"My kids were watching some cartoon, in it the old cook character kept his Bacon grease, he claimed it would keep and keep and keep"
Yep, Disney's "Atlantis" - good flick!
I love Cookie's assertion - "I got yer four basic food groups! Bacon, beans, whiskey and lard!"
Minute rice may keep, but it isn't nearly as good as real natural rice. I've stored mostly Uncle Ben's, as I grew up with it, and it cooks up quickly and stays firm. Great for good old Southern Eggs & Rice!
Lately, I've been eating Jasmine Rice - the stuff from Thailand that is going scarce. Superb 'sweet' taste, though it gets stickier. Takes more time to cook though.
For basic long-grain (US-made) rice, just get the water boiling, pour in the rice, put on low simmer for five minutes covered, then turn heat off - it'll continue cooking from residual heat.
Or get a 'rice cooker' at any good department store - they cook more efficiently.
If you really want to save fuel, those "Ready to Eat" rice meals from Uncle Ben's, Zatarains, Rice-A-Roni, etc, are okay, and will store for about a year.
Great for camping. Add a little water to the pot to prevent burning, if you do heat it. It can be eaten cold from the bag, like a "poor man's MRE"!