How to preserve raw rice from pests

How to preserve raw rice from pests

If you do not consume rice in large quantities like I do, the best idea is not to buy too much raw rice. In this way, you don't have a lot of rice sitting in your pantry and attracting unwelcome guests.

In my mother's day, and her mother before her, rice came in big gunny sacks and have been stored for ages in the warehouse and even longer in the warehouses in China, rice was prone to pests. These two smart Chinese women put cloves of garlic mixed deep into the rice sack. The pungent smell of the garlic is reputed to repel and kill off all the pests.

Make a spice bouquet of dried chillis in a muslin bag and bury it into your rice. Make sure you tie the bag tight, otherwise the dried chilli might disintegrate into bits and you will end up with hot spicy rice.

Keep your raw rice in canisters and keep them in a cool dry place in your pantry. You may like to put a couple of tea bags. Tea bags are good in absorbing moisture. Moisture will encourage growth of fungus.

If you absolutely need to keep your rice for a long time, keeping them in the fridge will prolong the "freshness" of the raw rice.

Should you have the misfortune of getting your raw rice a bit moist, put them out to sun. The UV rays will kill off any organism growing in the rice and the heat will dry the rice. However, rice is not an expensive commodity, it is better to throw away any rice that is suspicious.