Food is close to your heart and maybe that’s why you take proper care of the ingredients that go into the preparation of the various dishes. Despite all the care, there are items in your kitchen cabinet that you don’t use often or have just forgotten about them.
Now, if that item is one of the below-mentioned foods then you need not worry about their expiration date, because they don’t have one.
#1. Raw honey
Can’t you already taste the sweetness in your mouth? Besides being good for your health, its sugar, low moisture levels, excessive acidity, natural gluconic acid, and natural hydrogen peroxide makes it last forever.
#2. Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has a lot of health benefits like it helps in weight loss and is a natural stomachache remedy but on top of all that it never expires. White vinegar, balsamic vinegar, raspberry vinegar, rice wine vinegar and red wine vinegar also fall in the forever category. Because of its acidic nature, vinegar is self-preserving and does not need refrigeration.
#3. Cornstarch
Another item which will give you company for a very long time but only if stored properly. Make sure that it is kept in a cool and dry place as getting wet would cause the starch molecules to bond with hydrogen molecules.
#4. Salt
Sodium chloride not only lasts forever but is often used to protect other foods from mold and bacteria. This occurs as a result of osmosis—when water is drawn out of the food by the salt itself, thus creating too dry of an environment for mold and bacteria to thrive.
#5. Dried legumes
Not to be confused with canned or fresh beans, dried beans also last forever—if they’re stored in sealed or airtight packaging. However, older beans may take longer to cook which results in a rather time-consuming process.
#6. Sugar
Like salt, sugar also stays in the list if kept away from moisture and sources of heat. Different kinds of sugar i.e., granulated white sugar, white sugar cubes, raw sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, sugar substitute, Equal, and Sweet n Low all last indefinitely. Although their textures might change, sugar never completely expires.
#7. Hard liquor
Hard liquor retains its forever tag only if it is stored in a cool place and left unopened. After it is first exposed to air, it might begin to lose its flavours and structure due to oxidation. The alcohol can also be affected if it’s exposed to extreme weather conditions, intense light, or heat.
#8. Pure vanilla extract
Since pure vanilla extract contains alcohol, it helps prolong its shelf life. Keep in mind that it has to be pure vanilla extract only. So as long as your extract is pure and properly sealed so no bacteria can find its way into the bottle, you don’t have to worry about replacing it.
#9. Uncooked white rice
No matter where you store it, uncooked white rice will last forever. White, wild, Arborio, jasmine and basmati rice except for brown rice, all have an indefinite shelf life when kept free from contaminants.
#10. Pure maple syrup
Remember, the emphasis is on the word pure. Unopened maple syrup will stick with you indefinitely, however, if you open it, you will need to refrigerate it.
#11. Soy sauce
It is another item on the list which has no expiration date. No matter when you bought it, you can use it without worrying about its state.
Buy them, keep them and even forget them until you use it the next time because some foods just don’t expire.