# two liter bottles for rice storage?



## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

I'm wondering if using two liter bottles to store rice in would work.

I would wash the bottles; air dry for a couple days, then use a small funnel to pour in the rice.

Would this provide better (long term) storage _than just leaving it in the bag the rice comes in_?

I know many of you use more sophisticated methods of storage, but I'm being realistic for my storage and budget situation.

Stef


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2009)

Much better than leaving them in the thin plastic the rice comes in from the store.

Once you've filled the bottle with the dry rice cap it tightly then freeze each one down to zero degrees for about three days. Take them out then put away in the ubiquitous cool, dark place. Don't open before any frost or condensation have evaporated.

.....Alan.


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## Jakk (Aug 14, 2008)

I have tons (almost literally ) stored this way. I put a small piece of plastic wrap over the top of the bottle before I cap it and then put it in the freezer. After a few days I take them out, let them sit until the condensation is dry and then store them.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I use a funnel made from a 2 liter bottle with the bottom cut off for filling 2 liter bottles. It's really quick.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

We use juice bottles the same way. I keep them up in the top shelves though.


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## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

i store many things in the 2 litre bottles. Like fishhead I use a cut off 2 liter bottle but I use an adapter of sorts. Take a 1" sch. 40 pvc coupling and glue a piece of *thin walled* 1" pvc into each end cut them off flush. Next take your bottle caps, remove the liner. and cut out as much of the top as you can. Now use an all purpose plastic glue and glue those inside the thin walled pvc. You now have a screw-on funnel for all your 2L stuff.


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## CountryDreams (Oct 10, 2005)

I store salt in 2 liter soda bottles. I had never thought about storing rice in them. Thanks for the tip.


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## rebelfarmer (Nov 8, 2006)

that is a very good idea i dont know how much preps i had to throw away. becouse the cheap storage containers let the little bugs in now im going to start saving my 2 litter bottles thanks


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## FoghornLeghorn (Nov 13, 2008)

I think it's a great idea but just out of curiosity, why do you freeze the bottles after you put the rice in them?


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## simplehippie (Feb 18, 2009)

Thanks for the great recycle/food storage idea.


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## VT Chicklit (Mar 22, 2009)

The bottles are frozen after the rice is put in to kill any pest and their eggs that may be in the rice.


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

I appreciate your comments. Will freeze the rice, as you advised, Alan.

By the same token, wouldn't this work with lentils, split peas, beans, barley, etc., etc.?

Stef


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## Girl_Next_Door (Mar 16, 2009)

What about flour and sugar?


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## p1gg1e (Aug 20, 2008)

Yep you can use these with any dry good


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2009)

Here are the instructions on using PETE bottles (soda and juice bottles) for food storage as per the LDS church:
http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/archive/2005/sharing_stations/pdf/50a.pdf

As for what sorts of foods one can store in them that would be most any type of DRY food stuff.

Non-clumpy granular foods work best though. White sugar is good if it's loose and flowing. Salt the same. Beans, peas, lentils, whole grains are all good so long as they'll fit easily through the neck.

Clumpy powders such as flour, some meals, and so on can be stored in these bottles but getting them out again can be a chore as they often won't easily pour out.

Foods that have some sensitivity to oxygen really ought to be packed with O2 absorbers, vac-sealed, or used with dry ice.

These bottles work great, but if you are in a hot and/or humid climate they are best used for medium term storage meaning up to four or five years. If you need the food to stay good for longer periods than that I recommend going the glass jar, #10 can, or aluminized Mylar route. 

.....Alan.


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## Gercarson (Nov 2, 2003)

What a great thread - what a great idea!
Since I started reading this thread, I've been washing my 2 liter bottles (only have a few by chance) and as I thought about it - I was wondering... How much rice will a w liter hold? Does anyone know? I'm asking about pounds.
Thanks for all the great information!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I've heard about storing rice in 2L bottles, but hadn't thought about salt! I just bought a 10# sack of table salt - now I know what I'll be storing it all in. I don't drink soda anymore, but I can pick up 2L bottles at the transfer station (recycling bins).

Great idea on the screw on adaptor, BTW - I think I'll make one.


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## sapphyre (Dec 10, 2008)

I don't drink soda, but I do drink a healthy amount of table wine, so can the 1.5 liter empty glass wine bottles work just the same? These have the plastic/foam corks, as a general rule. It would not be vacuum-sealed air-tight by simply pushing the cork back in. Is that alright, or...any ideas for an air-tight seal on these bottles?


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

sapphyre: in days long past, canners used paraffin to cover jelly. Maybe you could cover the corks with it to make sure they're air tight.

I really dislike anything plastic so save all glass jars.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

This is a great idea! I just asked my mom to save me her gallon pickle jars for me to store rice in.


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## Txsteader (Aug 22, 2005)

What a great question. It never occurred to me to use juice bottles. You guys are invaluable!! Thanks for the info.


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## cowboy joe (Sep 14, 2003)

Great thread...I didn't know about this. Putting the word out to have friends / relatives save 2L bottles for me. I can mark the date on the bottle with a Sharpie and can always recycle them after they can't be used any longer.


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## ihedrick (May 15, 2005)

Check with your local convience store that sells individual pickles, pickled eggs and such. Ask them to save the jars for you. Some I get are plastic and some are glass.


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## Gercarson (Nov 2, 2003)

VT Chicklit said:


> The bottles are frozen after the rice is put in to kill any pest and their eggs that may be in the rice.


After collecting, washing and finally getting them all dry - I decided not to use plastic and bought quart mason jars instead - Now, about freezing. The jars are sealed tightly and presumably completely air tight. Can "critters" still survive? Would you still freeze? Hope for a reply.


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## Cotton Picker (Oct 10, 2008)

VT Chicklit said:


> The bottles are frozen after the rice is put in to kill any pest and their eggs that may be in the rice.



IMHO.... You could accomplish the same thing with dry ice chips..... It will infuse CO2 into the bottle... Put some on the bottom of the bottle... Load rice... Allow a little time to percolate up through the rice and cap it..... You will need to experiment with the amount of dry ice you put in... Too much will bloat the bottle... Way too much and you end up with a really cool 4th of July noisemaker.....

Works on Five-gallon buckets of grains too.... No moisture is added... That's why they call it..... Dry ice.... :cowboy:

.


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## sgl42 (Jan 20, 2004)

Gercarson said:


> Now, about freezing. The jars are sealed tightly and presumably completely air tight. Can "critters" still survive? Would you still freeze? Hope for a reply.


did you vac seal the jars? I think there will still be a small amount of air in there, which may allow bugs and eggs to survive for a while. i'd freeze anyway, just to be sure.

if you did not vac seal, then even if air tight, the amount of air in there would probably let bugs live for a long time. (they're small so they probably don't use much air. so definitely freeze them in this case.

--sgl


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## Gercarson (Nov 2, 2003)

I've got some in the freezer - I have to do these in batches. 
Thanks for the replies and the good information/advice.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Had a thought as I was throwing a bunch of Artificer's Mt. Dew bottles into the recycle bin....

What about using the smaller bottles (20oz or 28oz..whatever you have) as "single meal servings" of pre-spiced rice? Put your rice, mixed with salt or 2tsp boullion, or mexican spicing...maybe dried veggies....all in the bottle, freeze, store in boxes that are made for the size...and you have a VERY secure meal in a bottle...and the bottle is the measure for the water you add. 1 bottle of rice mix, 2 bottles of water...boil...and you have dinner.

Now...I realize that using the seal-a-meal bags for this would be easier, and easier to carry around...but a box of this in a bug out vehicle maybe? Heck...empty individual bottles are useful for all sorts of things in a bug out situation.


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## GoldenCityMuse (Apr 15, 2009)

SquashNut said:


> We use juice bottles the same way. I keep them up in the top shelves though.


Absolutely correct! 2 Qt bottles hold about 3.5-4 lbs of sugar. Be sure to fill it about 3/4 full, put the lid on and then shake the bottle up and down to settle and compact the sugar [rice, pinto beans, lentils, split peas, barley.....] and then fill it up. 

It is also nice to get on freecycle and ask for people to save their 1 gallon juice bottles, especially the ones with the handles on them. They are actually the best for pinto's and other large sized dried foods.

I also store extra water in the juice bottles, they are better than the 2 liter bottles which are to thin walled because of the pressure from the Soda carbonation. And the mouth for juice bottles is wider than for 2l bottles.


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## michelleIL (Aug 29, 2004)

We get large jars of cinnimon at work in the bakery, so I save those when I think about it and my beans, my rice, my flour and sugar all go in those. I even have one with grits, powdered milk, and potato flakes!


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