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

submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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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.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 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] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

thanks - i’ve updated the post.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 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 9 months ago

i wondered about that.