And in Fiji, it occurred once more: bugs within the rice this time… rice which had been saved subsequent to the flour for a few week. Weevils can eat by plastic; it in all probability was not coincidence.
Extra measures
There are further steps to take (and some standard strategies I don’t assume work) to kill eggs or bugs already current in provisions.
Use warmth. Microwaving flour is claimed to kill eggs, however not all pantry shops may be microwaved (e.g., seeds for sprouting). Some sources say 28 seconds at 500 watts is sufficient; others advocate 5 minutes (which appears extreme?). We don’t have a microwave and haven’t used this tactic. However we have now used our photo voltaic oven! In 2010, it killed lice nits in bedding that our children inadvertently introduced on the passage from Mexico to French Polynesia.
Use chilly. Some people swear by placing a bag of rice or flour or no matter within the freezer to kill eggs. Prepper sources counsel it takes 3 to 7 days in a freezer. That sounds inconvenient, however I’d nonetheless attempt it if we had the capability. However our “freezer” not a lot larger than a shoebox and inconsistently chilly (makes ice, received’t preserve ice cream exhausting). Buddies had been intelligent sufficient to request freezer area from a resort’s restaurant.
Vacuum sealing. A buddy who battled with weevils whereas crossing the Pacific discovered that none of her vacuum-sealed luggage had vermin. The idea right here is oxygen deprivation, which prevents eggs from hatching.
Alcohol. One other recommends placing an alcohol-soaked cotton ball inside a Ziploc, sealed container, or vacuum sealed bag, in an effort to kill any eggs inside – however all the knowledge I discover on that is anecdotal.
Bay leaves. Aromatic Laurus nobilis is meant to discourage bugs when tucked right into a container. I used bay leaves for years, and will by no means inform in the event that they labored. Folks really feel good as a result of they’re doing one thing, however I don’t consider that is efficient.
Although we don’t depend on any of those bonus strategies for eliminating bugs in our dry shops, we’ve by no means had a serious downside on board. Though it’s value acknowledging that tolerance round this varies! We’ve additionally been identified to soak rice so the “floaters” can get picked out, when there are only a few…
Hermetic bins for frequent use
What occurs while you need to begin utilizing these bulk shops you’ve fastidiously packed away? We now have a spread of containers the place we decant frequently-used pantry gadgets from bulk storage, that stay on the counter in Totem’s galley. Right here’s a fast tour.
These bigger, hermetic containers with gasketed lids for flour and rice (every one holds about ten kilos). I believe these are Sterilite bins I purchased again in Thailand, in 2014. After I open a bag, I assume I’ve fast-forwarded any risk of eggs hatching.
