What is the average shelf life of rice? How long does rice last in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer? What is the best way to store rice to increase its shelf life? Find out the answers to these questions and more below:
Shelf Life of Rice
| Pantry | Refrigerator | Freezer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Rice (uncooked) | 3-5 Years | N/A | N/A |
| White Rice (cooked) | N/A | 3-4 Days | 6-9 Months |
| Brown Rice (uncooked) | 6-9 Months | N/A | N/A |
| Brown Rice (cooked) | N/A | 3-4 Days | 6-9 Months |
| Jasmine Rice (uncooked) | 3-5 Years | N/A | N/A |
| Jasmine Rice (cooked) | N/A | 3-4 Days | 4-6 Months |
| Basmati Rice (uncooked) | 3-5 Years | N/A | N/A |
| Basmati Rice (cooked) | N/A | 4-5 Days | 4-6 Months |
The shelf life of rice varies from one another. Moreover, the shelf life of cooked and uncooked grain is also different. Today a diverse variety of rice is available. The shelf life of frequently used rice is as follows:
White rice: The shelf life of uncooked white rice in the pantry is 3-5 years. The shelf life of cooked rice in the refrigerator is 3-4 days and 6-9 months in freezers.
Jasmin rice: The life of jasmine rice in the pantry is about 3-5 years. Moreover, storage of cooked jasmine rice in the refrigerator is about 4-5 days, and in freezers, you can store them for 4-5 months.
Brown rice: You can preserve uncooked brown rice in the pantry for about 6-9 months. Whereas, you can maintain the quality of cooked rice in refrigerators for 3-4 days and in freezers 6-9 months.
Basmati rice: Preservation of uncooked basmati rice in the pantry is about 3-5 years. Additionally, you can preserve the cooked basmati rice in the refrigerator for approximately 4-5 days and in the freezer about 4-6 months.
What Should You Look for While Purchasing
While buying rice keep the following things in mind, excellent quality of rice is those who are unbroken rice. If you want to cook desserts, you should buy rice of small length. Look for the length of rice. Short length rice is stickier when cooked.
How to Store Rice:
White rice can be easily stored in the pantry for a long time if you cover them tightly. Cooked rice can be stored in fridges for 2-3 days. Make sure you cover them with foil so that the smell of other items won’t affect them. If you want to keep rice fresh, then store them in a dry place away from the sunlight. You can also store rice in tightly sealed containers so that the rice won’t get dry. Moreover, store cooked brown rice in refrigerators by placing them in a shallow container.
How to Thaw And Wash Rice:
It is essential to rinse the rice before cooking them. You can defrost the rice by directly putting them in the microwave. You can also set the frozen rice into the fridge before microwaving them.
How to Cook Rice:
Different people have different taste. Some will love to have boil rice whereas some will like to eat spicy rice. You can cook rice according to your need and taste. You can also prepare sweet and desserts of rice.