Food Storage Basics--Rice

There are literally thousands of kinds of rice in the world, but basically, they come down to three different lengths and five different kinds.  Here's what you need to know:

Grain length

• Short grain rice is 1 1/2 to 2 times as long as it is wide.  It's usually the cheapest rice you can buy.
• Medium grain rice is 3 times as long as it is wide.  It has a shorter growing season and higher yield per acre (so it's less expensive).  It is a bit more tender and moister than long grain rice.
• Long grain is 4-5 times as long as it is wide, translucent, and light and fluffy when cooked.  It is the only rice recommended for long term storage.

Kinds of rice

• Regular white rice has the hulls, germ, and bran layers removed.
• Instant rice (or Minute Rice) is already completely cooked and then dehydrated.  It only needs to rehydrate in boiling water to be ready to eat.  DIY instant rice instructions were first posted here.
• Parboiled rice, also known as converted rice, has been processed and treated to retain some of the natural vitamins and minerals of the whole grain.  It requires a longer cooking time.  A BYU study demonstrated that parboiled rice that had been stored long-term was inferior to white rice in taste tests.  However, test participants said the flavor was acceptable for emergency use. 
• Brown rice has not had the germ and bran layers removed.  It requires a longer cooking time than white rice, but most importantly, because the germ and bran layers are intact, but the hull is removed, the oils are exposed and this rice becomes rancid very quickly.  The shelf life is incredibly short, like six months tops.  
• Wild rice isn't really rice at all.  It's the seed of wild water grasses and is pretty expensive stuff.

A previous post reviewed the dietary deficiency of thiamine, which causes beriberi.  It was observed in the 1800s in Southeast Asia when the people stopped eating brown rice and started eating white rice.  The vitamins were stripped out and beriberi resulted.  Today, the governments of most developed nations have mandated the fortification of rice with essential vitamins.  However, in the case of white rice, if the rice is rinsed before cooking, those vitamins are washed away.  The same holds true if rice is cooked in too much water that is then drained off--vitamins gone.

Basic instructions for cooking rice:
2 parts water to 1 part rice in a pot brought to a boil.  Cover with lid and reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, let stand five minutes, and fluff with fork.  Serve.

To cook rice faster, soak it for 30 minutes prior to cooking.  It will cook in 8-10 minutes and thus conserve your fuel.

Now, plain white rice can get a little boring as a side dish all the time.  Here are a few recipes to spice things up.

Curry Rice Mix
1 cup rice
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons dried chopped onions
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon curry

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water and curry rice mix to a boil.  Add 2 teaspoons of butter for added flavor, optional.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Fluff with fork and serve.

Beef Herb Rice Mix
1 cup rice
4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried chopped onion
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water and herb rice mix to a boil.  Add 2 teaspoons of butter for added flavor, optional.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Fluff with fork and serve.

Chicken Herb Rice Mix
1 cup rice
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water and herb rice mix to a boil.  Add 2 teaspoons of butter for added flavor, optional.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Fluff with fork and serve.

Links to related posts:
Emergency Baby Formula
DIY Instant Rice
Meals in a Jar
Instant Meals 

For further reading:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1066&context=facpub

 3 may 2019