Rice milling removes husk and bran layers to produce white rice. Drying and harvesting are critical steps before milling. Traditional and modern methods are used, and quality is measured to protect consumers and limit waste.
Rice milling involves removing the husk and bran layers to produce glossy white rice. It is part of the harvesting process needed to make rice fit for human consumption and can be done by hand or by machine. Traditionally, rice milling involved pounding raw rice with stones to remove layers of hull and bran. More modern methods use machines in the rice milling process.
Several processes take place before milling techniques come into play. Drying is a critical step in removing excess moisture and preparing the crop for milling, as it extends shelf life and preserves nutritional qualities. Small family farms might use the sun to dry their crops, which is the least expensive method. Rice can also be dried with heated air and with a saline solution sprayed on the rice paddies.
The rice harvest usually takes place three months after planting. Rice is ripe when the tops of the plants begin to drop and the stems turn yellow. At this point, the water is drained from the rice paddies, which speeds up the ripening process and prepares the crop for harvesting.
Sharp tools, such as scythes, represent traditional harvesting methods. Some regions employ animals to trample rice plants and destroy them. The machines are typically used in large agricultural operations to cut rice plants and line them up for harvesting.
Before the rice milling processes take place, the crop is sieved to remove small rocks or other debris from the field. A dehulling machine loosens the husks in preparation for removal from a hulled machine. Brown rice is produced when the husks are removed, but the bran layer remains. If white rice is desired, both layers are discarded. Not all hulls are eliminated from the machine, creating the need to separate the husked rice from the grains that hold the husks.
After the milling procedure is completed, the beans are classified according to several factors. The quality of milled rice depends on the environment in which it was grown, the number of broken grains, its whiteness and the amount of moisture left in the grains. If proper rice harvesting and milling processes are used, the quality of the final product usually improves. Farmers aim to produce brown rice without any impurities.
Standards for measuring quality protect consumers from inflated prices for poor quality rice. The classification process also promotes efforts to limit waste. Advanced rice farming and milling methods can produce higher quality rice and higher profits for the farmer.
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