How to store rice at home and how long it can be stored
Rice is an important cereal plant that feeds over half of the world's population. Grow many varietiesgrains of which differ in taste, appearance, nutritional and useful properties. The most common is white rice, which is freed from the bran shell during the grinding process. Due to the loss of most of the nutrients contained in it, it is considered the least useful. Healthy eating includes brown (brown) brown rice, alternatively white parboiled rice.
Having stopped the choice on one of the varieties, pay attention to the expiration date. Each type of cereal has its own, depending on the grain processing technology, conditions and the region in which it is stored. We will tell you about the shelf life of rice, how to store rice at home and at what temperature, what happens to the cereal over time, how to determine the quality of the grain and whether an expired product can be used in food.
The content of the article
Shelf life of rice: what the state standards say
The expiration date is established by the standard GOST 6292-93 “Rice groats. Technical conditions ”and is 10-18 months. Specific storage periods for each type of cereal are contained in table No. 2 of GOST 26791-89 “Grain processing products. Packaging, labeling, transportation and storage ".
The shelf life of rice depends on the grain processing technology in the factory. Unrefined grains contain rice oil in the bran shell, which can quickly turn rancid. The shelf life of such rice should not exceed 12 months. If the manufacturer specifies a longer shelf life, this should be alarming. Most likely, the grains were additionally subjected to chemical treatment, which increases their storage time, but reduces their useful properties. Such cereals in large quantities are dangerous to the human body and can provoke food poisoning.
Longer storage is allowed for white rice - from 16 to 18 months. Expiry dates vary depending on the region in which the cereal is stored. The shelf life of polished rice on the territory of Ukraine, Central Asia, the Lower Volga region, the North and South Caucasus, the countries of the Far East is 12 months; in other regions (former countries of the USSR) - 18 months.
Shelf life in packaging and after opening
There are no approved standards for how much rice is stored before and after opening consumer packaging, it depends on the percentage of humidity, temperature and other climatic indicators.
If you focus on the averaged data regarding shelf life, then the maximum shelf life of cereals after opening is the same as the storage time in the package, subject to the storage rules. That is, if the manufacturer specifies a shelf life of 12 months, after breaking the integrity of the package, the cereal can be used for a year.
How and how much to store rice at home
After opening the original packaging, the cereals for further storage must be poured into a dry sealed glass, plastic or ceramic dish with a tight-fitting lid.
For reference. At a moisture content above 75%, the grains stick together into lumps, an unpleasant specific smell appears, which is given by rancid fatty compounds, moths and worms can start.
Do not allow moisture to penetrate inside, as high humidity reduces the shelf life of rice, creates favorable conditions for the growth and reproduction of pests, and the formation of mold.
The optimum storage temperature for rice is 5-15 ° C, the humidity level is no more than 65-70%. It is important to keep out of direct sunlight.
Advice... A bag of salt will protect the cereal from excess moisture and prevent the appearance of an unpleasant odor.
Where and how to store dry rice
It is not recommended to store rice in its original packaging, especially after opening. For long-term storage of cereals, glass, ceramic or plastic containers with a sealed lid are used. As an alternative, grains are stored in textile bags, but they are significantly inferior to sealed dishes.
The jar with cereals should be in a dark, dry and cool place. A pantry or kitchen cabinet is ideal. Sudden changes in storage conditions adversely affect the taste and healthiness of the product. It is advisable to place rice groats next to other cereals and avoid proximity to spices and products with a pronounced smell.
Experienced housewives say that it is ideal to use a refrigerator to store dry rice at home:
- at low temperatures, the likelihood of the formation of insect pests is reduced;
- the shelf life is increased by several months;
- if insects are bred in the croup, they will simply freeze and will not be able to reproduce further.
Dry rice can be stored in the freezer for 6 to 8 months. Groats are pre-packaged in plastic bags or plastic containers with a lid, or stored in their original packaging.
What happens to cereals over time
Regardless of the variety, rice contains starch... During long-term storage, the grains are saturated with moisture, which leads to product spoilage. The high moisture content creates favorable conditions for the formation of mold fungi, after which it is strictly forbidden to eat such a product even after heat treatment.
Advice... To minimize the likelihood of bugs appearing in rice groats, you need to put a few cloves of unpeeled garlic, mint-flavored chewing gum, dried lemon or orange zest, hot peppers, and bay leaves in the grains.
How to tell if rice is good for eating
When buying cereals in a store, choose goods in transparent packaging - this is how you can visually assess the quality and appearance of the grain, the presence of impurities. Rice of the highest grade of domestic suppliers or foreign product from trusted and well-known manufacturers is preferable.
Pay attention to its appearance and smell before using rice grits. A good quality product has no foreign smell, the grains are intact, without black inclusions and foreign impurities, insects.
The musty smell, the presence of a large number of yellow grains in the cereal, the formation of lumps indicates that the rice is of poor quality, expired, so it cannot be eaten.
There are other ways to determine the quality of rice cereals at home:
- Pour 1 tbsp into a container with cold water. l. dry rice, mix. The grains should settle to the bottom. If they surfaced, this suggests that rice contains substances harmful to the human body, it is better to refuse it.
- If you set fire to plastic rice, it will immediately catch fire and smell like burnt plastic. Real high-quality groats are difficult to ignite.
- Grind a few grains of rice in a mortar: white powder - a sign of high quality, yellow - indicates fake rice from China.
- If you put an airtight container with cereals in a warm place, mold should appear in the rice after a few days. If this does not happen, you have a poor quality product.
Can I use expired food
According to the established sanitary and epidemiological requirements, it is not recommended to use expired products, including rice. However, as practice shows, it is allowed to use cereals after the regulated expiration date, if the grains have retained their proper appearance, do not have any foreign smell, mold, or insects. But you can use such rice if the shelf life has expired recently. When several years have passed from the final date of use, cereals cannot be used.
Advice... Before buying cereals, check the production date and shelf life of the rice indicated on the back of the package. There you can also find information on calorie content, nutritional value, preparation methods, and manufacturer.
How long does boiled rice last at room temperature
Store cooked cereals in the refrigerator. In this case, the shelf life of rice is 72 hours, in the freezer - up to 3 months. Since rice has the ability to absorb odors, it must be stored in a clean, sealed container.
At a temperature of 10-30 ° C, rice can be kept for no more than 3 hours. Afterwards, you cannot eat it.
Read also:
Is it possible to eat rice with gastritis.
Conclusion
The shelf life of rice at home varies from 10 to 18 months, depending on the variety. The shelf life of the product is affected by humidity, temperature conditions, storage location, and the appearance of pests.
In order to prevent the rapid spoilage of grain, it is necessary to follow the storage rules, initially choose high-quality cereals of the highest grade of a domestic manufacturer.