Sugar ~ Foods with No Expiration Date ~ Pantry Builder #1

"I knew there was sugar in the tin, but had no idea of there being enough to last..."

~ Jane Austen, In a Letter

Ample food storage was the normal way of life of our pioneering ancestors and is a large portion of preparedness (and prudence, in general!). The problem is that a surplus of many foods is not wise if the shelf life is short. We will be sharing a list of useful foods that you have "permission" to purchase in bulk due to the fact that they have no expiration date! For many of us housewives that lack the latest gear to store long-term foods, this is great news! These provisions also have many uses (remember our concept of versatility?) and will benefit the household during the good and not-so-good times!



Today we will focus on the merits of storing sugar. I thought it would make a nice and "sweet" start to our "Pantry Builder #1" post. Though we try and use more natural sweeteners in our daily life, I can not say that our household is completely sugar-free (nor am I being an advocate for sugar, however, I am an advocate for common sense!). For one, sugar is very inexpensive (aka cheap) and therefore quite convenient to buy in bulk. Secondly, it is very versatile and even necessary for a healthy lifestyle as you soon shall see. Third, it is quite essential for food preservation which is the sister to self-sufficiency which is a sister to preparedness. And finally and most obvious, you can economically make basic muffins and other from-scratch foods with just "a spoonful of sugar..."

"And let them gather all the food of those good years that come..."

~ Genesis 41:35

Before we begin, I wanted to mention that there are many reasons that people prepare and not all of them are doomsday scenarios. Our main reason is for "lean times". We are full-time farmers which means our income is very sporadic. In the winter, it is almost stagnant. Having a supply of food which has been gathered in the good times creates a sense of proverbial peace. Like the biblical ants who collect in the summer, so must we! Because of this, I am also going to include projects we can make and do with our pantry building supplies that can be used for everyday household use and gift giving -- it may help us to be creative in the lean times when we are working with limited resources. Plus, by seeing how versatile these pantry items are, perhaps it will encourage you to store more abundantly when you have the opportunity. This information will also be shared in a printable for each item to include in your Proverbs 31 Preparedness binders.

SUGAR

Brown, Powdered and White

When properly stored, the shelf life of sugar is indefinite. For best results, store sugar in a cool, dry area and make sure it is tightly sealed after opening (we keep ours in a large canister in the kitchen and the remaining in a large pantry container). If storing your sugar in the original bag, place an additional thick plastic bag over the bag and seal (with a twist or tie). White sugar loves a dry environment while brown sugar thrives in humid climates.

How to soften white sugar:

"White sugar will become hard if it absorbs moisture, so to soften it again you can place it in a 150°F oven for 15 minutes then break it up with a spoon. Turn the oven off and leave it in the oven for another hour or two." ~ Eatbydate.com

How to soften brown sugar:

"Brown sugar will become hard when it dries out and looses its moisture, so to soften it you can add a slice of fresh bread to the bag for a day or two or a damp paper towel separated from the sugar by plastic wrap. You can also use an organic (or washed well & dried) orange peel to place in the container, the natural oils from the orange will soften the sugar. The paper towel or orange peel method will soften brown sugar within several hours while the bread will soften brown sugar in a few days (1-2), but is the preferred method. If you are in a big hurry, you can cover a bowl of brown sugar with a damp paper towel and microwave for about 20 seconds - but be careful as a few too many seconds can produce a bowl of goo!" ~ Eatbydate.com

Though sugar is something many of us try to avoid, let's face it, a chocolate cake is a necessity once in a while! But with all joking aside, a stock pile of sugar will allow you to:

• bake simple cakes and muffins (with just a few frugal ingredients to keep hungry bellies full)

• preserve foods (by canning jams, jellies, etc.)

• make your own vinegar from fruit scraps  (lacto-fermented foods are very healthy)

• to maintain kombucha (this is my other attempt at sharing its purpose for the healthy lifestyle)

• sprinkle powdered sugar on desserts as a quick, frugal, no-fuss "frosting"

• make simple syrups, fruit syrups, herbal syrups and medicinal syrups

• to prepare simple fruit shrubs and so forth... 

• sweeten homemade drinks. Also, if your stored emergency water that has been pre-treated with bleach, sugar will make it more palatable during a state of emergency. Many "preppers" keep kool-aid on hand for this very purpose. You can make your own by mixing up a box of jello powder and (you guessed it) white sugar (3 parts jello powder to 1 part white sugar). To make the 'kool-aid", mix 2 cups of water with 2 1/2 tbsp. of your homemade mixture (recipe found here). 

• make your own hair spray

• make up some simple body scrubs 

• heal wounds (According to sugar.org and many other web sources, "when sugar is applied to an open wound, it absorbs the wound’s moisture which prevents the growth of infectious bacteria. Physicians also believe sugar supplies the very nourishment damaged tissues require to heal." You will find a printable PDF here with this information.)

Do you have any more useful ideas for sugar to add to this list?

You will find our printable "Proverbs 31 Preparedness" sheet for ways to use sugar HERE!

Your homework for the week:

• Assess the amount of sugar you store in your pantry. Could you add more to your food storage knowing it has no expiration date and is so versatile? 

Extra Credit:

• Print out the "Ways to Use Sugar" printable and add it to your Proverbs 31 Preparedness Binder.

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up and Create, Bake, Grow & Gather. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).