Forever Foods: 10 Cooking Staples That Can Outlast You

Mother Nature Network ^ | December 17, 2010 | Laura Moss

[Prepper Doc]

Ping for reference

[JRandomFreeper]

It is not necessary to store ketsup and mustard in the fridge, they have a high enough acid/sugar/salt content to supress bacterial growth.

Johnny (Aims Culinary Academy, Class of 2003)

[JRandomFreeper]

I have Kitchen Bouquet that is at least 5 years old. It works just fine. The sugar content is high enough to supress bacterial growth.

/johnny

[cbkaty]

trebuchet ammo.

Touché trebuchet........primary and secondary uses...always a contingency...always....

[behzinlea]

I don’t even know how old my flour is but I’ve lived in this house for almost 20 years.

Eventually it will grow crunchy bits, otherwise known as weevils. But just think of it as protein enrichment.

[JRandomFreeper]

Spices quickly lose flavor after opening. After spices are open 6 months, wood shavings are as effective for flavoring. Most old spices do not, however, endanger your health when used.

/johnny

[Mr. K]

yes, just put the honey into a microwave and melt it

SLOWLY!! it gets very hot

or put the jar in a pan of water on the stove

I often add a little water to my honey to make it flow faster- does anyone know if this affects the storage life?

[Mr. K]

yes, just put the honey into a microwave and melt it

SLOWLY!! it gets very hot

or put the jar in a pan of water on the stove

I often add a little water to my honey to make it flow faster- does anyone know if this affects the storage life?

[cbkaty]

Eventually it will grow crunchy bits, otherwise known as weevils.

The little critters need oxygen....eliminate it.

[basil]

I’ve picked cotton myself—I once picked two bolls near Smithville TX—just so I could forever claim “I’ve picked cotton”—LOL!

[Madame Dufarge]

Honey

Hard Liquor

For those with limited storage space available:

[loungitude]

Wheel chocks for a 747.

[Madam Theophilus]

Not all fats. For instance, ghee and clarified butter can last for many years. In India there is ghee that is hundreds of years old and has not gone rancid. I believe coconut oil is also very stable.

[Madam Theophilus]

For the Skinny on Fats, an excellent essay:

http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/526-skinny-on-fats.html

[listenhillary]

You are introducing potential contamination I would think. Not a big deal if you use it fairly quickly.

[NEMDF]

Hey, Diana!! How are you doing? Merry Christmas!

I have heard that if you put flour in the freezer for a couple of days before storing in the cabinet, any bugs or eggs will be killed off.

Pasta: Made lasagna last night, and the noodles box said, “best by 2/26/2010”. I used them but threw away the rest (because I have a new box, as well, and don’t make it that often). If Mr. NEMDF had seen the first box, he would have insisted I not use them. What can go wrong with pasta as long as it is dry?

[cbkaty]

I’ve picked cotton myself

Now that's a resume enhancer to this fellow...!

[SnuffaBolshevik]

"But then we need to add a P-38 or other manual can opener to the stash! :)"

Don't forget the other useful members of the P-38 family!

[31R1O]

A work around for this is to buy your spices whole and then grind them as needed. Left whole, spices will keep their punch for a lot longer. Whole nutmeg, peppercorns corriander and all of the umbellifer seeds.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Thanks for the tip!