We all love to eat and then there are some like me who live to eat. Food can make everything good, at least for some time. Food can have some amazing healing properties! We all know about a lot of wonder foods thanks to our mom, grand moms, great grand moms etc. With all the research that happens across the world about food and things related to food, it’s amazing in a way to move the rock of knowledge aside. What if I told you that there are some food items that don’t expire or have a longer shelf life than we already are aware off! Here is the list. This list may be debatable and it’s expiry or freshness may change based on various conditions like weather, exposure to air or water.
White Rice
There are numerous researchers who have found that polished or white rice keeps up their nutrient content and flavor for almost 30 years if it can be stored in oxygen-free containers in temperatures that range below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Brown rice, on the other hand, doesn’t last more than six months owing to the availability of natural oils in the bran layer. I remember my grand -mom used to get us to clean rice and then oil it with castor oil and then store it in air-tight containers. It would last for months without a worm infecting it. It would even withstand the humidity around rains.
Honey
Honey is preferably the only food that would last forever due to the perfect chemistry and the handiwork of the bees. The nectar extracted from the flower gets mixed with the enzymes present in the bees’ bodies which alter the composition of the nectar. The nectar is further broken down into simple sugars and is accumulated in the honeycombs. The scientific amalgamation may not always make sense however honey stays good for long and it needs to be stored at room temperature and not in the fridge.
Salt:
Since sodium chloride is a mineral which is taken from the natural components of the earth, its shelf-life should come as a natural consequence. It is used for centuries as a means of preserving other food products as it can extract out all the moisture. It does wonders to the marination and taste of food. However, this doesn’t indicate that the table salt would last forever. Experts say that the addition of the iodine to the table salt reduces the shelf life of the salt which means that if the label says that it is an iodized salt, it will not last over five years and hence there are a lot of salt companies that provide iodine free salt.
Soy sauce:
When left unopened, a container filled with soy sauce would last for a significantly long period. But it is also dependent on the type of soy sauce and the additives used. Even if the soy sauce has been opened, this salty condiment will last for many years if stored in the refrigerator. So I definitely am not throwing the soy sauce bottle I bought six months ago, I am using it for those days when I want to just toss in some stir fried vegetables.
Sugar:
Quite similar to many items, the storage process of the sugar determines whether the sugar is going to last for long or not. Granulated and powdered sugar must be kept under an airtight condition to steer clear of moisture. Often retailers don’t mention the expiry date of sugar as according to them even it’s hardened or brown, it’s till edible.
Clarified butter
This kind of butter is boiled unless the total moisture is extracted, which is the reason that it doesn’t go bad. As long as the clarified butter or ghee is stored in sealed container under cool temperature, it would last for about 100 years. Wow, isn’t that amazing.
Even though these food items are meant to last longer, the city you live in, the temperature, the humidity and a lot of other conditions will effect the quality of these items, so it’s always good to go by your gut!!
Information credits go to Lybrate .Thank you for helping me reach out to my audience with this information.
