On Jul 24, 2:24�pm, Robert Klute > wrote:
> On Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:56:16 -0700 (PDT), Sheldon >
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >I use those O2 absorbant packets (Honeyvillegrain.com sells them) but
> >they do nothing to curtail insects in grains, all they do is retard
> >oxidation [a little], thereby maintaining general quality just a wee
> >bit longer; flavor, aroma, color, texture. �The best way to store rice
> >(or any food) long term is *don't*, for rice do not buy more than you
> >can use within six months, three month's worth is better. �Rice is
> >harvested somewhere in the world on a regular basis, unless one lives
> >in extreme poverty there is no reason to cache rice... for anyone
> >living anywhere in the US it's absolutely imbecilic to store any food
> >longer than the USDA recommendations. �And rice is very inexpensive,
> >and there isn't anymore than a few pennies per pound savings by buying
> >in large quantities (this is true for all grains). �and for those who
> >devote major freezer space to store grains it's costing them more in
> >freezer space than the few pennies lost by buying smaller quantities,
> >I've never seen a time in my life when rice was unavailable at every
> >grocery store in the US.... freezing grain products is false economy,
> >investing in food is no economy at all.
>
> >I don't use a lot of rice so I almost always buy rice in the 5lb size,
> >however I will buy a 10 lb size of basmati because that seems to be
> >the only size I ever see, it's imported and comes in a cloth sack....
> >basmati is an unclean product and must be washed, washed very well.
> >Rice grown and packaged in the US is clean and needs no washing, in
> >fact fortified rice should not be washed. �Fortified rice has vitamins
> >and minerals added, washing removes them. �Plain unfortified white
> >rice, like basmati, other than carbos contains practically zero
> >nutritional value... living on a diet composed entirely of basmati
> >rice results in a slow painful death by starvation.
>
> You can get basmati in smaller quantities, but it is usually not worth
> it - the markup on the smaller quantities is ridiculus. �Better brands
> of basmati are very clean - I prefer Tilda brand myself. �The Costco
> brand is an 'OK' quality.

I've seen basmati in cello-like pouches in amounts of about a pound,
more or less, and some contain seasoning... those seemed expensive for
what they are. For years I bought mine from a neighborhood Indian
grocery store, the bag was printed with writing I couldn't read, not
one word, to me it looked more like a design but apparently it was
some sort of Indian lettering. All I could read was the weight,
typically 4 kilos, I call that 10 pounds.

> The upside of basmati is that stored properly it will keep for years.
> Really. �All Indian basmati rice has been 'aged' for some time to reduce
> the moisture content. �The longer it is aged, the higher the price it
> commands in India.

I haven't had any bug problems with any kind of rice. I keek regualr
long grain white and basmati. When I bring them home I transfer it to
pottery cannisters that sit on my counter, covered with the pottery
lids that just sit, not even close to air tight. The basmati I have
now is the last dregs of the 10 lb sack I brought with me from Lung
Guyland more than five years ago, still just fine, no bugs. I've no
idea why it's always the same people the ones with buggy grains.

> The 'secret' of cooking basmati rice is that, once you have washed it,
> let it sit for half to one hour in the water you will cook in in before
> putting it on the heat. �This will let is rehydrate some and produce a
> fluffier rice.

I wouldn't call that a 'secret', a *billion* Indians cook basmati with
prior soaking.

There are many ways to cook rice, many ways to cook basmati. I wash
basmati in many changes of cold water, until it runs clear. Then I
either let it soak, drain, and cook it in *fresh* water, usually stock
(but less liquid than with dry rice)... or I let it drain well and
toast the rice in a hot pan with oil and proceed to cook a pilaf.
Sometimes I make my rice half and half with orzo, in fact I mostly
make a rice and orzo pilaf (rice-a-roni). I don't like eating plain
white rice, it's like eating plain boiled pasta.