![]() Regardless, putting grains in the freezer isn’t the best solution for long-term storage. Most websites put the shelf life at 2 years but offer no evidence of where this recommendation comes from. I could not find one scholarly article which actually researched the shelf life of uncooked brown rice in the freezer. White rice will last indefinitely in the freezer. Shelf Life: Indefinitely (white rice), 2 years (brown rice) Heat is especially damaging to brown rice reducing temperature can double shelf life. Keep the rice containers in a cool, dark place. You should still take steps to kill any insect eggs though, such as by freezing or microwaving the rice first. If insects hatch inside the container, at least they won’t be able to escape and infest the rest of your pantry. The main reason to store rice in air-tight containers rather than the packaging it came in is to prevent insect infestations. Shelf Life: 4 years (white rice), 6-8 months (brown rice) Instead, use one of these methods to store your rice safely. It’s not recommended to store rice in the plastic packaging it came in there’s simply too much risk of insect infestation or damage from the elements. Read: how to prevent insects in your food storage and does rice turn into maggots. To keep your rice stockpile safe, it’s best to take steps to prevent rice bugs, such as freezing or microwaving the rice before storage. However, a lot of people are grossed out by the idea of eating insects and end up throwing away all the infested rice. Rice weevils are actually safe to eat and even add some extra nutrients. Those adults go on to lay more eggs and suddenly you’ve got a massive infestation in your pantry. If you let the rice sit in your pantry long enough, the eggs will hatch and develop into adults. The culprits are usually moths or weevils. You can’t see them on the rice, but it’s likely there are insect eggs on the rice when you buy it. Proper storage methods will prevent infestations and allow rice to last 25+ years. However, if you don’t take precautions, your rice storage could easily become infested by insects. White rice will generally last for 4-5 years stored in the pantry, even after the “best by” date.īrown rice will generally last at around 6 months past its best-by date. Even white rice can go bad though, especially in high temperatures. This is why brown rice has a much shorter shelf life than white rice. Oxygen, heat and light are also very problematic for whole-grain rice they will make the healthy oils in the rice start to go rancid fairly quickly. If you store the rice in a high-humidity area, the rice will absorb moisture from the air and can eventually get moldy. Moisture is particularly problematic as rice acts like a sponge. Like with all dry staples, rice will go bad if it is subjected to moisture, oxygen, heat, or light. Here’s what you need to know about rice shelf life and storage methods that will keep rice from spoiling for years or even decades. However, if you don’t store it properly, rice will eventually go bad. Rice is considered a non-perishable food and, in theory, can last years in your pantry. ![]()
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