In the kitchen cabinet of every housewife there is always a pack of rice, because homemade people may suddenly want pilaf, cabbage rolls or paella. And if you don’t know what side dish to cook, this cereal is a real find.
But sometimes it happens that the rice is clearly stale, but it looks normal. Can i use it? Or, on the contrary, the product has become somehow suspicious and smells bad. We will tell you what the shelf life of rice depends on, how to properly store this cereal and whether an expired product can be harmful to health.
Popular varieties
Every housewife has a favorite type of rice cereal. Some like long-grain rice, others prefer round, "pearl" grain. And someone is preparing exclusively steamed translucent kernels of a beautiful golden hue. Recently, basmati rice with a pronounced nutty flavor, especially of Indian origin, has become a favorite of world cuisine.
And few realize that today more than 6 thousand varieties of popular cereal are cultivated all over the world. Shelf life of rice is from 10 to 18 months, and it depends on the technology of grain processing and the country of origin.
Rice cereal production and shelf life
The country of origin of cereals must be indicated on each package. China has been and remains the largest global supplier of rice; about 210 million tons of popular cereal are grown here annually. The cheapest rice cereal with the shortest shelf life is Russian-made, as well as made in the CIS countries. Exotic rice varieties, for example, the same basmati, black Tibetan or jasmine - the most expensive and longer stored.
Shelf life of Asian rice is from 16 to 18 months. This is explained by ideal conditions for the culture to grow, because rice is very fond of heat and moisture.
Rice cereal production in the Russian Federation is regulated by GOST standards. Rice of domestic production is most often round-grain varieties, and rice groats are made in accordance with the regulations of GOST 6292-93. Storage of finished products is carried out in accordance with the regulations of GOST R 51074-2003 in force on the territory of the Russian Federation. The shelf life of domestic rice is from 10 to 12 months.
Let's find out how grain processing affects the safety of the finished product.
Type of rice groats and shelf life
The shelf life of rice does not depend on the shape of the grain. It is important here what method of processing the raw material was subjected to, and today there are only three of them:
- Rice polished is obtained when processing grain with grinders; as a result, grains have a characteristic rough surface. Asian polished rice is stored for 18 months, Russian - 12 months.
- Polished rice is a product obtained from varieties of glassy rice when grains undergo special processing with polishing machines. Shelf life is the same as with any polished kernels.
- Crushed rice, or chopped rice, is a by-product of grain processing. Crushed rice groats of Asian origin are stored for 16 months, the shelf life of rice-cut grown in Russia is 10 months.
All other varieties of rice groats form subspecies of the main groups. For example, steamed rice is first subjected to heat treatment with steam, then it is ground and stored as ordinary ground one or another producer country.
And there is grain that has not been processed at all. This is unpolished rice, from which only the husk is separated, and all useful properties are preserved in the shell. The shelf life of such a product is 12 months.
Rice groats are not perishable. Nevertheless, you need to know how much to store rice and how to do it correctly so that the grain does not lose its useful and consumer qualities.
Humidity is the main enemy of rice groats
The regulated moisture content of rice grain is 15%, which means that pathogenic microorganisms will not develop in the product, it will not turn yellow or mold. Therefore, rice can be stored in sealed original packaging for the entire prescribed period.
Keeping rice cereal in an open bundle is not worth it, it will begin to absorb moisture. It is better to take a special jar for cereals - glass or ceramic, with a sealed lid. The optimum storage temperature for rice is considered to be a range of +5 ... + 15 ° C, however, the room temperature will not particularly harm this cereal.
A linen bag of salt, put in a jar on top of the cereal, will help protect rice from moisture.
And now we will consider storage options for boiled rice, because often the housewives prepare side dishes for more than one day.
Features storage of finished rice
Rice porridge cooked in milk should be eaten during the day. Rice, which was cooked without adding oil, will not lose its taste for 3 days. But provided that it is stored in an airtight container, preventing the absorption of odors of other products.
Some housewives quite successfully practice the storage of boiled rice in the freezer. With deep freezing, such a side dish lies well for 3 months, but thawing it may turn out to be slightly dry, so it is better to defrost it in a double boiler.
But all this refers to high-quality unexpired cereals, however, it happens that some suspicious rice appears in fresh packaging.
How to choose a good pic
Most types of popular cereals can be visually evaluated directly in the store, and here are some things to pay attention to:
- look at the shelf life of rice, if you are not going to use the whole pack in the near future;
- grains should be of the same size and shape without broken and deformed kernels;
- do not take cereals if yellow or brown grains are present in the package of white rice;
- in a packing bag or factory package there should be no husks and other impurities.
Sometimes it happens that a decent-looking rice, if cooked, turns out to be rancid or sour. Most likely, the technologies of growing, processing or storing raw materials were violated. And if bugs are brought up in rice, in most cases this is not the fault of the hostesses: the cereal was infected with eggs and insect larvae already in production.
Rice bugs
Most often, insects attack weighted rice, but can be wound up in cereals from factory packaging, and not necessarily cheap. Rice loves rice weevil, bread grinders, Khrushchak and flour-eaters - pests up to 3.5 mm in size, which you hardly want to identify.
It is not a good idea to store or eat a product with bugs, and although it is difficult to poison them after heat treatment, it is worth remembering that insects leave products of their vital activity in the same place where they eat, which can cause allergies or gastrointestinal disorders.
Therefore, many housewives, for prophylaxis, before storage, bake the grits in the oven for 30 minutes at 100 ° C. You can protect rice from bugs with a pair of garlic cloves, placed in a bowl with cereals, a pod of dried hot pepper or bay leaf.
Now it remains to find out what to do with cereals if the shelf life of the rice has expired, and it looks quite normal.
Is it possible to eat expired rice
Although rice does not belong to perishable foods, the regulated shelf life (and therefore consumption) should not be ignored. However, if the cereal is stored correctly, then with a product overdue for 1-3 months, you will not be poisoned, you will just get a high-calorie dish devoid of any nutritional value.
Quality rice, even with an expired shelf life, should not be sour or musty, it can be cooked and eaten right away. But you do not need to use for pilaf or filling for pies, which are usually done for several days.
And finally, a few recommendations regarding rice cereal producers.
Top Rice Brands
Roskachestvo experts regularly conduct inspections, including rice cereals, and based on their research, the following manufacturers should be noted, whose products meet high quality standards:
- "Mistral Kuban", 1st grade.
- "Don Gusto", 1st grade.
- "Warm traditions", 1 grade.
- "Southern Rice Company", grade 3.
- Fine Life, 1 grade.
- "National", 1 grade.
- "Passim", the highest grade.
- "D (Dixie)." 1 grade.
These are rice cereals with excellent quality kernels that do not contain impurities, insects and pesticides. You can safely buy them, eat and safely store the entire expiration date.