Does anyone freeze their rice or beans for a while before storing?

[Veggie PAK]

I have a 10# bag of white rice that is good until March 2012, or that's what they would have me think anyway. I went upstairs to get some canning supplies out of my storeroom and noticed moths flying around the area with rice bags on the table. The bag of rice was still sealed and actually had very many moths in it, but so did the 12 pack of toilet paper that was next to it. The moths were inside BOTH "sealed" packages. At least I thought they were sealed.

What in the world is going on? I haven't had moth problems before.

So my question is:

Does anyone freeze their beans or rice before putting it into long term storage? I know no one freezes their toilet paper before storing it! Any idea what happened here?

What have YOU personally done with YOUR supplies to avoid situations like this? I know I can do a search and find all kinds of responses to this, but I would like to know yours.

 

[sufficientforme]

YES, you should freeze them for at least 48 hours and then seal them in a food grade bucket, I use a mylar bag with some food grade DE sprinkled on the top and bottom also.
Rice bags are porous, they are not good for long term storage.

As for the toilet paper, I know this is weird but I leave my long term storage paper in the plastic, tape any holes. I buy in bulk from Costco so the rolls are also individually wrapped as well.

 

[Boogity]

Yes we always freeze beans, rice, and any other grain in bulk. We try to keep it frozen for 48 hours but I always forget it and it usually stays frozen for a week or more.

Do you suspect that the moths came from one of the two packages? Or do you think the moths may have been in the room before the packages came into the house?

 

[ORChick]

I would definitely put the rice in the freezer for awhile; at least 48 hours, longer if you can spare the space. Go to the hardware store and get some Pantry Pest Traps from the Safer company - about $8 for a pack of 2, and well worth the money. They are pheremone traps for the grain moths, and will help you get rid of the ones that are there, while freezing the rice will neutralize the possible eggs in the rice bag. I try to keep one in the pantry at all times, just in case ... and I usually find that it has caught a lot of moths that I wasn't aware were there.

 

[Marianne]

Bummer. DD and I used to split a 25 # bag of Jasmine rice that we'd get at the local Asian store. We ended up with one that was real buggy and never bought there again.

I'll have to check out the traps, I've never heard of them until now.

Don't worry about the so called expiration dates. The laws require them to label as such, but most foods are good for a long time after that.

 

[JRmom]

Yep, I always put beans and rice (and pasta) in the freezer for a few days. I had a horrible outbreak of moths one time also. I've also opened up a bag of rice that I didn't freeze and found icky spider web type stuff in the bag. Yuck!

 

[i_am2bz]

Yep, I always put beans and rice (and pasta) in the freezer for a few days. I had a horrible outbreak of moths one time also. I've also opened up a bag of rice that I didn't freeze and found icky spider web type stuff in the bag. Yuck!

Yikes!! Now I have to find room in my packed freezer for all my pasta too???!

 

[Farmfresh]

Yes I usually freeze mine.

I read an article in the latest addition of Countryside Magazine recently about a lady who "Oven Cans" dry goods. It is worth a read.

She simply puts her dry goods, like flour, rice, beans etc ... into jars and into the oven at a low temp (I think she said 200?) for a while. This will destroy any mold spores or insect eggs or larva that are already present. She claims the products keep freshly for YEARS when jarred this way.

 

[Pirtykitty]

I put my rice, and spaghetti in the feezer... I also put my pop corn in there that I use for corn meal... I keep my store flour in there too..
When I grind flour I store it in there too because after it's ground it starts to loose vitamins...

 

[JRmom]

Yep, I always put beans and rice (and pasta) in the freezer for a few days. I had a horrible outbreak of moths one time also. I've also opened up a bag of rice that I didn't freeze and found icky spider web type stuff in the bag. Yuck!

Yikes!! Now I have to find room in my packed freezer for all my pasta too???!

I'm just paranoid now!