Food

680 readers

1 users here now

Everything related to cooking, nutrition and food preservation

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

19 herbs, spices, sweeteners, and acids that make your food last longer (web.archive.org)

submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

4 comments fedilink hide all child comments

If you incorporate these ingredients in your cooking, your left-overs will last longer:

honey
salt
garlic
sugar (only in high amounts according to feedback; small amounts shortens the life)
ginger
sage
rosemary
sage
mustard
cumin

Additionally from other articles:

black pepper
mustard seed
turmeric
cinnamon
cardamom
cloves

Acids mentioned by others:

vinegar
citric acid
lemon/lime juice

I just had some harissa get moldy after just a couple weeks in a jar in the fridge. I was surprised. I suppose it implies a lack of the above ingredients.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Adding sugar in low amounts to food will make it spoil faster. Sugar is only a preservative at high sugar concentrations to prevent bacterial growth.

Notably missing from this lists are acids: lemon juice, vinegar, citric acid which will lower ph and slow bacterial growth.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

thanks - i’ve updated the post.

[–] Cris_Color 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I would assume the same is true for honey, since honey is just a solution of sucrose and glucose thats high enough in concentration of those sugars that it won't mold, but it will if you dilute it

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

i wondered about that.