They say everything has an expiration date, but it turns out that certain foods will keep indefinitely. Survivalists and zombie-apocalypse preppers – this is your shopping list.
According to the below infographic (which tells you when to toss everything from baking soda to car tires) there are several pantry staples that will last pretty much forever, especially unopened:
- Soy Sauce (unopened): The salty sauce will keep in your pantry until the end of time but, according to Food & Wine, once it’s opened you have about three years to work your way through the bottle. (I’m sure you’ll manage.)
- Sugar: As long as you keep it in a cool, dry place (and away from ants), your sugar can hang out forever.
- Honey: Though it may crystallise, the sweet stuff is naturally antimicrobial, so it will never go bad. (If it does crystallise, don’t worry; you can fix it with a hot water bath.)
- White Rice (unopened): Whole-grain, unprocessed rice will only last six months, but you can stock up on the white stuff in bulk.
- Vinegar: Though you should toss wine that starts to taste like vinegar, there’s no reason to toss vinegar ever, even if it’s opened.
Open in a new tab to enlarge:
Here’s some additional long-lasting staples from StillTasty.com.
[Via Quid Corner and StillTasty.com]
This story has been updated since its original publication.
Comments
4 responses to “10 Foods That Stay Good Indefinitely”
Shouldn’t burgers from Maccas be on this list?
Yes, right at the top, to be disposed of and replaced by a real burger immediately.
They go off pretty quick. There’s those famous viral video/photo sets where a burger lasted a while, that fail to mention it was a dry, no-sauce, no-cheese burger kept in a cool, dry, climate-controlled room. I’ve tested it at home with a regular burger in my shitty kitchen – fluctuating temperatures, sometimes dry and sometimes damp- and it was completely different. Sweaty cheese in a few hours, stale bun by the next day, mouldy within a couple of days.
I know there’s a meme that Maccas is “fake food”, but it’s pretty bullshit. There’s enough to criticise about the company and the nutritional value of their products without recycling urban legends.
Maccas chips last longer than the burgers. Once they dehydrate they last practically for ever. Not that I’d be willing to try eating them 0_o
As for the article, not so much goods that stay good as condiments.
Vinegar just turns to water. It doesn’t get anywhere near 10 years. The idea that it can last forever is an illogical idea… Makes me question the rest of the list. You think a mild, dilute acid will just get more acidic? Seriously? Try it and see.