Brown Rice Does NOT Go “Bad” in 6 Months!
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This has been bothering me for some time now as it seems I’m always seeing people stating that you should NOT store brown rice because it will go bad within six months. I’m calling B.S. here!
In my experience, brown rice will not go bad that fast whatsoever. It’s similar to expiration dates on canned goods and/or medications. You know good and well that these are more like “best if used by” dates. The same can be said about brown rice… it’s best if used within 6 months.
Granted, this is largely due to storage conditions. If your home/kitchen/pantry is kept hotter and/or more humid then your brown rice will be more likely to go bad faster just like any of your food storage foods.
Of course, you can help to keep it from going bad as fast by storing rice in appropriate containers, and even the refrigerator or freezer will help here (so long as it’s protected from moisture). Personally, we keep ours in a five-gallon food grade bucket and use gamma seal lids for easy access. We haven’t had problems doing so.
Sure, it’s true that brown rice does NOT store nearly as long as white rice will. Not at all. In fact, it’s the bran in brown rice that is the reason for a shorter storage life, specifically because of the oils that will eventually spoil. On the other hand, it’s the bran that makes brown rice healther (and more nutritious) than white rice.
So, what we have here is a bit of a trade-off: store white rice because it lasts longer but is less nutritious or take our chances with brown rice going bad?
IMO, the best strategy is to do both. First, buy white rice from your local LDS Home Storage Center or warehouse store like COSTCO or Sam’s Club, package it properly (in #10 cans or mylar with 02 absorbers) and save that grovel for if/when you actually need it.
Then, buy brown rice and use that in your day-to-day cooking. Depending on how much you’ll use can store it in the original packaging (not the best option but ok if you use a lot), you can store it in food grade buckets like we do if you’ll use it, or you can do other things like the fridge or freezer. Again, it mostly depends on how fast you use rice and what type of conditions it’s subject to in your home.
As for knowing if/when the brown rice has gone bad, that’s an easy one… your “nose knows” because it will smell off. Of course, there are other ways to tell, including the rice being clumpy, oily, or sticky. I’m told that even if you did consume rancid rice that you’ll have some gastrointestinal issues but probably suffer no long term concerns. That said, I’d rather not take the chance! Just toss it if the rice does go bad. Anyway, the point here is that brown rice does NOT go bad in 6 months. It all depends on storage conditions and, just like other foods, benefits from proper rotation and regular use.