take a guess that the flying bugs were the adult forms of the worms you saw.  Over the course of the spring and summer, an entire civilization of larvae and flying adults arose, thrived, and eventually reached TEOTWAWKI about the time you discovered the 3 survivors.

Boiled larvae are probably very nutritious, but I'm not sure if the same is true of boiled larva excrement.

[Medicineball]

Methinks Mr. Bill is right, and I've had the same experience. Now I store my brown rice in the freezer for a couple of months (kills everything) before room temp storage. I then eat it within a year. No problems.

[Cryptozoic]

To store rice I put it in 12 gallon zio-lok bags (Home Depot) inside 5 gallon buckets and include dried hot peppers and bay leaves.  For some reason the peppers and bay leaves prevent anything in the rice from hatching.

[PrepperJim]

All -

This evening while watching TV, my wife went to the back room during a commercial break. She started wailing that there were bugs crawling all around the bedroom including on the bed. When I went back there, we had little bugs crawling everywhere. I thought "meh", bugs are bugs are bugs. She pulled out the vacuum cleaner and started vacuuming everywhere. She discovered the source, under my side of the bed. I had some brown rice in a tub under the bed. Little bugs had infested the entire tub.

Yikes, I had to apologize to my wife for the infestation. Beware folks....

[Nate]

I learned something interesting about rice the other day.  The reason why we have white rice is for long term storage.  Ancient peoples found if they polished the rice, removing the husk and creating white rice, that it would store much longer.  I read somewhere that normal white rice has a shelf life of 10 years.

We have noticed the same thing.  Our brown rice only keeps a few months before it starts to smell a little "off" meaning it is starting to go rancid.  We buy a little brown at a time to add to the white when we cook for the extra nutrition.  The bulk of our rice storage is white. 

[Cedar]

It is always good to FREEZE any grain product for at least 72 hours. When I was in Canada I would haul my tubs to the front porch when it was really really cold and let them stay there for a week (usually at -20 to -40C). Here in Oregon I do the same when it is freezing, but I also utilize my freezer when I have space.

I also try to get grains as close to the source as I can. You pick up weevils and Indian Meal moths from graineries and processing plants. All my oats, wheat and such I try to pick right up from the fields and I have noticed that your grain is 'cleaner' from that source (ie bug free).

Check and rotate often.

Brown rice even without bugs goes rancid sooner than other types of rice (yes, there are other types besides brown and white-- blacks, greens, reds etc) because of its germ and such. Use and rotate is very often. You should be using it more than the white anyway as it is better for you. I do not use it as a LTS, although I have a bunch of it. Again, rotate, rotate, rotate. By the way, I don't so anything too exciting for the brown or white rice other than dump it into buckets and seal. No herbs, no sealing, nada. Knock on wood, but I have never had an issue for the 17+ years I have been doing this in two countries and six houses I have lived in.

Cedar

[Medicineball]

We eat a lot of brown rice, and in my experience CEDAR is right - freezing is like money in the bank. I usually freeze for at least a week. I freeze them in their plastic bags from the store, and them leave em in the bags in a cool, dark place. Sometimes, if I have the space, I just leave them in the freezer. Never have bugs.

[flippydidit]

We're big fans of DE powder (diatomaceous earth).  We use it in our soil amendment, long term grain storage, chicken pens (directly in their dust bath area), dog food storage, you name it.  As long as you follow the safety instructions it is almost impossible to do without.  We pick up the food grade DE powder from the feed store and use it liberally.  It stores indefinitely and works wonders for killing all kinds of bugs.  It also works as a barrier around your home to eradicate termites and ants.  Check into it if you've never used it.  I think we're paying $20-25 for a 50lb. bag at the feed store.  You can also find it at plant nurseries.

[NorIDhunter]

We're big fans of DE powder (diatomaceous earth).  ...
   As long as you follow the safety instructions it is almost impossible to do without.  ...

Very interesting!  From the MSDS http://www.apacapacas.com/msds.html
X. BENEFITS CLAIMED BY LONG-TERM USERS

    Completely safe and nontoxic
    Controls fleas and ticks
    Stimulates basic metabolism
    Converts feed better
    Reduces odor and moisture in barns and stalls
    Results in better coat and/or hoof condition
    Keeps fly larvae from developing in manure, noticeably reducing the fly population
    Cost effective
    Reduces annual vet bills
    Controls worms and internal parasites without chemicals
    Reduces overall animal stress
There's also SUGGESTED FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS for animals.

I'm guessing that you're just mixing this in with your grains as you bag/bucket them? Any particular ratio?

[flippydidit]

There are all kinds of information that conflict each other, but most of it says just under a cup per 5 gallon bucket by volume (by differing amounts depending on the source).  We round up and call it good at about one cup per bucket.  Just add a bit as you go until the bucket is full and the DE powder is gone.  Just remember to wear a mask and safety goggles whenever you deal with the stuff (I forgot the goggles one time and there were no ill effects, but do as I say, not as I do).   

It's one of the most cost-effective means of getting rid of just about every detestable pest on the homestead.  When we go out to the gardens to weed/cultivate, one of us is the dedicated "DE re-application specialist".  The garden takes a bit of time to reflect any benefits, but after doing it for a while the bad bug population really gets knocked down a lot.

[BumperEagle]

I'm glad I stumbled by this thread...

I recently bought a 50lb bag of brown for use and for LTS.  I have heard/read a lot that brown rice is healthier and more nutritious than white rice, and have switched to eating primarily brown rice vs good old Uncle Ben's.

Anyone know if there is a middle-of-the-road variety that offers a wider nutritional value than white rice, but also stores well? 

Cedar, I saw you mentioned that there were other types, how do those varieties store, and how is their nutritional value?

[Archer]

be careful of carpet DE usage, it will also kill beneficial insects (bees, etc).

[CTyler7]

I learned something interesting about rice the other day.  The reason why we have white rice is for long term storage.  Ancient peoples found if they polished the rice, removing the husk and creating white rice, that it would store much longer.  I read somewhere that normal white rice has a shelf life of 10 years.

This seems awfully similar to the discovery that wheat could be processed in a similar manner (removing the germ) to produce a more shelf stable flour.

We have noticed the same thing.  Our brown rice only keeps a few months before it starts to smell a little "off" meaning it is starting to go rancid.  We buy a little brown at a time to add to the white when we cook for the extra nutrition.  The bulk of our rice storage is white.

I also read that microwaves can be used to deactivate the enzyme responsible for aging and eventual rancidity resulting in a more shelf stable flour. I wonder if the same idae could be used for brown rice?

This guy seems to think so: http://www.jmpee.org/JMPEE_PDFs/28-3_bl/JMPEE-Vol28-3-Pg156-Tao.pdf

[Cedar]

Cedar, I saw you mentioned that there were other types, how do those varieties store, and how is their nutritional value?

I have never stored anything but the white, brown and wild rices. I may try some of the other rices out when I go to my prefered Asian store in the next few months as I was curious how the other colours of rice tasted. So I do not know yet, but will let you know when I try them out.

Cedar

[HawthorneCA]

I store the instant brown rice for long term storage.  The nutritional content is no different than regular brown rice and the shelf life is usually 18-24 months - longer if stored properly.

[Medicineball]

HawthornCA, I wonder why that would be? If the nutrients are the same, so the components of the food don't differ, why would it last longer, I wonder?

[TexasGirl]

HawthornCA, I wonder why that would be? If the nutrients are the same, so the components of the food don't differ, why would it last longer, I wonder?

Instant Rice has been cooked, dehydrated, and in some cases reformed into rice-looking pellets.  So basically it's more like reconstituting something freeze-dried than actually cooking.

~TG