Bugs Invaded My Brown Rice

[Zereh]

*stands vewwy, vewwy quietly in front of the see-through canisters, ready to pounce*


Z

[kitchenelf]

....................

[middie]

bucky... so that's what those suckers are called !!!!!!!!!!!
everytime i ask about them people look at me like i'm nuts cause
i call them "those tiny red spiders things that squish really easy"

[Michael in FtW]

I'll have to go with buckytom on the red spider mites ... something that small that looks like dust is probably a mite of some kind. I was looking for something that would infect brown rice specifically .... but the answer was getting into knowing where the rice came from - and how it had been processed - since brown rice doesn't have the hull and bran removed like white rice. ARRGH!!!

That's one reason I always wash my rice before I cook it. But, what the heck - bugs - free protein!

Now - which LP should I break out while I cook tonight - Iron Butterfly, Jethro Tull, or Led Zepp?

[middie]

Can NEVER go wrong with Zepplin Michael !!

[htc]

Thanks for all the info, I knew I could count on my DC family to solve that mystery!


So, on the freezing method, I don't have extra space, but if I freeze overnight and then bring it back out to store in the pantry, is that ok? Or will it spoil?? I will go the extra mile and also add a bay leaf!

[Barbara L]

If you freeze it for 24 hours, then put it in an airtight container, it should be fine in the pantry. I've never tried a bay leaf, but if others have had success with it, you might as well try it!

Barbara

[subfuscpersona]

the consensus seems to be that red spider mites were the culprit in htc's brown rice infestaion.

Like htc I store my rice in tightly capped glass containers at "room temperature" (in kitchen cupboards). The bugs I've seen appear in brown rice is a little flying critter. I think the eggs have probably been deposited in the grain and some eventually hatch.

I'm not convinced that simply storing the brown rice for 24 hrs in the freezer actually kills the insect eggs but certainly storing the brown rice in the 'frig or freezer would prevent the eggs from hatching.

Frankly, if you have insect contamination in natural grains, you're best off throwing it out. However, if you catch an infestation in the very early stages, you can destroy it by spreading the grain in a thin layer on a large cookie sheet and putting it in a preheated oven at a low heat (about 100-150F) for about 30 minutes. Allow the grain to cool completely before returning it to the container.

I know about the "bay leaf" trick - I do use it. When I put brown rice (or any whole grain or legume) in a container, I put a bay leaf or two at about every 4 inches so that they're buried throughout the container. However, I think this is more to prevent infestation than to stop an infestation (eggs in the grains) that's already there. The scent of the bay leaves is supposed to repel insects. However, you need quality bay leaves that have a good strong aroma and, remember, over time the bay leaves dry out and will have to be replaced.

[Barbara L]

I'm fortunate, in that I have a large freezer, so I can store stuff like that and not worry about keeping it in the cupboards. I don't have much cupboard space, actually, so it works out!

Barbara