Forever Foods

There are foods that will last for decades or longer when stored properly, Wheat, Beans, pasta, are example of long lasting foods. Forever Foods, like the name implies, are foods that will last forever without canning, freezing or dehydrating. Forever Foods are the longest lasting foods known to man.

• Baking soda. This multi-purpose prep is a must have for long term storage.         
     Uses: teeth cleaner, household cleaner, dish cleaner, laundry detergent booster, leavening agent for baked goods, tarnish remover.

• Bouillon products. Because bouillon products contain large amounts of salt, the product is preserved. However, over time, the taste of the bouillon could be altered. If storing bouillon cubes, it would be best repackage them using a food sealer or sealed in mylar bags.
    Uses: cooking, soups, and flavoring dishes

• Corn starch. As long as it’s kept dry, corn starch can last indefinitely.
    Uses: cooking, removing oil from the face and hair, soothing sunburns, and diaper rashes. (Note: Reseal the container after each use.)

• Corn syrup. The most common substitute for “real” sugar in America.
    Uses: brownies, cookies or candy. Any place you can use real sugar. (Note: Reseal the container after each use.)

• Dried corn. Dried corn can be substituted for any recipe that calls for fresh corn. Our ancestors began drying corn because of it’s short lived season. To extend the shelf life of corn, it has to be preserved by drying it out so it can be used later in the year.
    Uses: soups, cornmeal, livestock feed, hominy and grits, heating source.

• Hard liquor. Distilled liquor never goes bad, even after the container has been opened. Alcohol is not just a temporary escape.
    Uses: important for disinfecting wounds and easing physical pain.

• Hardtack. This is a mixture of flour and water forms a hard cracker that keeps for decades.
    Note:Soldiers carried it with them in the civil war.
 
• Honey. Archeologists discovered ancient honey in the Egyptian pyramids and it was still edible! It crystallizes over time, but all you have to do is warm it up and stir it to get it back to the right consistency.
    Uses: (See, honesteagle.boards.net/thread/18/15-alternative-uses-honey )

• Instant coffee, tea, and cocoa. Will lift morale and is an excellent trade item. Instant coffee is high vacuum freeze dried. So, as long as it is not introduced to moisture. Storage life for all teas and cocoas can be extended by using desiccant packets or oxygen absorbing packets, and by repackaging the items with a vacuum sealing.
    Uses: beverages, flavor additions to baked goods, combat appetite fatigue.

• Maple Syrup. Adds a huge range of flavor to different foods. 
    Uses: Pancakes, waffles, candy, oatmeal, cooking (Note: You can even make your own syrup from maple tree sap.)

• Powdered milk. Powdered milk can last indefinitely in nitrogen filled cans. However, if open to the air powdered milk develops an odor or has turned a yellowish tint, it’s time to discard.
    Uses: beverage, dessert, ingredient for certain breads, addition to soup and baked goods.

• Salt. This stuff lasts forever, whether it’s sea salt or ordinary table salt.
    (Note: Seasoned salt is only good for a year.)

• Soy sauce. soy sauce lasts indefinitely due to the high sodium content.
    Uses: Flavor enhancer

• Sugar. Brown, white and powdered sugar all lasts forever.
    (Note: Sugar hardens over time, you can break up the chunks by warming it up and stirring it, just like with honey.)

• Vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract actually improves with time because it’s a form of liqueur.
    (Note: The long life of Vanilla does not apply to "imitation vanilla". (Reseal the bottle when you’re done.)

• White Rice. Every type of rice except for brown rice will keep forever if you store it properly. Brown rice has a lot of oil so it goes bad after several months, so just remember which one lasts and which one doesn’t.

• White vinegar – distilled. honesteagle.boards.net/thread/8/35-reasons-never-vinegar
    Uses: Cooking, cleaning, polishing and deodorizing. (Note: Store in a cool, dark spot.)

Do you know of foods that have “very long” or “unlimited” shelf life?