Nuke dry rice before storing? - Democratic Underground

tomreedtoon

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Thu May-08-08 05:56 AM
Original message

Nuke dry rice before storing?

I happened to split a big bag of rice with an impoverished person last week. He took a bunch of Mason jars, filled them with the rice, then microwaved them for about a minute before putting the lids on.

He claimed that this process, supposedly from the late household maven Heloise, would kill the "no see 'em bugs" that come along with rice. This keeps the critters from eating and excreting in the jars of stored rice.

Did anyone ever hear of this? Does this makes sense?

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sazemisery

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Thu May-08-08 06:12 AM
Response to Original message

1. Here is a link

From Ohio State University:

"Fortunately, all stages of these weevils can be killed easily by super heating or cooling. Heat in a shallow pan in the oven at 120 degrees F for 1 hour or at 130 degrees F for 30 minutes, place in a deep freeze at 0 degrees F for 4 days, or heat in the microwave for 5 minutes."

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2088.html

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Warpy

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Thu May-08-08 10:49 AM
Response to Original message

2. It should work

because of the moisture content inside the critter's eggs.

Any whole grain from an iffy supplier should probably be nuked or frozen, the latter method being preferable because rancidity of the oils in the germ won't be hastened by freezing instead of superheating.

Miller moths are UGLY. Once you get them, it takes forever and dumping a lot of food to get rid of them because they manage to get into everything, even through the threads of a firmly closed jar.

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Stinky The Clown

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Thu May-08-08 07:40 PM
Response to Reply #2

4. We had them once .... from rice of uncertain origin .....

.... it was well over a year before we weer fully rid of them.

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pinto

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Fri May-09-08 08:38 PM
Response to Reply #4

6. I've had grain beetles, as well. Insidious critters. Finally had to throw

out all boxed crackers, opened grains and such. They crawl through the littlest crack and glued seam on a box.

Eventually, my house was fumigated for another reason - termites - and I was finally rid of them. Store all cereals, grains, etc. now in screw top jars, or seal tight plastic cannisters.

The freeze before opening idea on new stuff seems a good one.

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Mojorabbit

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Sat May-10-08 07:41 PM
Response to Reply #4

8. I am on year two

from hubby bringing in a bag of wild bird seed and leaving it on the porch. I think I almost have them licked. I am amazed how hard they are to get rid of.

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Duer 157099

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Thu May-08-08 06:43 PM
Response to Original message

3. Sounds like it makes sense

Although I prefer the freezer for the above mentioned reason.

Another option to consider, one that I'm starting to implement, is use of food grade diatomaceous earth (Perma-Guard). Has to be food grade, which is "amorphous" silica, as opposed to the DE used in pool filters which has been heat-treated to produce crystalline silica which is VERY DANGEROUS, especially to the lungs if inhaled.

It seems that food-grade DE is also good for animals, for de-worming and de-other-parasites (fleas, ticks, etc). Safe to ingest. Supposedly useful as a heavy-metal chelator, too.

Seems like a good thing to keep around.

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Kali

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Fri May-09-08 08:09 PM
Response to Original message

5. I'd freeze it - how much are you talking about and how long are thinking of storing?

The food grade DE is another option.

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hvn_nbr_2

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Sat May-10-08 07:22 PM
Response to Original message

7. Comical misread--I read the heading as "nuke dry ice before storing"...

and thought, "OMFG!"

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Tab

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Sun May-18-08 06:01 PM
Response to Original message

9. I'd never heard about it, I wish they did that at the Lundgren's factory

I used Lundgren's wild rice a few times, but the last time I went near it I went to rinse it, and was surprised to see all these black things float up. I pulled one out and they were these little bugs with legs.

Needless to say, I was grossed out (and didn't cook the rice). I wrote the company but never heard back. I won't buy their rice until I do, but since it was seven years ago that I wrote them, I'm assuming I won't.

That's okay - I like the Carolina (slim packets) and Near East (white boxes) better anyway. I don't need bugs in the stuff I buy.

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NashVegas

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Sun May-18-08 07:59 PM
Response to Original message

10. I Had Weevils At My Old Place. It Was Horrible.

I had a whole bag of flour that was unusable. I nuked it just to kill that bastids for fun.

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