Keeping Bugs Out Of Brown Rice

[sceadugenga]

Bugs/weevils whatever love brown rice, the sensible critters walk straight around the Mrs white stuff and penetrate the most expensive air tight containers to make merry in the brown.

I was thinking about some sort of dried herb that wouldn't flavour or poison the rice but still act as a repellent.

Any ideas?

[JusMe]

I had similar problems with pasta, and found that simply putting a clove of garlic, not even necessarily peeled although I did, into the container kept the bugs out.

A single clove wouldn't add much flavour to the rice as it wouldn't be cooked with it, and definitely not poisonous.

Give it a try - won't hurt and just might work.

Edit - you could also consider keeping the rice in the freezer; no bugs there.

Edited March 30, 2014 by JusMe

[seedy]

I had similar problems with pasta, and found that simply putting a clove of garlic, not even necessarily peeled although I did, into the container kept the bugs out.

A single clove wouldn't add much flavour to the rice as it wouldn't be cooked with it, and definitely not poisonous.

Give it a try - won't hurt and just might work.

Edit - you could also consider keeping the rice in the freezer; no bugs there.

No problem with the rice being mushy when brought back to room temp ??

I realize that is is mostly dry, but must contain some water. And when frozen that water will expand.

[thepool]

If my wife finds bugs in the rice she just places the open rice container in the sun. Bugs disappear.

Same technique works if ants get in the sugar !

[ignis]

Bugs/weevils whatever love brown rice, the sensible critters walk straight around the Mrs white stuff and penetrate the most expensive air tight containers to make merry in the brown.

Are you sure ?

Pick up a bag of brown rice in a super market and study it, before you even bought it is is full of bugs.... the cheap white rice is the same, there alive and crawling with bugs.

Myself like brown and white mixed, so buy a big bag of each and mix them, wash well before use each time = most of the bug appear to float so easy to pour/get them out.. as the container gets lower = almost as many bugs as rice in it

notice the house next door pour the rice on a big sheet in the sun for a couple of hours when they get back from the supermarket.. but have to stay and watch it or the rats will be running all over it..

Myself think a few bugs are better then rats pee

As for ants getting in the sugar, now that is the other way around, use very little so is about a long time, but only in white sugar, never in over 10 years here seen any in brown sugar.

[AyG]

Freezing uncooked rice doesn't affect its quality. I always put bags of rice in the freezer for a few hours after I buy them to kill any bugs or eggs lurking therewithin. After that I transfer it to an air-tight container. Never had problems after that.

[seedy]

Freezing uncooked rice doesn't affect its quality. I always put bags of rice in the freezer for a few hours after I buy them to kill any bugs or eggs lurking therewithin. After that I transfer it to an air-tight container. Never had problems after that.

thanks

[sceadugenga]

Freezing uncooked rice doesn't affect its quality. I always put bags of rice in the freezer for a few hours after I buy them to kill any bugs or eggs lurking therewithin. After that I transfer it to an air-tight container. Never had problems after that.

Would freezing kill the eggs?

I suppose they would burst.

I've never seen insects in white rice, I have the theory that there's nothing in it that any sensible bug would want to eat.

[kurnell]

Our maid puts dried chilies on the rice but it doesn't seem to help much. Keeping the rice in the light does though.

[ignis]

Freezing uncooked rice doesn't affect its quality. I always put bags of rice in the freezer for a few hours after I buy them to kill any bugs or eggs lurking therewithin. After that I transfer it to an air-tight container. Never had problems after that.

Would freezing kill the eggs?

I suppose they would burst.

I've never seen insects in white rice, I have the theory that there's nothing in it that any sensible bug would want to eat.

Go into a supermarket and look at the VERY cheap rice, alive with little black things, or some of the sacks of rice open in front of some stores.

Anyone get food packages in the floods, rice was black with crawling bugs...... funny went out and put the bag outside on the gate, was gone 30 mins later when I went out again

[JesseFrank]

Freezing uncooked rice doesn't affect its quality. I always put bags of rice in the freezer for a few hours after I buy them to kill any bugs or eggs lurking therewithin. After that I transfer it to an air-tight container. Never had problems after that.

Would freezing kill the eggs?

I suppose they would burst.

I've never seen insects in white rice, I have the theory that there's nothing in it that any sensible bug would want to eat.

Go into a supermarket and look at the VERY cheap rice, alive with little black things, or some of the sacks of rice open in front of some stores.

Anyone get food packages in the floods, rice was black with crawling bugs...... funny went out and put the bag outside on the gate, was gone 30 mins later when I went out again

What you had expected with so many legs inside the bag ?

I bet you still saw it walking down the soi.

[FlorC]

I always buy the 5 kg cheap rice at Big C or Lotus. I check them in the store before buying. I have never seen any bugs in those packs. At home I pour the rice into dried-out 6 liter plastic water containers , from the singha or nestle water . Never bugs , but I do this to keep the ants out , it is airtight.

Catfood too holds well in those 6 l bottles. Ants and other bugs can't smell it and are not attracted to it.

And the 6 l bottles are free and easy to use.

[writeshack]

Try a bay leaves and a few cloves in with the rice - best wrap the cloves in muslin or cheesecloth, though (easier to remove). Or, as suggested above, just put the rice out in the sun before you cook it and they will fly away. The weevils are already in the grain. They are not "getting into it".

[pitchag]

We used to get small moths ( larder moths ) in the flour jar that was air tight, then a friend told me that eggs are always present in the flour from the factory or mill and hatch out at a certain temperature the cure is to put the flour in the freezer for a couple of days and it kills the eggs, it works every time

[stoli]

I had similar problems with pasta, and found that simply putting a clove of garlic, not even necessarily peeled although I did, into the container kept the bugs out.

A single clove wouldn't add much flavour to the rice as it wouldn't be cooked with it, and definitely not poisonous.

Give it a try - won't hurt and just might work.

Edit - you could also consider keeping the rice in the freezer; no bugs there.

Good advice, but I have found ants in my freezer and in my microwave, after cooking. They are amazing creatures.

[hercdogules]

Put a few kaiffer lime leaves and a stainless soup spoon (the little chinese style). Don't ask me why, but I haven't had bugs since...

[dotpoom]

Freezing uncooked rice doesn't affect its quality. I always put bags of rice in the freezer for a few hours after I buy them to kill any bugs or eggs lurking therewithin. After that I transfer it to an air-tight container. Never had problems after that.

Wouldn't it still have the bugs ....only dead ones now?

[belg]

more protein ?

[HerbalEd]

The bugs don't get inside the container, they're already there in the form of eggs which hatch.

In USA I put high quality (i.e., very aromatic) dried bay leaves into the rice container. Here in Thailand I used dried eucalyptus leaves. Also, you can keep the rice in the freezer. Put in plastic bag and take out as much air as possible. Then put in hard-plastic, well sealed container.

Given a choice, bugs will always go to the brown rice and avoid the white, refined rice. They're much smarter than humans in that way.

[HerbalEd]

Freezing uncooked rice doesn't affect its quality. I always put bags of rice in the freezer for a few hours after I buy them to kill any bugs or eggs lurking therewithin. After that I transfer it to an air-tight container. Never had problems after that.

Wouldn't it still have the bugs ....only dead ones now?

You don't want to know how many bugs you eat every day in your food. Cockroaches are a particular problem in chocolate because they love the stuff, and so the USFDA allows much higher levels of cockroach parts in chocolate. Bon appetit.

Edited March 31, 2014 by HerbalEd

[uffe123]

I dont eat rice. problem solved

[BudRight]

Arthropods hate C02. Put some dry ice in, seal it, and those <deleted> will perish.

[SunnyBkk]

White rice was is smoked with pesticide that's why you don't see bugs in it. However, it is not that dangerous bcoz the pesticide will be wash away b4 cooking.

[RickFarang]

All rice doesn't have bugs or eggs in it. We put our rice (which comes straight from the farm) into those big plastic 5 liter containers that some drinking water comes in. One container has been sitting for years, still no critters. Similarly, I put beans in washed and dried 1.25 liter soft drink bottles, and after overnight in the freezer, they keep for months or years without being invaded.

[sceadugenga]

The bugs don't get inside the container, they're already there in the form of eggs which hatch.

In USA I put high quality (i.e., very aromatic) dried bay leaves into the rice container. Here in Thailand I used dried eucalyptus leaves. Also, you can keep the rice in the freezer. Put in plastic bag and take out as much air as possible. Then put in hard-plastic, well sealed container.

Given a choice, bugs will always go to the brown rice and avoid the white, refined rice. They're much smarter than humans in that way.

As I usually do when all else fails I read the instructions.

On the new vacuum sealed pack I bought in Tops today it said.... "Put rice into air tight container and keep in the fridge".

I like the idea of the dried bay leaves though.

[PETERTHEEATER]

My wife brings our rices (yes different types) in bulk from the northeast and we decant the sacks into clip-top plastic boxes that stack neatly into a chest freezer. Weevils lay an egg into a single grain where it hatches and the developing insect eats it from inside out before emerging and going walk-about along with hundreds of it's siblings. If you sift by hand through bulk rice you will usually find some discoloured grains which, if cracked open wiill reveal the critter inside.

Solution, as other posters have said is to freeze the rice for 48 hours or so which will kill any insects and eggs and then put it in airtight jars. Weevils looking for a home can chew there way into paper and plastic bags. When the rice is prewashed during preparation and dead insects and debris will float up and be washed away.

[magicthai]

We freeze our bags of brown rice, and pasta as well, for 24 hours after bringing them homes from the store. Some brands are available in vacuum-sealed packs which do not require freezing.

As brown rice has oil in the rice bran, I would definitely NEVER recommend storing them in the light--the oil will go rancid!

[wrsvett]

I have found taking a Cinnamon stick and break in half and putting in the rice white or brown and it works well in sugar. I also put it in my frosted flakes I do however put everything in some type of container. We have not had a problem sense we started using the cinnamon sticks. Just my two cents worth on the subject.

[kaveh]

I've never had bugs in my rice since following these simple rules:

1. don't use bags for storage, use regular glass or plastic box/container

2. keep in dry place

3. put a few iron nails in between (don't forget to separate before cooking . I use 5 to 8 big long nails for 10 15 kg bucket of rice

4. never ever use chemicals!

[balo]

I never buy rice normally, but I wanted to try brown rice so bought one of the small sealed bags at Big C .

Within 2 days it was crawling with black bugs inside it, very disgusting . I learned my lesson, never brown rice again.