25 Foods That Will Last Forever

25 Foods That Will Last Forever

Whether you’re a doomsday prepper or a conscientious grocery shopper, everybody wants reassurance that the food they buy won’t go bad before they eat it. One way to prevent this fear is to buy foods that won’t ever go bad, and so here’s SCDN’s list of the Top 25 Foods That Will Last Forever.

Honey
1. For those of us with a bit of a sweet tooth, a jar of honey can be an indispensable resource that won’t ever go bad. The low amount of water in honey helps prevent bacteria from spoiling it.
Nuts
1. Having a source of protein that doesn’t spoil is invaluable, and while there may be a few other protein-based foods on this list, nuts can be a great option for fats, fiber, and protein.
Ghee
1. When people think of butter, they certainly don’t think of it as everlasting, but ghee is a special form of butter in which all of the non-fat solids have been removed, meaning that the ghee can last a very long time in room temperature without spoiling.
Salt
1. Salt is unique from many other seasonings because it is actually a mineral, meaning that is pretty much impossible to spoil. It is important to note that many name-brand salt producers actually add iodine to their table salt, which reduces the shelf life to about five years. Pure salt is still possible to purchase though, so if you want true permanence, that’s the route to take.
Red Wine
1. 1. Wine is fairly well-known for the fact that in many cases it actually tastes better after it has aged for a few years, and due to the many health benefits of consuming red wine specifically (in moderation), it’s an excellent choice for a non-spoilable beverage.
Powdered Milk
1. If you want a more long-lasting alternative to everyone’s favorite dairy product, powdered milk is where you want to go. The taste may be a little different from traditional milk, but the expanded shelf-life more than makes up for the lack of flavor.
Instant Coffee
1. For those of us obsessed with caffeine, instant coffee is going to be indispensable. While the taste of instant coffee may not live up to its more natural counterparts, instant coffee will literally never expire, making it a worthy alternative to traditional coffee.
White Rice
1. Technically, white rice only lasts for 30 years, but since it’s still an excellent source of carbohydrates, it still qualifies as a solid option for long-lasting food storage.
Sugar
1. Many people don’t realize it, but sugar can actually survive indefinitely at room temperature storage. Once again, this is great news for those of us with a little bit of a sweet tooth.
Dried Pasta
1. 1. The main problem with most foods that causes them to spoil in the first place is the water inside of them that inevitably leads to bacteria and mold. Dried pasta avoids this problem entirely by being completely dehydrated, making it extremely long-lasting.
Popcorn Kernels
1. If your doomsday bunker includes a television, then popcorn is going to be a necessity for those post-apocalyptic movie nights, and while microwaved popcorn expires fairly quickly, the pure kernels will never expire.
Vinegar
1. Vinegar has many different uses, including cooking, pickling, and even serving as a dressing for some foods, and it also has an almost endless shelf-life, making this a must-have for almost every pantry.
Vanilla Extract
1. Another important cooking ingredient is vanilla extract. The good thing about vanilla is that it is also used in extremely small doses for most recipes, so it will take a long time for it to run out.
Cornstarch
1. Cornstarch is another everlasting cooking agent, being used as a thickener for some foods. This item is actually far more useful for its medical properties, however, being used by some to treat both sunburns and athlete’s foot.

Spam
1. Spam is a meat product produced by Hormel, and while the expiration date listed on the product may not seem very long, Spam itself actually lasts far longer than the box would have you believe.

Pemmican
1. Pemmican is a fairly unknown food item invented by the Native Americans and is an everlasting combination of meat and fruits with a high concentration of protein and fat. The way pemmican is made is actually highly interesting, so click here for a more detailed recipe.
Coconut Oil
1. Coconut oil is composed primarily of healthy fats, and fat-based products are highly resistant to spoiling, so coconut oil can act as one of the healthiest and longest-lasting oils.
Textured Vegetable Protein
1. It turns out that the vegetarians may have been onto something this whole time. Textured vegetable protein is the meat-substitute used in many vegetarian dishes, and while it may not taste quite the same as a burger, it will last significantly longer.
Hard Grains
1. Grain is one of the most important foods in our modern diet (there’s a reason it makes up the largest section of the food pyramid), and whole grains like flour only last for a few months, hard grains like buckwheat and spelt last for much longer and can be used in similar ways to normal flour.
Soy Sauce
1. 1. There aren’t too many condiments that will last indefinitely, so it’s important to cherish the ones that do exist. The first is soy sauce, which can last for years in refrigeration without going bad.

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Mustard
1. The other condiment on this list is mustard, which lasts far longer than most condiments. It’s limited use also means it will most likely be a long time before it runs out.
Dried Beans
1. The interesting thing about dry beans is that while technically they will never spoil, the longer they are kept in storage, the longer it takes to properly cook them, meaning that after a few years it could take a good amount of time to properly cook dried beans.
Dates
1. Fruits are another major part of our normal diets, and the problem with most fruits is that they spoil very quickly. Any fruits can be dehydrated to make them last longer, but the only fruits that do this naturally are dates, which means they can last in refrigeration for a significant portion of time.
Chia Seeds
1. While technically chia seeds don’t last forever, having a shelf life of a few years, they are still very valuable for the fact that they contain all nine essential amino acids, making them one of the healthiest sources of protein for humans.
Canned Tomatoes
1. Canned tomatoes, if left unopened, have an extremely long shelf-life and can be used in so many different types of dishes that they are invaluable to a modern survivalist or conscientious shopper.