An alternative to maple syrup is honey which will crystalize for long-term storage ;
raising the temperature, and honey will return to its natural liquid state.
Also, honey has anti-bacterial and anti-viral usages
Yes, honey does crystalize easily.
I have heard, but never tried, that freezing honey works well. It supposedly does not crystalize which surprised me when I heard that.
I see coffee and tea are on that list. It may be worth looking up and memorizing any caffeine-producing plants that grow wild in your region.
Where I am in Wisconsin, the only natural local caffeine source is cleavers seeds. They would be annoying to collect, but would still be a Godsend to anyone in caffeine withdrawal.
There are other plants that can provide a taste similar to coffee, but they don’t provide the caffeine.
I also recommend growing a few tobacco plants and being familiar with how to cure the leaves. It was something that stood out to me when reading Selco’s experiences. They were literally starving most of the time, but they still made it a priority to have tobacco to smoke. That means it would be highly valuable as a trade item. Bonus if you know how to make a tobacco pipe to sell as well.
Pinetree Seeds has several tobacco varieties they sell, along with a book on how to grow and cure it for smoking. Even if you never use the plant for anything, the flowers smell nice.