Our second preparedness challenge in July is to buy short-term and long-term rice for food storage. If you are just starting out on your preparedness adventure, first focus on storing a 3-month supply of the rice you eat now whether it’s brown, black, red, white, jasmine or basmati. Yep, you can store any kind of rice for food storage. After you gather a 3-month supply in your pantry, gather long-term 30-year shelf-life white rice in cans, buckets, or Mylar bags. You my friends can have the best of both worlds! Let’s get started.
Buy Rice for Food Storage
3-MONTH SUPPLY
Look at the rice you currently use and decide how much of each type you want to store in your pantry for a 3-month supply. That’s about 15 lbs. per adult.
- Wild, white, basmati and jasmine rice have and indefinite shelf life if stored properly.
- Brown, red or black rice have a 3-6-month shelf life. The high oil content of brown rice causes it to spoil more quickly.
- Minute-Type Rice has a 2-year shelf life. Follow the best buy date.
Keep rice stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place like your pantry cupboard, and kept dry. Discard if rice develops an off-odor, flavor, or appearance, or if insects or other contaminants appear. Purchase rice from a reputable source.
LONG-TERM RICE
After gathering your 3-month supply, buy a longer-term supply of rice for times of hardship. How much you store will depend on your storage space and finances. A year’s supply of rice for an adult is 60 lbs. or 12 Latter-day Saint cans. See “An Approach to Longer-Term Food Storage.”
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sells white rice at Home Storage Centers. Each 5.4 lb. can costs $7.50 (2022), which is VERY inexpensive compared to food storage companies.
- A box of 6 cans is $45.00 USD (2022). Each can has a 30-year shelf life and is oxygen free which protects it from bugs.
- Read how to store long-term rice here: Longer- Term Food Storage. Store below 75 degrees Fahrenheit for ideal shelf life. If you live in a very humid climate, you may need to store your rice in Mylar bags or buckets.
- Cans are easy to lift, transport, and store. I use some of my Latter-day Saint white rice as our everyday white rice to rotate it.
Good luck buying short-term and long-term rice this month. You CAN do it!
Best wishes and stay healthy,
Valerie Albrechtsen
The Food Storage Organizer
Purchase my food storage and emergency preparedness items in my Etsy shop.
