Rice and beans have long been the staple of prepper food storage. The biggest problem with that is the amount of water needed to cook rice, along with the dilemma of storing large amounts of it properly. Enter: Canned Rice!
Now, just to be clear, I do store ample par boiled rice. On a day to day basis, it’s not hard to prepare. Simply combine 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water, bring to a rapid boil, cover and remove from heat. 20 minutes later…voila! Adding some soup base and seasonings helps, a lot. But, when the grid is down and fuel and fresh water become scarce, options are needed.
That’s where canned rice comes into play. While more expensive to stock up on, there are clear advantages. First of all, only 1/2 cup of water is needed (and the seasonings are included too) and prep time goes from around 25 minutes to 5.
Either way, 1 cup of par boiled rice or 1 can of rice will be enough for a side for my family of 4.
Sure, at an average price of 1.99, canned rice is more expensive to store, but if you look at the price of typical freeze dried meals or ingredients, maybe it’s not so expensive after all. Have you checked the price of Mountain House lately?
I’m not saying to replace plain rice with the canned version, but having some of this is a great idea and can save you time, fuel, and water.