There are not many, but they’re out there! And, importantly, knowing the specifics of them can help you plan your trips to the market and supermarket. After all, you can safely stock up on what you’ve got for a long time.
Honey
Real honey, which is produced without the use of any additives or flavorings, has no expiry date. It can sit on your shelf for years without spoiling. But liquid honey tends to saccharify (i.e., solidify) as a result of the glucose in honey. So don’t worry if one day you might have to spoon honey onto a spoon. Both the liquid and the crystallized state are perfectly normal for a natural product, so there’s no need to throw it away.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that honey that has been stored for a very long time loses its flavor and health benefits. For this reason, it is still worth keeping a fresh product at home. And perhaps that’s why GOST requires manufacturers to limit the shelf life of products: On a jar of store-bought honey, you’re likely to see a recommendation to use within a year.
How to store honey correctly. The general rule is to keep honey away from high temperatures (the optimal temperature is 20 degrees Celsius) and direct contact with air and sunlight. Honey containers should be sealed tightly. Ideally, you should put the honey you buy in small jars with a tightly closed lid.
Honey may be sugary, but this does not mean that it is spoiled.
White rice
In ideal conditions, white rice can be stored for a very long time. Unlike brown rice, which is not ground. In reality, of course, perfect conditions for white rice at home are difficult to arrange. White rice can’t stand humidity – it shouldn’t exceed 60-70%. Plus it’s good to respect the temperature: no more than 18 degrees, but optimally from 5 to 15. Of course, the container must be hermetically sealed.
Usually, rice is stored at room temperature: on a shelf with the other cereals, in a tightly closed container. Or simply in the factory packaging, sealed with tape or a clothes peg. If your option is the second, the rice should still be consumed within the specified shelf life. If the former, the grits can lie around for a really long time – until moisture or insects have eaten them. Infested rice, of course, is no longer good for anything.
White rice can be stored for a very long time if you protect it from moisture and insects.
Soy sauce
The shelf life of soy sauce very much depends on how it was produced. An authentic product that has undergone as much natural fermentation as possible (it usually takes half a year to two years) does not spoil for a very long time. But you won’t find it in our supermarkets, and it costs the same. And more familiar to us (and available) products are not among the record-breakers. The shelf life of conventional soy sauce is about two years, if you do not open the package. Unopened bottles should be kept in the refrigerator.
However, even sealed soy sauce has certain requirements for conditions. It can be stored at room temperature, but not in a hot place (no higher than 25 degrees). Plus the seasoning should be protected from direct sunlight. So after you buy it, put it away in a cabinet if you don’t plan to open it right away, because most of the factory packages are transparent.
Real soy sauce is a unique product, but rare
Salt and sugar
It is not for nothing that these popular condiments are widely used for canning. Not only do they prolong the life of other foods, but they also have an enviable persistence themselves. Salt, however, should be regular – iodised salt has storage limitations. Plus it’s a good idea to keep this stuff in a cool and not too humid place. But even if the salt does harden, it will still retain its properties. You can still use it in your kitchen.
Maple syrup
Not the most popular, but no stranger to the product. Maple syrup is loved wholeheartedly in the U.S. and Canada, where it is served as a sauce for hot pancakes. Local experts, such as representatives of the Massachusetts Maple Syrup Association, say the unopened bottle can be stored indefinitely. But opened maple syrup loses this superpower, even if carefully kept in the fridge. Unfortunately, it will eventually develop mold.
Maple syrup has a distinctive flavor but does keep for a long time.
Hard alcohol
Vodka, whisky and other products with a high alcohol content do not spoil. But does it make sense to keep them for years? Connoisseurs will answer categorically no. Especially if the bottle has been opened. You can drink such alcohol, but over time it will become increasingly difficult to distinguish taste nuances, and in the case of expensive drinks you are likely to stop finding the cost justifiable.
Closed bottles are less finicky, but should be kept in a dark, cool place. Ideally, if you have a special cellar or special kitchen equipment.