Will anything unpleasant happen if I store my uncooked dry rice or beans in the refrigerator? I know they’ll keep fine just bagged in the pantry. Not asking that.
Anything bad at all? Will they become damp, or even drier, or difficult to cook? Will they taste bad after cooking? Will they take on the taste of the other foods in the fridge? I’ve noticed that uncovered water in the fridge begins to taste bad after several days. Same for either of these?
Dried grains, seeds and legumes are usually best stored in “a cool, dry place.” I think that pantry or basement cool is enough for long-term storage and any colder is but a slight improvement. It’s far more important, I think, to keep them dry. Fridges tend to have a humidity that would slowly hydrate dried goods, so unless they are tightly sealed, I woudn’t do it… and if they’re tightly sealed, you can safely store them on a shelf.
If you want to seal them up and get the advantage of cooler temps from your fridge, along with the general vermin-proofing, go right ahead.
When I lived in poor quarters and had to worry about vermin I started storing my rice in the fridge before as well as after cooking.
No noticeable difference. Then again, rice goes pretty fast in my house. Keep it in a ziplock bag once opened, squish the air out before sealing.
the fridge is a very dry environment, should be fine.
don’t EVER store bread in your fridge. it may look fine and not be moldy, but it will go stale in less than a day.
Every bulk quantity of grain or legume that comes into my house undergoes mandatory quarantine in the freezer. I’ve had pantry moths before (more than once), and they’re a colossal bitch to get rid of. So now I don’t allow them even the remotest possible chance of breeding. They basically stay there until room is needed for something else. I’ve eaten rice that has been in there for over a year, are there is no noticeable change in texture, taste, or any other discernible property.
You can get extra air out by immersing the body of the open ziplock bag in water. Perhaps a bowl of water which you then use to water the house plants. Waste not…
Unfortunately, when it comes to houseplants I have a black thumb.
I don’t think the additional air expelled by immersing the baggie in water would make any difference. As I said, rice gets eaten pretty fast in my house. If I was going to store rice long-term I’d freeze it.
Understood. It was mostly commentary for other readers here.
I must have left different types of rice and beans in the fridge for over a year and they seem fine.
Maybe even years for some types of dried beans.
Archaeologists found ancient beans left behind by the Anasazi in the Four Corners area of the US, and the beans sprouted! Dry beans aren’t as fragile as some people think, and as long as they are completely dry, they should keep indefinitely.
Or a thousand years, which ever comes first!
~VOW
I don’t think you would find any difference while you put dry rice or beans in the refrigerator. Rice may consume some moisture (you can’t measure it without equipment) but it will not effect in cooking or taste at all.