Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers (Read 5094 times)

Wave Twister

Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« on: October 31, 2018, 08:50:12 AM »
Most vids on the web shows people vacuum packing their rice in mylar bags with oxy absorbers. Do you all think that's completely necessary, considering you've already vacuumed packed the rice? Did you supposedly already remove nearly all the oxygen? I can see for maybe adding in that extra peace of mind for perhaps leaving barely zero oxygen for any bugs/eggs that may be in the rice.

tillamook

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2018, 09:09:10 AM »
Is this for long term emergency food storage? 

You can buy freeze dried staples (rice, pasta, vegetables, meat) that are sealed in a can with oxygen absorbers that have a 25 year shelf life.

If you are going to store your rice for years then oxygen and moister absorbers will only help reduce the chance of a ruined batch when you need it for an emergency.  Plus you can get 100 packets for like $9 on amazon.  Very little cost for some extra insurance. 

I also dont trust do-it-at-home vacuum storage for that long.  I've had stuff in vacuum sealed bags in a cabinet only to find that they leaked a few months later. 

Flapp_Jackson

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2018, 10:00:22 AM »
Is this for long term emergency food storage? 

You can buy freeze dried staples (rice, pasta, vegetables, meat) that are sealed in a can with oxygen absorbers that have a 25 year shelf life.

If you are going to store your rice for years then oxygen and moister absorbers will only help reduce the chance of a ruined batch when you need it for an emergency.  Plus you can get 100 packets for like $9 on amazon.  Very little cost for some extra insurance. 

I also dont trust do-it-at-home vacuum storage for that long.  I've had stuff in vacuum sealed bags in a cabinet only to find that they leaked a few months later.

That's been my experience.  Consumer brand vacuum sealers are great for preventing freezer burn and leaking.  It definitely reduces the space needed for storage of pretty much anything you package.

But, the seals aren't "industrial strength."  The pump can only extract most of the air, not all of it.  The sealer doesn't prevent air from entering the bag while it starts sealing.  And the seal itself is just good enough to close the bag.  Sometimes there are gaps in the seal, and I have to seal it a second time 1/8th inch offset from the first to get a full seal.

Best method for using the sealer for emergency food is to rotate your stock.  Eat it as needed, and replace it with freshly sealed, new food.  That way you'll now if the process works for you.  Results might indicate the need for a more professional/commercial model sealer/bags.
"How can you diagnose someone with an obsessive-compulsive disorder
and then act as though I had some choice about barging in?"
-- Melvin Udall

Rocky

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2018, 01:30:30 PM »
    I seal in Mylar with and with out vacuum and find that in both case's, the Oxy absorber's seem to provide additional  "vacuum" to the package after sealing.
Don't know where the Oxy goes, but the package gets vacuumed tighter.  :wacko:

   Try to seal in bulk at the same time as these things are like the silicon packs once they are opened.
My best way to keep them is sealed in a mason jar.
“I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made.”
                                                           Franklin D. Roosevelt

changemyoil66

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2018, 02:28:26 PM »
Went to Taiwan and at 1 grocery store, every brand of rice was vacuum sealed.  From the 1 pounder to the 50lbs. 

Wave Twister

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2018, 02:31:58 PM »
Went to Taiwan and at 1 grocery store, every brand of rice was vacuum sealed.  From the 1 pounder to the 50lbs.

That's really damn convenient.

changemyoil66

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #6 on: November 01, 2018, 11:19:06 AM »
That's really damn convenient.

When transporting because it's not a limp noodle while carrying.  and looks nice on the shelves all stacked together.

I wanted to bring home a bag, but the lady who worked there said I couldn't.  Never asked customs, but I'm sure she wants me to buy so she wouldn't have told me the wrong info on purpose.

Flapp_Jackson

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #7 on: November 01, 2018, 12:04:25 PM »
When transporting because it's not a limp noodle while carrying.  and looks nice on the shelves all stacked together.

I wanted to bring home a bag, but the lady who worked there said I couldn't.  Never asked customs, but I'm sure she wants me to buy so she wouldn't have told me the wrong info on purpose.

I think it has to do with Japan's agricultural policies in general.  Their ag industry is inefficient and unable to sustain the country, so they import the majority of their food.  Laws are in place to protect as much "self-sufficiency" in ag products as possible.  For every kilo of rice they allow to be taken out of the country, they have to replace it -- likely by buying from foreign markets.

Their policies have been the same since the 60's.  Lot's of detail on all of this can be found here:

https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1819&context=jil
"How can you diagnose someone with an obsessive-compulsive disorder
and then act as though I had some choice about barging in?"
-- Melvin Udall

macsak

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #8 on: November 01, 2018, 12:37:04 PM »
I think it has to do with Japan's agricultural policies in general.  Their ag industry is inefficient and unable to sustain the country, so they import the majority of their food.  Laws are in place to protect as much "self-sufficiency" in ag products as possible.  For every kilo of rice they allow to be taken out of the country, they have to replace it -- likely by buying from foreign markets.

Their policies have been the same since the 60's.  Lot's of detail on all of this can be found here:

https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1819&context=jil

focus
he said "Taiwan"

Flapp_Jackson

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #9 on: November 01, 2018, 12:41:14 PM »
focus
he said "Taiwan"

I saw "rice".  Easy stereotype.   :wave:
"How can you diagnose someone with an obsessive-compulsive disorder
and then act as though I had some choice about barging in?"
-- Melvin Udall

passivekinetic

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2019, 10:14:45 AM »
Do everything you can to protect and preserve your rice.

I tried storing WITHOUT oxygen absorbers and after a few months / a year, I found a trillion bugs eating the rice. They live at the bottom of the rice. Maybe came with the store bought rice already.

So, you need to KILL those buggers when you've packed the rice.

So-called vacuum sealing ain't. You're not going to get 100% of the air out. And the mylar even lets air seep in over time.

Even with oxygen absorbing and the mylar packed real tight when you first pack it, after one year the bag is already a little bit less taut.

I've done tons of these bags over the years and this is my experience.

You also need to check that the oxygen absorbers you bought are actually working. Sometimes you get duds even from different vendors.
"The sheep fear sheepdogs, because they fail to see the wolves."
- Anonymous

passivekinetic

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #11 on: January 11, 2019, 10:16:52 AM »
Went to Taiwan and at 1 grocery store, every brand of rice was vacuum sealed.  From the 1 pounder to the 50lbs.

Bugs are sealed along with those bags from the factory.

You won't know until half a year to a year later.

Most people finish those bags of rice quickly as they are not storing it, and are eating it soon after buying back.
"The sheep fear sheepdogs, because they fail to see the wolves."
- Anonymous

drck1000

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #12 on: January 11, 2019, 12:33:54 PM »
Yeah, I always noticed no matter how secure you store the rice, you almost always find bugs if you keep the rice too long. 

What is the most common way to kill the bugs?  I know for cigars, many of my friends put the box in the freezer for an hour or so before putting in the humidor.  I was told that kills the bugs (if any), so that they don't infest the rest of your stick in the humidor.  Not sure if that is for real, but I've never had bugs in my humidor, so. . .

hvybarrels

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #13 on: January 12, 2019, 02:49:52 PM »
I went to a fruit tree conference and they mentioned that Hawaii is a great place for getting mycotoxins in your food. Basically stuff gets moldy really fast here and sometimes you can't even tell especially white mold on white rice. Cooking at normal temperatures doesn't destroy it (you'd basically have to set it on fire) and people regularly get poisoned by eating food that sat in the cabinet too long.

Better to get smaller packages and use them up quick rather than vacuum bagging a large amount that will stay open for months.
“Wars happen when the government tells you who the enemy is. Revolutions happen when you figure it out for yourselves.”

Rocky

Re: Storing Rice and Oxy Absorbers
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2019, 07:48:13 AM »
And the mylar even lets air seep in over time.
Even with oxygen absorbing and the mylar packed real tight when you first pack it, after one year the bag is already a little bit less taut.
    Don't know your system or the quality of the mylar your using, but the ones I packaged in 2011, 2012, 2013 are still airtight.
Some have even had the mylar punctured to use a vacuum pump and hole sealed over and are still airtight.
Grant you there were a few failures, but less than 7%.
All had Oxy absorbers.

   As for storing against bugs, I've found that freezing the package for 24 hrs AFTER  package sealing solves the bug problem in wheat, rice, beans, potatoes, seeds chicken/pet food etc...
Must freeze packet after sealing so no moisture is included in the packaging.

   I've seen this trick below for rice but not sure how well it keeps the rice and it seems to be a pretty expensive method.

« Last Edit: January 14, 2019, 07:55:03 AM by Rocky »
“I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made.”
                                                           Franklin D. Roosevelt