Would you like to know how you can store rice long-term?
The answer is through vacuum sealing!
There are many reasons why you would need long-term storage of food products. Maybe you are buying more to save money, or you just like having some extra in your pantry. Either way keeping it well-preserved is essential and vacuum sealing is the way to go. If you aren’t familiar with this process, don’t worry, this article explains it all! So let’s get started!
Vacuum Sealing Rice
Why Store Rice Anyway?
Rice is one of the staple components in billions of diets all over the world. It contains all that the human body needs to function plus it is delicious. It is also low in cholesterol which makes it good for your heart. That is why many people will get the need to preserve rice for as long as possible in their pantries.
How To Store Rice Long Term?
The long-term storage requires you to eliminate all of the heat, light, moisture as well as oxygen. That way your food will not degrade, nor will it allow bacteria to attack it. The best way to do that is by using special vacuum sealer bags and a vacuum sealing machine, which essentially sucks out all of the air out of the bag that contains rice. Before using the vacuum sealer, it’s good to learn how do vacuum sealers work.
Why Is Oxygen Bad For Your Rice?
Oxygen is mainly responsible for degrading your food due to oxidative reactions as well as the breaking down of lipids that are in it. Also, some microbes will find it great that there is oxygen in the food’s atmosphere. If the oxidative reactions do happen, you will notice it by the loss of color on your food, change in texture, and unpleasant smell. Over time, your food will become inedible.
What Are The Steps Of Vacuum Sealing?
First, you will need to place your rice into a vacuum bag, which is a specially designed bag for vacuum sealing purposes. Then you can label it so that you don’t forget what is inside later, even though most of these bags are transparent. Put the open side of the bag on your vacuum sealer and press the button to start the process. This process is very quick and easy and will last you just a couple of minutes. The professional vacuum sealers usually take short time to seal the bag.
How Long Does Vacuum Sealed Rice Last?
When rice is stored in your pantry it can usually last you for about 6 months. But if you use a vacuum sealer it will increase that range to about one or two years. That way you don’t have to worry about it going bad or you don’t have to run to the store to buy new rice and make your favorite meal. Before using the machine, read the instruction to be sure how to use the food vacuum sealer.
What Kind Of Bags do You Need?
For vacuum sealing your rice, you will need a special kind of bag. They are the metalized polyester (mylar) bags. These bags consist of a stretched polyethylene terephthalate as well as aluminum. Thanks to the metallic layer the impermeability of oxygen is greatly improved. These bags are often used in the food industry as they improve the freshness and prolong its shelf-life.
Ways To Store Rice Without Vacuum Sealer
There is another method for storing the rice for up to 30 years without actually using a vacuum sealer. Put the rice into the mylar bag and add in the oxygen absorber and seal the bag with either a specialized mylar bag sealer or with a standard household iron. Place the bag in a clean bucket and store it at 40 degrees Fahrenheit to make it last for 30 years. If you keep it at 70 degrees Fahrenheit, you can preserve it for up to 20 years. However, there are cheap vacuum sealers on the market so you can invest a small amount of money and seal the rice easily for years.
To Wrap It Up
Like we already mentioned in this article, rice is one of the essential food staples that is often stored long-term. That includes eliminating air, more specifically oxygen, and protecting the food from all of the pests, animals, and moisture. Vacuum sealing in the kitchen is one of the best ways to do so. This method is easy, fast and anyone can do it. After vacuum sealing your rice it can last you for a few years and all you need is a vacuum sealer you can use at home.
