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 normally eat whether it’s brown, black, red, white, jasmine or basmati. Yep, you can store any kind of rice for food storage. Then gather long-term 30-year shelf-life white rice in cans, buckets, or Mylar bags if you have space in your home.
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 an indefinite shelf life if stored properly.
- Brown, red or black rice have a 3-6-month shelf life because of the high oil content.
- Minute-Type Rice has a 2-year shelf life. Follow the best buy date.
Keep rice in an airtight container in a cool, damp free dark place like your pantry cupboard. Discard if rice develops an off-odor, flavor, or appearance, or if insects appear. Purchase rice from a reputable source.
LONG-TERM RICE
Buy a longer-term supply of rice for times of hardship. A year’s supply 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 a box of 6 cans at store.churchofjesuschrist.org. It has a 30-year shelf life and is oxygen free which protects it from bugs. Cans are easy to lift, transport, and store.
- Store rice below 75 degrees Fahrenheit for ideal shelf life. If you live in a very humid climate, you could store your rice in Mylar bags or buckets.
I hope you buy rice for your food storage this month.
“Stock up your way!”
Valerie Albrechtsen
The Food Storage Organizer
Purchase my food storage and emergency preparedness items in my Etsy shop.
