Conference turris::cooks

Provided that you don't get infestations of weevils or other shelf pests,
the shelf life of rice under normal temperature and humidity conditions
seems to be practically infinite.  The only thing I can think of going wrong
with it would be going moldy under extremely hot and humit weather over a long
period of time.  I personally keep my rice in a mason jar, but that's to keep
the bugs out, not because of any deterioration in humid weather.

--PSW

    My brown rice went bad after being opened about 8-9 months.  It tasted
    strong and stale (so embarrassing as I had company when I served it).
    But, I live in D.C. and it is very warm and very very humid here in the
    summer!!
    
    Sharon

    I have an Uncle Ben's metal canister and never have any trouble with
    keeping the rice fresh for long periods of time.
    
    Can't remember how I got it, but it has been a great conversation
    piece.

    I've never had problems keeping Japanese white rice. I keep the rice in
    a large plastic container with a snap on lid (Cape Cod Potato Chips
    container). I've also wrapped the original bag in a plastic garbage bag
    (to keep the bugs out) and left it on my enclosed porch.
    
    Mom has a tin container that will hold 50 pounds of rice and she never
    had a problem with the rice stored in it either, so an airtight
    container is not necessary.
    
    re: .0
    
    I haven't the slightest idea what you mean by "white fried rice". 
    Usually the brown color of fried rice is due to soy sauce, so you could
    make a fried rice without the soy and the rice would be white. Is that
    what you mean?
    
    	Marty Sasaki

    RE: .4  Yeah "white fried rice", all the Chinese restaurant I've
            been to in the Marlboro area serve "brown fried rice", which I'm
            assuming was originally and made brown by their cooking it in 
            soy sauce.  I just prefer the white variety myself.

    You can sometimes get white fried rice by ordering the "special" fried
    rice - you can always ask the waiter/ress.  I do not like brown fried
    rice, myself.  To make it brown, you just cook normal fried rice and
    mix in a while lot of thick soy sauce ("molasses" soy).  That makes the
    rice brown and salty, which doesn't appeal to my crew.  Actually, I
    like fried rice made with glutinous rice, which has a nice flavor, and
    no soy sauce at all.  But we usually eat plain steamed rice.
    
    /Charlotte

	I believe Chopstix in Worcester, (Webster Square), has it as
	southern fried rice, or something like that.


	-kg

�    Also, does anyone know of a Chinese restaurant in the greater
�    Marlboro area that serves white fried rice?  
    
    Nancy Cheng's on Route 12 in West Boylston serves white fried rice.

    
    I put mine in a ziplock bag and toss it in the freezer.
    

    I have bought rice in 10lb bags and emptied it into the gallon
    mayonnaise jars and just covered with the jar covers.  They are 
    stacked over my clothes dryer and have been there 2 years and 
    it's absolutely fine and dandy. No bugs, no nothing, same cooking 
    time for it too.  Since it's brown rice it takes 50 minutes to cook.
    
    
    
    

    
    	(AHEM, Did anyone read the Hudson/Marlboro Ma. paper last week with
    	the story on the Marlboro Schools new food service?  stay away from
    	the Gov. Surplus Rice!!)
    
    	

RE: .11

No, I didn't see the article.  Please summarize why one should stay away from
U.S. government surplus rice.

--PSW

    Once upon a time I worked for a business that pack Gov't Surplus Beef.
    There were a few things that got by the inspector.  Nowadays, of
    course, gov't inspectors are all-seeing and incorruptible so we can
    have unflinching faith in the quality of such goods.
    
    ed

    re.12
    
    	Well, (ahem) I got grossed out, but here goes(from memory)
    
    
    It was reported in the Marlbor/Hudson paper that one day, the cooks
    were getting ready to make rice,(they get Gov. Surplus in big sacks)
    when they noticed that the rice was infested with worms.  They debated
    as to whether or not they should cook it, then decided not to.
    
    	(I am not claiming that the story is factual, that is what I read
    in the paper.)
    
    
    	

Mealworms and their relatives can get into any grain product.  I've bought
packaged cereal and grain products in grocery stores that had the same problem.

Perhaps you'd prefer that they liberally dosed their rice with pesticides?

--PSW

    re .15
    
    Yes, you're quite right about grain products.  Bugs *will* show up from
    time to time.  I have had several horses for over 30 years (not the
    same ones...) and have thus had much experience with buying grain
    products.  And every once in a while I get a bag with lots of worms or
    beetles or other creepie-crawlies.  Goes with the territory.  Not
    everything in life is guaranteed sanitized.

    My personal experiences which were behind the writing of .13 are
    based on knowing that quality control becomes lax when "it's a Gov't
    Job" instead of "it goes out with our name on it."
    
    Of course, nowadays, Gov't regulators are much more strict and less
    likely to let their guard down when spending taxpayer dollars.  :-)
    
    Yes, there are bugs in all grains but control can be exercised by the
    packager to reduce what goes to the customer.
    
    ed