Rice is one of those food products that store well for a long time, even if you are not using the ideal storage methods.
However, brown rice can be more susceptible to moisture and other kinds of environmental factors. This can lead to brown rice going bad more quickly than other rice types without proper storage.
If you enjoy brown rice and you like to cook with it, you know that you need to plan ahead when attempting to keep brown rice fresh and ready to be cooked for an extended period of time.
Brown rice can be readily stored using a vacuum sealer, and this is an awesome way to make sure that you don’t have to throw out any of your rice.
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How to Vacuum Seal Brown Rice
Brown rice is really easy to seal when it is dry and has not been cooked. You will just need a flat surface and a sealing bag that is thick enough that the ends of the rice won’t cause the bag to be damaged.
Make sure that your rice is arranged in an even and flat layer inside the bag, and be sure that you do not overfill the bag before sealing it.
Always wash your hands before sealing any food item with a vacuum sealer. You could be sealing bacteria that is on your hands into the bags if you are not careful. This can lead to your food spoiling while it is being stored.
Many people are not aware that bacteria from your hands can be the reason that food spoils after it has been stored this way, so this is a really important tip to remember.
Rice can be kept in a cool, dark place like a pantry while it is in storage. It does not have to be kept in the freezer or the fridge unless it has been cooked first.
This is the most common way of storing brown rice, and many people prefer not to have to clutter up the fridge or the freezer with uncooked rice.
If you have made your vacuum sealed bags flat enough, you can just stack them and then place them in the pantry or a cupboard to be used when you need them.
If you want to vacuum seal cooked rice, be sure that you are storing small amounts inside each bag and that you press the rice flat before you seal it.
You should also make sure that there is not excessive moisture in the bag with the rice, as this can lead to your rice going bad even in the freezer or fridge.
The smaller the amount of cooked rice that you store, the more likely it will be that your rice will be in good condition when you are ready to use it.
Always vacuum seal items in amounts that you can reasonably consume in one sitting if you are worried about food waste. You will also be less likely to cause the seal on your storage bags to fail if you are not storing large quantities of rice or other foods in each bag.
Storing a huge amount of rice in each bag will probably just lead to food waste and might also cause you to have to throw out rice that has spoiled due to a poor seal on the bag.
Tips for Storing Brown Rice With a Vacuum Sealer
If you are going to be using a vacuum sealer for your brown rice storage, you will need to know how long your rice can keep in the fridge, the freezer, or the pantry. Rice will keep almost indefinitely when stored dry in a vacuum sealer bag.
You can count on your rice lasting for about two months in the fridge if it has been cooked first and for about nine months in the freezer.
Make sure that you write the date that you sealed up your rice on each vacuum sealing bag. Even if you are storing your rice dry, this will step will help you to be sure that you do not forget to use the rice that you have stored before it goes bad.
Always check the seals on your bags once in a while just to be sure that you are not wasting food due to the seal failing. This does not happen often, but it can be an issue, and everyone using a vacuum sealer for storage should be aware of this possibility.
Remember that the ends of rice can be pretty pokey and sharp, so be sure that your sealing bags are going to be able to handle this.
If you have used the wrong kind of sealing bag for dry rice, your bag’s seal could fail due to friction against the sharp ends of the dry kernels.
This is a common issue that crops up when people are not sure about how to seal up rice correctly, and you can avoid this pitfall by having the right sealing items on hand.
Vacuum Sealing Rice Can be a Great Storage Solution
If you are tired of food waste and you want to be sure that you are not throwing out food that could have been stored correctly, vacuum sealing is the right solution for you.
Rice can keep for a very long period of time when it has been vacuum sealed, and it can be stored cooked as well as dry.
Rice is one of those items that can keep well even in the bag that it comes in from the store, but brown rice has a shorter shelf life than other rice varieties. This is also a great way to ensure that you will have rice to take on trips, camping, or for meal prep.
Vacuum sealing common side dishes for meals can be a great way to keep on target with your meal plan as well.
If you are tired of wasting brown rice that you didn’t get around to cooking, these tips will help you to keep your rice fresh for years in storage.
I am Brianna, a self-published author with a passion for sharing my knowledge and expertise on various topics with people looking to find the perfect items for their needs. I love ensuring that the right informative content is available to people looking for the right information. I am an avid horseback rider and reader when I am not writing.
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