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Store rice in the refrigerator?

#1
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7/23/07 at 8:04pm
  • Joined: November 2006
  • Location: Kapolei, Hawaii
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My significant other was born and raised in Thailand. We keep our white rice in a jar in the kitchen, just like her family does.

I bought a bag of Thai jasmine brown rice today. I showed her the label, where it says "Made in Thailand" and then I showed her where it says, "freezing or refrigeration recommended to retain freshness." She was not happy, and now we have a 5 lb bag of rice in the refrigerator (I suspect it might slip out when I am away at work).

Has anyone heard of this before?
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#2
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7/23/07 at 8:18pm
  • Joined: November 2006
  • Location: Kapolei, Hawaii
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I was thinking that too. Thanks for the advice.
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#3
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7/23/07 at 8:26pm
  • Joined: June 2007
  • Location: Corvallis, Oregon
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What you could do, if you have a 50 gallon pot, is cook the whole bag and freeze the rice in sealable bags
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#4
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7/23/07 at 9:44pm
  • Joined: December 2006
  • Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA
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Yes. I keep my uncooked brown rice in the fridge in atightly sealed container. Because of the oil content in the bran, brown rice has a shelf life of about six months. Uncooked brown rice keeps best when refrigerated. And, since you don't know how long your rice has been arpund, or what the storage conditions were, it's best to err on the side of caution.

Shel
Shel
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#5
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7/23/07 at 11:52pm
  • Joined: November 2006
  • Location: Kapolei, Hawaii
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I remember hearing about keeping wheat germ in the fridge because it can go rancid.

According to the foodnetwork food encyclopedia, brown rice still has the germ where white rice does not.
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#6
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7/23/07 at 11:59pm
  • Joined: November 2006
  • Location: Kapolei, Hawaii
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My girlfriend's parents only eat white rice. It is ok for them to store it non-refrigerated, since white rice has no bran and no germ (the germ can go bad).

I put the brown rice back in the refrigerator.:chef:
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#7
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7/24/07 at 9:49am
  • Joined: June 2007
  • Location: Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Shel you got that right about the oil content in brown rice.

OahuAmateurChef, brown rice contain oil (all grains and seeds do). In rice the oil is very susceptible to going rancid and confer an odd flavour (like oil paint). Unsaturated oil becomes rancid easily.

The oxygen in the air is the culprit not the temperature. Keeping it in th refrigerator (or freezer) slows the process. It must be sealed properly.

Vacuum packing your rice in small portions would be an alternative to refrigerating.

Wheat bran is packaged sealed (the packaging is flushed with carbon dioxide to flush out the oxygen). Wheat germ contain fat because that is where the fat is stored in the wheat grain. Freezing/refrigerating in a resealable bag will help keep it longer.

OregonYeti, Basmati rice is the only rice (I know of) that is intentionally stored to develop it's flavour. It is the nature of long grain rice which is high in amylopectin. Basmati rice is white rice after all and will not go rancid.

(Even shelled walnut go rancid quickly)

Luc H.

I eat science everyday, do you?

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#8
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7/24/07 at 6:53pm
  • Joined: June 2007
  • Location: Corvallis, Oregon
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Thanks Luc.

I accidentally on purpose zapped my first post here :D

Oahu, what do think of that knife sharpening set?
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#9
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7/25/07 at 7:53am
  • Joined: March 2007
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That's interesting facts about brown rice, thx!

I buy 5KG 'vacummed' bags of white Thai Rice, and wonder why, after openning, I begin to get these insects appear...how can I stop more of these pests from surfacing in the bag?
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#10
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7/25/07 at 11:49am
  • Joined: November 2006
  • Location: Kapolei, Hawaii
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They work great, both of us are wearing band-aids on our fingers today:o!
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#11
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7/25/07 at 11:55am
  • Joined: May 2006
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First of all, eeek, bugs!

Secondly, on a recent visit to my relatives in South Africa, I noticed that they keep bay leaves in with the flour. I asked why and they say it keeps the bugs from appearing, much as you've described.
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#12
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7/25/07 at 5:57pm
  • Joined: June 2007
  • Location: Corvallis, Oregon
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Oh that bad? How did that happen?
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#13
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7/25/07 at 10:20pm
  • Joined: July 2006
  • Location: Kuala Lumpur
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When I buy a 5kg pack of rice, I will pour about half into a container to keep at room temperature and for cooking on a daily basis. The other half is tied up and refrigerated to keep it fresh and to prevent the bugs from growing / multiplying as fast as in room temperature.
Visit my site on home-cooked Asian recipes!

http://deliciousasianfood.com
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