Essential Food-Storage Enhancements That Almost Never Spoil
Shelf life is a very important thing to consider when building a long-term food stockpile. Proper preparation and storage can keep certain items fresh for months or even years. A lot of attention is given to good recipes, vegetables and fruits for long-term storage. However, you may want consider some additional condiment-like items as well. They will prove invaluable over time as ways to enhance meals.
Salt
Salt can last almost forever under the right conditions. Make sure that you get quality mineral or sea salt. Store it in an airtight container and keep out of direct sunlight and moisture if possible. While the salt may become as hard as a rock over time, it’s easy to break up into small amounts as necessary, and this is one flavor enhancer that you don’t want to be stuck without during a survival situation.
Sugar
Believe it or not, sugar itself doesn’t promote bacterial or mold growth. Consequently, it can effectively last forever if you store it in airtight containers. The only problem with sugar is that it clumps up in moist conditions. This is why people put some crackers or rice into sugar containers under humid conditions. However, you may want to just keep the sugar pure and work around the hardness that forms over time in order to reduce chances of contamination. In any case, keeping sugar on hand is one of the best things that we can do in order to add a little sweetness if we end up coping with a long-term aftermath following a disaster.
Honey
Honey is a super-food in its own right, and everyone should get in the habit of eating honey now as well as keeping a supply on hand for a SHTF situation. It is a powerful antibiotic, and honey is well-known for dozens of other health benefits. Keep honey stored in an airtight jar in a cool and dry place. Honey will develop crystals over time, but this is not an indication that it is spoiling. Just put the honey jar into a pot of warm water and the crystals will dissolve. Remember to use bee honey as opposed to the many synthetic variants out there.
White Vinegar
There are a lot of uses for vinegar, from cooking to cleaning, cleaning to disinfecting, and many people use it for first aid and home-remedies. White vinegar can also keep for a very long time as long as it is in a bottle that has a secure screw top lid. Just keep it in a cool, dark place for maximum shelf-life.
Rice
We’ve talked about the benefits of rice many times before. It is a powerful carbohydrate that provides lasting energy due to the way it slowly metabolizes in the body. It also contains many minerals and compounds that we need for everyday health. Rice also keeps for decades if they are stored in sealed bags or containers. If you end up having small insects infest your rice stockpile, don’t panic or throw it away. Simply rinse the rice in water until they wash away. Once you cook the rice, any impurities that exist will be burned off and you’ll never know the difference.
Liquor
We’re not going to get into the pros and cons of stocking up on liquor for long-term survival situations. However, liquor can keep forever as long as the bottles are sealed properly. Consider getting small “airplane” bottles to maximize portability and space. However, you can stock your liquor cabinet with anything you like based on your needs and preferences, and they can last a lot longer than whatever survival situation or SHTF scenario you will most likely face.
Make sure to consider condiments, seasonings and other products that you find in your kitchen cabinet as you build up your stockpile. You don’t have to do without many of these “enhancements”, but the important thing is to remember to add them before it’s too late. Many people don’t even think of them during their planning and preparation efforts, and that’s a shame because they can make life a lot more bearable if you ever need to rely on your stockpile for the long-term.
