Shelf life is forever. Which foods last the longest | Food and drinks

Author: sdv

08 September 2020 11:53

Community: Food

Tags: survival food stock healthy food food products tips

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Without a doubt, we do not want to get into an unforeseen situation, but the rule “forewarned is forearmed” has not been canceled. These 17 foods are healthy and nutritious, have a long shelf life, and can be a big help on a rainy day.

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Sugar and salt, spices

You can buy brown herbal sugar and regular white beet sugar. What is the difference? Brown sugar is unrefined and retains some beneficial substances. Unrefined beet sugar has an unpleasant odor and is therefore not produced. The whiter the product, the better it is purified from impurities.

By and large, the nutritional value of brown cane sugar is not so great that you pay extra for it.

As for salt, when choosing a product, make sure that there are no lumps in it. If the salt moves around the container in a dense mass, it means it is wet - this is not the highest quality product.

Spices should be chosen without any foreign smell, preferably in small paper bags.

Shelf life

Sugar can be stored without loss of taste and nutritional value for about 7–8 years. Salt is stored for no more than 2 years, spices - 3 years.

Storage method

Do not place containers with sugar and salt near water sources - the product will absorb moisture and form lumps. Divide a large supply into several 5 kg parts and pack in sealed plastic bags. They must be placed in a ventilated area. Linen bags allow moisture to pass through well, so they are not used for long-term storage.

If you purchased a large amount of spices, store them in airtight plastic or glass containers.

Ghee butter

Ghee is an unusual product for us, although in fact it is ordinary cow's butter, from which water and milk protein have been evaporated for a long time. This oil is very popular in India; it is used not only as food, but also as a cure for many ailments. It can be stored for years in a tightly closed glass or ceramic container.

Corn starch

Cornstarch definitely deserves a place on the list of "immortal" foods, although a lot depends on how exactly it is stored. If the starch gets wet, it will cause its molecules to combine with hydrogen molecules, and as a result the product will simply become soggy and spoiled. This is why it is important to keep starch in a dry place, away from high humidity. And then you won’t need to buy new packaging for a very long time.

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Stew

Shelf life: up to 5 years

The legendary domestic product, which is sometimes credited with an almost endless shelf life, is actually stored for a relatively short time - from 3 to 5 years. As a rule, this period depends on the type of container: aluminum or tin. It is worth remembering that the shelf life of pork will be significantly shorter than that of beef due to its saturation with fat. Preference should be given to jars marked with the words “GOST 5284-84 “Stewed beef” or “GOST 697-84 “Stewed pork”. Products made according to specifications may not have a long shelf life. The stew will be most comfortable in a dark place and at room temperature - for example, in a kitchen cabinet. It is important to note that sometimes the stew can be stored longer than required, but then it becomes less appetizing.

Long shelf life products

Details Category: Food

There are many products that can be stored for decades, and there are also those that do not lose their properties almost forever. Are you wondering what kind of food this is and whether it should be in your home? This is what we’ll talk about today – shelf-stable products.

There are several reasons for creating a “strategic reserve”. This:

profitable purchases with promotions and discounts;
being in quarantine or under house arrest;
lack of opportunity to shop during the week;
accommodation in the country - there are no shops nearby.

And just a supply of food is good! He will help out if an unforeseen situation arises. For example, when guests unexpectedly arrived. The main point when creating a set of shelf-stable products is their shelf life. All long-lasting products can be divided into three categories:

products that can retain nutritional value for more than 50 years;
food that, thanks to special processing and packaging, can be preserved for decades;
products with a shelf life of 6 months or more.

Before storing any of these products, label the package with the date it was stored and the maximum shelf life.

Salt

Pure sodium chloride has been around for about a billion years, so it's no surprise that it lasts forever. Not to mention, salt itself is often used to protect food from mold and bacteria, making it last much longer. This occurs through a chemical reaction called osmosis - when moisture is drawn out of food by salt, creating an environment that is too dry for mold and bacteria to thrive in. In short, salt is one of the most durable products. The worst thing that can happen to her is getting wet. So salt, like starch, needs to be stored in a dry place, away from moisture.

Powdered milk

The first thing to remember is quality. Only a product that has been produced in accordance with all rules and standards can be stored, especially for a long time. Factory packaging is not suitable for this.

Again, the ideal solution would be a glass container with a lid into which to pour this product. Only if this rule is followed, powdered milk will not lose its value and will be an excellent helper when you have to store food for use and then use it as needed.

Dried legumes

Not to be confused with canned or fresh legumes. Naturally dried beans, peas and soybeans also last almost forever, provided that they are in an airtight or at least tightly closed package. Older beans take longer to cook though, so allow yourself some time and patience.

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What can you buy for future use?

Honey

Honey is probably the only long-term storage product that does not spoil at all - this is the conclusion of scientists. Due to the low water content and the abundance of fructose, glucose and sucrose, it creates an environment unfavorable for microorganisms. Hence the endless shelf life. In Egypt, during excavations they discovered honey that is 3 thousand years old! And it turned out to be edible.

Sea salt

Although salt absorbs moisture and odors, its shelf life is unlimited. The main thing is to store the product in a cool, dark and dry place, in a container with a tight lid. Another thing is iodized salt containing potassium iodate; its shelf life is short - one year.

Sugar

Sugar is stored in the same way as salt. It is not recommended to place bags of sugar on the floor; they should be placed higher. Shelf life is ten years or more.

White rice

When properly stored, rice retains its properties for 30 years or more! The ideal temperature for storage is plus 3 degrees. Brown rice is healthier, but it only lasts for a year and a half.

Other cereals

Buckwheat is stored for 20 months, pearl barley, semolina and oatmeal - 14 months, millet - 4 months. If the cereal is stored in the refrigerator, the shelf life will increase.

Baking soda

Baking soda lasts indefinitely. It is not only a food product, but also a substitute for toothpaste and washing powder, a means for cleaning various surfaces and a medicine.

Coffee, tea, cocoa

It is better to store coffee in beans. The ideal packaging is vacuum foil. The same can be said about cocoa. Coffee and cocoa should not be refrigerated; they should be stored in a cool but dry place. In contrast, high-quality fermented tea has its place in the refrigerator, where it will better preserve its aroma and taste.

Pasta

All pasta can be stored for 5 - 10 years. Place the packages in a dry and dark place. Spaghetti, noodles and lasagna will not lose their nutritional value. The exception is pasta with additives; they can be stored for a maximum of 6 months.

Flour

This product does not tolerate sunlight, dampness or temperature changes. Does not tolerate proximity to strong-smelling substances. For storage, use an airtight container with a tight lid to keep bugs out. A bay leaf placed in a container of flour can repel these creatures. Insects cannot stand its smell. Flour can be stored in this way for one year. For longer storage, soak linen bags in a solution of table salt, dry them well and fill them with flour. Insects do not stick into such containers. If premium wheat flour can be stored for one year, then corn, oat and soy flour is slightly less - 10 months from the date of its production. Rice flour – 9 months, buckwheat and rye – 6 months, whole grain flour – up to 3 months.

Melted butter

Ghee does not lose its properties for years - it was previously stored for so long in a tightly closed earthenware container. Today, different standards have been established for industrially produced ghee: at room temperature it can be used as food for up to 9 months; if the product is stored in the refrigerator, the shelf life increases to 15 months.

Powdered milk

Powdered milk is not a very common product in our country; it can be used for 20 years from the date of manufacture! That is, this powder for baking and confectionery creams just needs to be poured into an airtight package and used until 2038.

Vegetable oil

The only vegetable oil that should be stored in the refrigerator is flaxseed oil, as it goes rancid at room temperature. Other types of oil should be stored in a cool, dark place and preferably in glass containers. Then it will retain its properties for two years and even more if you put a little salt on the bottom.

Legumes

In order for legumes to remain edible for up to ten years or more, they must be well dried and stored in an airtight container in a dark, cool place.

Strong alcohol

Cognac, wine, whiskey, rum and liqueur - although to varying degrees, are long-lived. As they age, they taste better. Unlike vodka, the period of its consumption depends on the specific manufacturer and the quality of the alcohol. You shouldn’t stock up on beer for future use, much less drink a drink that has expired – you could get poisoned.

Vinegar

Vinegar can be stored forever. An acidic environment does not allow microflora to develop. And although the label often indicates a shelf life of 2 years, you can ignore this instruction. Even the formation of sediment and a change in color do not indicate that vinegar has lost its beneficial properties.

Bouillon cubes

Many housewives use a chicken or beef flavored food additive to prepare broth when there is neither meat nor money to buy it. If stored properly, the cubes can be used as food for up to 10 years after they are released! This is explained by the fact that the additive contains a lot of salt, and salt is the best preservative.

Dried meat

This is an exotic product for us, and yet I decided to talk about it. Dried meat is a common food for Native Americans. Before the refrigerator was invented, it was widespread. In the homeland of the “superfood” they say that the product can be stored for up to 50 years in an airtight container in a cool, dry and dark place. It’s a pity that it’s difficult to check, you can only take my word for it and, if you’re lucky and someone treats you, then try it too! If you use salt, citric acid, sugar and a freezer, you can store any food for a very long time: meat, fish, vegetables and fruits - frozen, salted, pickled, in the form of jam, marmalade, jams. But such food is practically empty, as it loses most of its beneficial properties during processing. It is high in sugar, salt, “empty calories” and low in protein and fiber. Also, sometimes you have to buy products with a long shelf life, knowing that they are literally packed with preservatives. Well, if you are guilty of this, then try to eat such food not often, otherwise you yourself will gradually become “canned food”.

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Vanilla extract

Since pure vanilla extract contains no alcohol, it has an almost unlimited shelf life. However, this only applies to natural vanilla extract. Its artificial counterparts and products with chemical additives do not contain as much alcohol as the natural extract. So, as long as the vanilla is clean and stored in a sealed package, you can be sure that no bacteria will get inside. And it can be used even after many years.

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Meat and fish

When choosing meat, pay attention to the shade of the product. Pork is light pink, beef is red. The fat in these types of meat should be white. When palpated, the meat should not stick to your hands or smell unpleasant.

When choosing fish, pay attention to the smell - fresh fish smells like the sea and has no foreign aroma. The fish carcass should spring back slightly when pressed. The gills of fresh fish are red and the eyes are clear.

Shelf life:

fresh meat on the refrigerator shelf - 2 days;
frozen meat in the freezer – up to 1 year;
fresh fish on the refrigerator shelf – 1 day;
frozen fish in the freezer – 3 months.

If you buy a large piece, you should divide it into portions and freeze each separately. It is not recommended to eat meat that has been thawed and frozen several times.

Storage method

Meat cannot be stored together with other products. For long shelf life, use a separate wide freezer. Divide the fresh meat into several pieces, cool and freeze. To do this, place the pieces in sealed bags.

Before freezing, the fish is removed from the fins and gills, and the carcass also needs to be cleaned of scales. After cleaning, the fish is immediately packaged and frozen in the freezer.

Uncooked white rice

Whether you store it in the pantry, refrigerator or freezer, you'll never have to throw it away. Milled, parboiled, wild, Jasmine or Basmati - all types of white rice have an unlimited shelf life until they are cooked and provided that the product does not contain additional contaminants. The exception is brown rice - due to its higher oil content, it cannot be stored as long as white rice.

Natural maple syrup

We are talking about a sealed bottle of maple syrup that has not had its original seal broken. In this case, it is a product that is often used as an addition to baked goods and can be stored for many years in a row.

But again, only if the syrup is natural and does not contain any chemical additives, dyes, or preservatives. If this is so, then such a syrup can be considered a time bomb. And nothing good can be expected from eating it.

But what do you do with open maple syrup? It turns out that if it is of high quality, then when stored in the refrigerator and with a good lid, its shelf life will be many years in a row.

Soy sauce

The classic sauce is made from soybeans, which undergo fermentation under the influence of waste products of special microscopic fungi. Preparation can last from 6-8 weeks to several years. In different regions, the initial set of products includes specific additives, on which the taste of the final product largely depends.

During the fermentation process, monosodium glutamate accumulates in the original solution, due to which soy sauce gains a pronounced ability to enhance the taste of the food that is seasoned with it. The product itself usually has a dark brown color, a sharp specific odor and a viscous consistency.

The final stage of soy sauce production is the separation of the liquid component, its pasteurization and bottling into small glass containers. In a sterilized and carefully sealed container, placed in a cool place, the seasoning retains its properties for 2-4 years.

In a sterilized and carefully sealed container, placed in a cool place, soy sauce retains its properties for 2-4 years

Canned food

When purchasing, carefully inspect the jar - the container should not have any bulges or irregularities. Do not purchase canned food in dented or bulging containers. Broken packaging seals indicate poor quality of the product.

Shelf life

Canned meat and fish can be stored for no more than 2 years.

Storage method

Store canned food in a cool, dark place or refrigerator. The cans should not touch to prevent corrosion of the tin material. Once opened, the jar should not be left in the refrigerator for a long time. It is better to place the contents in a glass or plastic container with an airtight lid.