# Rice: This or That?



## Stockton (Jun 21, 2017)

The local mormon center said I could pick this up in town. Thus I'd pay no shipping. 6 cans for 39 dollars.

It says 160 servings but is that for the 6 cans or per can? Seems like a lot per can? I can't tell. 

Or am I better off with a 25lb bag from costco that is $20? I know this only lasts a few years but we should
get use to eating it anyway. At 20 bucks we can get another in the near future. 

It seems like a lot of extra for the number 10 cans and 30 year shelf life? Is there a way to get the costco
product stored to last longer? I see they have buckets too but they are more expensive.

Sorry when I tried to post it said no links?


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

the LDS Church provides one of the best prepping primers around - and the first few chapters specifically cover the starting of a pantry and proper storage techniques for long term .....

https://www.ldsavow.com/PrepManualGeneral.html

keep an electronic copy but print out the important chapters for your reference shelf ....


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Do your own with Mylar bags and O2 eaters.

One of the easiest thing to do, get a good sealer.

I have put away over 2k pounds of rice that way.

I eat rice at least four times a week in one form or another.

Rice and beans, along with water you will never starve, they supply all of what you need to survive.

You will need additives to prevent food burnout.

Veggies, spam and spices will do, along with game if you will hunt.

Remember, the intent is to survive not five star dining.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Seem to recall Howard Ruff said in his famous pre prepper book. A diet of rice and beans also needs corn to round it out on the nutrition scale. Makes a more complete veggie protein that when left out. Sounded plausible.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Yes, it's worth the money when you consider the shelf life. The estimated shelf life of this product is 30 years if stored in a cool, dry place. Bug free, rodent proof and sealed up tight in #10 cans that don't break like Ball jars can. You don't have to rotate or replace if you don't want to. So, I think it's worth it.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Stockton said:


> Or am I better off with a 25lb bag from costco that is $20? I know this only lasts a few years but we should
> get use to eating it anyway. At 20 bucks we can get another in the near future.


Of course you are better off getting bulk rice and beans at Costco. When you store in a plastic pail with mylar bags & oxygen absorbers, you will get the same 30+ years of storage life... and do it for a fraction of the cost. In my 6 gallon pails, I can get right at 37-38 lbs of rice. It is very simple & a core technique to learn if you wish to economically store food for a crisis.

Only prepackaged pails I purchase are for foods I can't get locally in bulk, such as hard winter wheat and oats. And then I only purchase Emergency Essentials as some of the others don't use sealed mylar bags. But just for reference, Walmart sells 38 lbs of wheat for $28.12 with free 2 day freight when you spend over $35. That is over 55,000 calories of long term food storage at much less cost than those cans.

Yes, I have large amounts of rice & beans in storage but my largest single item is wheat, for the simple reason I personally normally eat much more wheat product than beans & rice... such as bread, pasta, pancakes, biscuits, cakes, cookies, etc. IMO, it is wise to store what you normally eat.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Emergency-Essentials-SuperPail-Hard-Red-Wheat-38-lbs/50103636


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

Stockton said:


> The local mormon center said I could pick this up in town. Thus I'd pay no shipping. 6 cans for 39 dollars.
> 
> It says 160 servings but is that for the 6 cans or per can? Seems like a lot per can? I can't tell.
> 
> ...


From the LDS website $38.75 for case of 6 #10 cans.
@******* is correct to a degree. It is cheaper at Costco. What you have to keep in mind is add to that cost the Mylar bags, O2 absorbers and the buckets.

If you're just starting and on a tight budget, I'd start at the LDS store. You know the cost up front. I still buy from them at times and will be hopefully heading there tomorrow. I would still invest in Mylar bags and O2 absorbers though also. I get my Mylar stuff from here. I initially found them on ebay. They also have how to videos. You can find a bunch of how to video's on youtube.

https://mylarpro.com/


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

inceptor said:


> From the LDS website $38.75 for case of 6 #10 cans.


So for that $38.75, how many total lbs of rice and how many total calories? Compare that to 38 lbs of wheat & 55,000 calories, already in sealed pail, with mylar & with oxygen absorber.

For me to put up my own 37.5 lb pail of rice from Sam's Club costs me $22.50... rice $12.50, pail & lid $8, mylar bag & 2000 cc oxygen absorber $2. My pail of rice will store for 30+ years & will have around 68,000 calories for that $22.50. Compare that to this LDS rice please.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

******* said:


> So for that $38.75, how many total lbs of rice and how many total calories? Compare that to 38 lbs of wheat & 55,000 calories, already in sealed pail, with mylar & with oxygen absorber.
> 
> For me to put up my own 37.5 lb pail of rice from Sam's Club costs me $22.50... rice $12.50, pail & lid $8, mylar bag & 2000 cc oxygen absorber $2. My pail of rice will store for 30+ years & will have around 68,000 calories for that $22.50. Compare that to this LDS rice please.


I agree. All my rice either came from Sam's or Costco.

The main reason I brought that up was it's an easy way to start. To start storing in mylar bags and buckets could be daunting to a beginner. I'm looking to just get him started. Once you start and begin the process you start expanding your horizon.

I can tell you it took me a while before I tried storing in mylar. And my first try I made a mistake and had to do it over again. It also takes a little time to do it. Especially if you break it down into smaller bags. I did that with my beans.

The LDS store does not have a huge selection but what they do have is not bad. This weekend I'm going there to get a case of refried beans. They have them on sale and it's not that far from me.

Another source I use is The Ready Store. For some things, I like the convenience of buying #10 cans. It's easy, it shows up at my door and all I have to do is put it up. There are times when I can't afford to buy large quantities and this let's me add to my stores without breaking the bank.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

To me, the hardest part in putting up my own stores was sealing the mylar properly. Some folks use tools they already own such as irons, flat iron, curling iron or simply hot metal rods. I tried a cheap, battery operated sealer & just couldn't get it to work. Whatever you use, it is imperative the seal is good. So I bit the bullet & bought a really nice sealer, that is so simple to use & works right every single time. It has two heat settings. When you consider how much you save each bucket by putting up your own food, even this $99 sealer pays for itself after just a few pails. Since I have put up thousands of pounds of food, I got a real nice & quick payback.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00489WEVC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1










For reference, here is the link for the buckets I use. It comes with the lids with gasket. I buy 10 at a time for $8 each. They run specials for free freight & other discounts. A trick I learned was to first set up an account, then add the product to your cart... and leave the site. By doing so, they realize you didn't purchase so very often they will send you an email, or pop up a window next time you visit the site, offering a code for free freight or some discount.

https://beprepared.com/6-gallon-bucket-with-lid.html










I get my mylar bags & oxygen absorbers at Amazon. $20 for 10 of each, so $2 per pail.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001Y0Y8C6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

There's no one perfect way. Maybe container buckets come out cheaper in the end but then rodents can chew through plastic and mylar. I do all three: buckets, glass jars and #10 cans.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Can someone who buys the cans please state the total lbs of rice & total calories for the 6 cans? I'm with the OP & find it confusing.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

******* said:


> Can someone who buys the cans please state the total lbs of rice & total calories for the 6 cans? I'm with the OP & find it confusing.


I was serious earlier, I have never bought rice in cans. I just went to the LDS website and clicked on the picture to enlarge it. The case of 6 cans is 32.4 LBS. I can't see the calorie count on the can.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

Frankly, one of the best books I have found on food storage is here.

https://www.amazon.com/Store-This-N...477444033&sr=1-1&keywords=store+this+not+that

This book was written by 2 ladies who know what they are doing. I bought the book a couple of years ago and some things I found surprised both the wife and I.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

******* said:


> Can someone who buys the cans please state the total lbs of rice & total calories for the 6 cans? I'm with the OP & find it confusing.


Serving size - 1/4 cup. 
Servings per container - 54. 
Calories - 160. 
Weight - 5.4 pounds per #10 can.


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

I'd try whatever rice you're going to store first. We tried a Costco variety the other day and it tasted metallic and gross, not even for survival food because it tasted so foul, and that was 2 bags. Our favorite white rice, the daily staple around here, is Royal Basmati, which you can actually get at Walmart. They even ship it and they had a special coupon the other day for 15% off, so it came to $17/20# delivered to my house.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

indie said:


> I'd try whatever rice you're going to store first. We tried a Costco variety the other day and it tasted metallic and gross, not even for survival food because it tasted so foul, and that was 2 bags. Our favorite white rice, the daily staple around here, is Royal Basmati, which you can actually get at Walmart. They even ship it and they had a special coupon the other day for 15% off, so it came to $17/20# delivered to my house.


Basmati is very good. So is Jasmine. What was the name of the Costco variety? A lot has to do with the way the rice gets cooked.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

I just wish the LDS stuff didn't come in boxes announcing to the world that your storing food. That really stinks.


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

Annie said:


> Basmati is very good. So is Jasmine. What was the name of the Costco variety? A lot has to do with the way the rice gets cooked.


It was their Basmati. Cooked the way we normally do, it was just awful. You could smell the metallic whatever it was in the uncooked rice. We probably should have taken it back but I'd already repacked it in jars and we're 1.5 hours from Costco. I've made a yuck face on all the jars and plan to cook it up for the less discerning pigs sometime.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

indie said:


> It was their Basmati. Cooked the way we normally do, it was just awful. You could smell the metallic whatever it was in the uncooked rice. We probably should have taken it back but I'd already repacked it in jars and we're 1.5 hours from Costco. I've made a yuck face on all the jars and plan to cook it up for the less discerning pigs sometime.


I'm with you on this. I do have a bag of Basmati but I bought it before I knew I liked Jasmine a whole lot more.


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

inceptor said:


> I'm with you on this. I do have a bag of Basmati but I bought it before I knew I liked Jasmine a whole lot more.


We really love Royal's brand of Basmati. I'll have to try some Jasmine sometime.


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## Stockton (Jun 21, 2017)

Bought a bag of rice at costco this morning. 18.99 for 25 lbs. So if I just pour from this bag into a mylar bag and seal it. Place that bag in a bucket with the screw down top and leave that bag in the bucket with o2 absorbers it will be good long term?


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Stockton said:


> Bought a bag of rice at costco this morning. 18.99 for 25 lbs. So if I just pour from this bag into a mylar bag and seal it. Place that bag in a bucket with the screw down top and leave that bag in the bucket with o2 absorbers it will be good long term?


The 02 absorbers go into the mylar. Check bags to be sure the absorbers are good and the air really gets absorbed. They should look all scrunchy-like and vacuum sealed.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

Stockton said:


> Bought a bag of rice at costco this morning. 18.99 for 25 lbs. So if I just pour from this bag into a mylar bag and seal it. Place that bag in a bucket with the screw down top and leave that bag in the bucket with o2 absorbers it will be good long term?


You will be looking at a 20-30 year time frame if memory serves me correctly.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Stockton said:


> Bought a bag of rice at costco this morning. 18.99 for 25 lbs. So if I just pour from this bag into a mylar bag and seal it. Place that bag in a bucket with the screw down top and leave that bag in the bucket with o2 absorbers it will be good long term?


That $18.99 for 25 lbs sounds mighty high to me. What kind of rice you buy? I personally don't buy the Basmati or Jasmine as it is much more expensive and that adds up when you store almost a ton of it. Sam's Club sells 25 lbs of Riceland Extra Long Grain Rice for just $8.36.

You can use the screw on gamma lids & they are rather nice... but they cost much more than a regular lid with gasket. Sometimes they can be a pain to pound on that ring. When I do rice, I purchase six 25 lb bags of rice, which fills 4 pails perfectly. I first put a 25 lb bag in each mylar bag, then put a half bag of rice in each mylar bag, which totals out to around 37.5 lbs each & fills the container perfectly for me. You might could get a bit more rice in but I find if the container is too full, it is much harder to work with.

My technique of making a rice superpail:

1) Put mylar bag in the 6 gallon pail
2) Add 37-38 lbs of rice.
3) Heat seal the bag all the way across except for about 2 inches or so. I make this seal at least an inch or two from the top of the mylar.
4) Open up the sealed oxygen absorber & quickly place inside. It starts working immediately so do this quick.
5) Push out all possible air before sealing that opening closed.
6) If you think you have too much air inside the sealed mylar, simply prick a small opening in the corner, right below your seal.
7) Now push out all remaining air & then seal over that prick & then down below it even further at an angel where the new seal hits the old seal & angles off the bag.
8) Run another seal closer to the end of the bag. I feel better having two separate seals.
9) Pound on the lid & use a permanent marker to label the product & date.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Actually I don't eat rice very much at all anymore. Too many carbs. I still feed it to my family 'cause they like it. Especially when I do the spicy Mexican rice. Also the Goya yellow rice. If you have small kids, be careful you pick rice they will eat. Some of them can get really squirrelly over food sometimes and that's no good in an SHTF situation.


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## RJAMES (Dec 23, 2016)

Never ate rice as a kid. Spending decades in countries that eat primarily rice changed that. I can grow varieties of white and sweat potatoes but not rice. I will have to check out the prices you guys are mentioning I usually buy it on sale at the commissary on base. There is Korean brand I like real well.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

RJAMES said:


> Never ate rice as a kid.


Since my daddy was raised with the Cajuns, I grew up eating red beans & rice every week. Plus we always had white rice to go with our roast beef & gravy. Any leftover rice became desert as rice pudding.

Rice of course goes well with beans, another survival staple and as you see in the pic above, I sometimes pack them in the same pail. Works well if you put just one of the 25 lb sacks of rice in & then, as opposed to adding another half sack of rice, you fill to the top with bags of dried beans. The way I picture a long event crisis would be that our group would be eating lots of soups & stews, as they are so much easier to prepare for a large group and allows for you to throw in pretty much whatever you have available. I see rice then as a nutritious filler... not the star of the show.


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## jimcosta (Jun 11, 2017)

*Our Prepper Group's Experience With Rice.*

We are a 50 person group in Florida where it is hot and steamy. 
We have 3 tons of rice - some six years old. It is still in the original bags.
Purchased from Sam's Club for $13 per 50 pounds.

We could not afford the time or money to package in Mylar bags. So we stacked on pallets in a barn and decided to replace bad bags. After 6 years we have only lost 100 pounds, both from tears in the bags from pallet nails and movement. They absorbed humidity. We simply replaced them.

We decided it is cheaper just to add to your rice inventory each year than to just examine each bag. Also note that if you should get weavels the rice is still good. Just filter the bugs off the top of the water as they will float to the top of the pot. NEVER RINSE the rice as it will remove the added nutrients.


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