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What liquid does not expire?

Honey (raw): natural sugar, high acidity and low moisture ensures this liquid gold lasts forever (archeologists have even unearthed edible honey in ancient Egyptian tombs).

parade.com - 100+ Non Perishable Food Items That Don't Expire - Parade

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Looking for food that never expires? Get the lowdown on sell-by dates and discover the best non perishable food items you can stash away. Wondering the best non perishable food items are to have on hand? Having a well-stocked pantry with non perishable foods means you'll be prepared for anything that comes your way. But how long do all these foods really last? Do non-perishable foods ever expire? We asked the experts. The various dates on food labels are confusing to consumers, and some argue contribute to food waste because people toss food that may not be at peak quality but is still perfectly safe to eat. In fact, infant formula is the only product with a federally mandated “use by” date, and it should never be used after that date. Aside from that, those dates on the label are determined by manufacturers as guidelines to ensure optimum quality: Best-By: is the manufacturer’s suggestion for the best quality and flavor. This has nothing to do with safety. Use By: the last date recommended by the manufacturer for consumption (other than infant formula, which never should be used past its use-by date) Sell By: also nothing to do with safety but an indication to a retailer for how long to display a product

Freeze By: manufacturer’s suggestion to extend quality past a product’s shelf life

With that in mind, many foods are perfectly safe to consume past these dates as long as they’re stored properly. “The main question to ask yourself when determining the shelf life of a food is, how susceptible is it to bacterial growth?” says Janilyn Hutchings, CP-FS, a certified food safety expert at StateFoodSafety, a company that develops food-safety certification and training programs for regulatory, restaurant and hospitality clients.

Related: Shelf-Stable Milk Alternatives

“The commercial canning process reduces the number of bacteria to safe levels and seals the food against further bacterial growth,” says Hutchings. If something is outdated, trust your senses to determine whether it’s safe to eat. Toss anything that just looks bad, with obvious signs of mold, a dark or oily appearance, signs of pest infestation or water damage to the packaging. Discard cans that are dented, swollen, corroded or rusted. If it looks good, do the sniff test. “One of the biggest issues with non-canned shelf-stable ingredients is that naturally occurring oils found in the product can become rancid over time,” says chef Michele Sidorenkov, R.D., of My Millennial Kitchen. Any off-putting odor, especially a grassy or paint-like aroma, Hutchings adds, is a sign food has spoiled.

Related: 30 Best Non-Perishable Snacks

12 Non-Perishable Foods That Really Never Expire

These non-perishable foods really do last indefinitely, stored unopened in a cool, dry, dark spot: Baking soda: lasts indefinitely, though it can lose its leavening power over time. To test, combine 2 tsp vinegar and ¼ tsp baking soda. If it bubbles, you’re good to go. Beans and legumes (dried, in general). Note: the older the beans, the longer they’ll need to soak and cook. Including: Black beans Black-eyed peas Cannellini beans (white kidney beans) Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) Great Northern beans Kidney beans Lentils Lima beans Navy beans Pinto beans Soybeans Split peas (dried). Corn syrup. Hard liquor: Exception: cream liqueurs – because of the dairy, heed the label regarding “use by” dates. Honey (raw): natural sugar, high acidity and low moisture ensures this liquid gold lasts forever (archeologists have even unearthed edible honey in ancient Egyptian tombs). But it can crystallize over time. No worries–just set the jar in a pan of warm water to liquify. Maple syrup (pure). Salt: non-iodized salt (like natural sea salt) lasts forever. But even iodized table salt has a pretty long shelf life—five years. Spices (dried): They will lose their aroma and flavor over time but are safe to eat indefinitely. Sugar, including Granulated sugar Powdered sugar Brown sugar. Vinegar, including: apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, distilled vinegar, red wine vinegar, rice vinegar (unseasoned) and white wine vinegar. Vanilla extract (pure). White rice.

93 Non-Perishable Foods That Last a Really Long Time

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These foods may not last forever, but they will keep, stored unopened in a cool, dry, dark spot, a couple of years to decades, unless noted otherwise: Almonds: freeze up to two years Apricot jam Avocado oil Barley Biscuit mix Beef jerky (unopened) Bouillon cubes Cake mix Canned artichokes Canned asparagus Canned beans and legumes Canned beets Canned cheese Canned chili Canned chili peppers (including chipotles) Canned corn Canned fish (tuna, salmon, clams, sardines, herring, etc.—unopened) Canned meat (chicken, corned beef, deviled ham, etc.—unopened) Canned mushrooms Canned peas Canned pumpkin Canned roasted peppers Canned spaghetti Canned sauerkraut Canned spinach Canned sweet potatoes Canola oil Capers Cashews: freeze up to 2 years Champagne: vintage stuff will keep 20 years or more. Even less-rarified sparkling wine is good up to four years Chia seeds (whole): four years in the freezer Chicken broth Chocolate (dark) Chocolate syrup (unopened) Cocoa powder (unsweetened) Coconut milk (canned) Coconut oil Coffee (instant): lasts up to 20 years. Freeze unopened ground coffee up to two years and whole beans up to three Cookie dough (purchased or homemade): freeze up to a year Cooking spray Corn (freeze-dried) Cornmeal Crackers Dill pickles Dried fruit Dried chiles Dried mushrooms Energy bars Fish sauce Flour (white, wholewheat): up to two years in the freezer Gelatin mix (like Jell-O) Ghee (Indian-style clarified butter) Grape jelly Grits (instant) Hard candy Hardtack: yep, the bland cracker/biscuit that fueled soldiers, pioneers and seafarers of yore Hot sauce Instant beans Instant dip mix (such as French onion) Instant pudding mix Instant soup Kamut Millet Molasses Macadamia nuts: freeze up to two years Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) Mustard Oatmeal Olive oil Olives (canned) Pancake/waffle mix Pasta (dried) Peanut butter: in a jar (unopened) up to 2 years in the refrigerator. Powdered peanut butter lasts up to 15 years Pecans: freeze up to two years Popcorn (unpopped) Potato flakes (instant potatoes) Powdered eggs Powdered milk Pozole (hominy, dried) Quinoa Ramen noodles (dried) Red wine Rolled oats Sesame seeds (roasted) Soy sauce Spelt Strawberry jelly Tea Tomato paste (in a tube) Vegetable broth Vegetable shortening Wheat (hard red) Wheat (soft white) Unless you’re a hardcore doomsday prepper, you don’t really need food to sit around for years or even decades. And for that reason, it’s a good idea to check your pantry and freezer stash regularly to use staples approaching their use-by or best-by date (again, for best quality) and replenish with newer fare.

Related: Pro Chefs’ Pantry and Freezer Must-Haves

BONUS: Surprising non-perishable foods you can freeze

These non-perishable foods don’t last forever or even years, but popping them in the freezer can extend their shelf life up to nine months:

Butter

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Margarine

Cheese: hard or semi-hard cheese (such as Parmesan, Asiago, Romano, cheddar, Swiss) in a block, shredded or sliced

Deli meat (prepackaged)

Tofu (drain the water, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in heavy-duty freezer bag)

Tortillas (flour, corn, homemade or store-bought)

What Are the Best Ways to Store Food?

Moisture, light, heat and air all encourage bacteria to grow, which is why you typically see directions to store food in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark spot. Yup, like your great-memaw’s old-school root cellar. “The worst place you can keep shelf-stable food items is under a sink, in a cabinet near the stove or in the garage because these places are more susceptible to moisture and temperature changes,” Sidorenkov warns. Freezing is another option, says Hutchings. It stops bacterial growth, and frozen food is technically safe to eat forever. “The bigger question about frozen food is not if it’s safe, but whether it still tastes good,” she notes. "The longer food is frozen, the more its quality goes downhill.” While refrigeration certainly slows down bacterial growth to extend the shelf-life of food, it’s not an option for long-term storage. Also, consider the moisture inherent in a product—the less it has, the longer it will last. For example, unopened canned beans can last up to five years, but dried beans are safe to eat for decades.

Next, best shortening substitutes.

parade.com - 100+ Non Perishable Food Items That Don't Expire - Parade

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