10 foods you can keep for a lifetime

Many of us have a special pantry at home where we store food that we are not going to eat anytime soon. But if you store a fairly large amount of food, it becomes quite difficult to keep track of their expiration date and constantly replace spoiled food.

Fortunately, the foods listed in this article will never give you such problems. Of course, provided that you follow all the rules for their storage. The best way to preserve any of these products is to keep them in an airtight container in a dry, dark and cool place. And then they will be edible for many more years, perhaps even centuries and millennia, and retain their nutritional properties in an almost unchanged state. We have selected ten products that can be stored almost forever.

(Total 10 photos)

Source: dnpmag.com

1. Honey

Honey, still in an edible state even after thousands of years, is found in ancient Egyptian tombs. It can be stored indefinitely due to the fact that it contains antibacterial substances. In addition, honey practically does not contain water in its composition, which makes it an unsuitable habitat for microorganisms. Over time, if honey is not pasteurized and not raw, it can change color and crystallize, but still remain safe to eat.

2. Sugar

Sugar can be stored indefinitely, no matter if it is white (refined) or brown (with an admixture of condensed vegetable juice). However, this product is sensitive to moisture. Absorbing it, sugar can easily crystallize into one large piece, which will have to be broken with a hammer. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container to keep moisture out.

3. White rice

A bag of rice may be covered with age-old dust, but the grains inside it will retain their nutritional properties forever. However, this statement only applies to white rice. Brown rice has a very limited shelf life due to its oily coating.

4. Salt

You will never find expired salt, as technically it is not even a food, but a mineral. Like sugar, salt tends to absorb moisture and is able to turn into a solid lump, but it does not lose its beneficial properties at all. It is extremely important to have a supply of this product at home, since salt is used not only as a spice, but also in the preservation of other foods, in medicine and even in the manufacture of soap.

5. Cornstarch

Commonly, starch is used as a thickening agent for foods such as sauces and puddings. It is also used in many other branches of the food industry. But the benefits of cornstarch can also be traced in medicine. It is an important ingredient in the manufacture of powders, ointments, powders and potions. To keep starch forever, make sure you keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

6. Strong spirits

Alcoholic beverages such as rum, vodka or whiskey will never expire. As long as the alcohol is stored in a dark, cool place and the cap is tightly screwed on, there is no point in rushing to finish the bottle. However, under the influence of high temperatures, air or bright light, the taste of alcohol can be greatly affected.

7. Vinegar

Vinegar is another product that will forever remain usable, and over the years its beneficial properties will only get better. In addition to being used as a salad dressing or in canning vegetables, vinegar has many household uses and is easy to make at home.

8. Soy sauce

Soy sauce contains an extremely high amount of salt, which prevents the growth of bacteria in it, so it does not need preservatives even when stored for a long time. While soy sauce is hard to mess up, it's one of those foods that tastes best when it's fresh.

9. Bouillon cubes

A bouillon cube is a compressed, concentrated vegetable or meat broth that has been dehydrated during the cooking process. The high content of sodium chloride and monosodium glutamate allows you to store bouillon cubes indefinitely. However, this product is very sensitive to storage conditions and does not tolerate high humidity.

10. Ghee

Ghee is made by melting butter and straining milk protein and milk sugar from the mixture. The remaining butterfat is then heated in vacuum boilers to evaporate the water. Fat dehydrated this way does not need to be refrigerated and can last forever, provided you keep it in an airtight container. Ghee is an excellent substitute for regular butter, as it contains a large amount of fat-soluble vitamins. For example, vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin D.