does white sugar have a shelf life?
i have had a sealed container of white sugar for about 5 years now, we have been using it slowly, but is it safe/healthy to continue using it because of its age? or should i replace it?
Best Answer
Various references, including this one from Lantic sugar note the shelf-life of granulated white sugar as indefinite or effectively forever.
Presuming, likely, that it is stored as you note in a sealed container.
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How can you tell if your sugar is bad?
What is this? If you notice mold or any other organic growth, or there are bugs, eggs, or any other contaminants in the bag, you should discard the sugar. If your granulated sugar gets hard and lumpy, it means moisture found its way inside the bag ([USU]).CAN expired sugar make you sick?
Expired sugar won't make you sick, but its quality degrades over time. Even so, consuming hard and dry sugar is still safe.How long does sugar last after expiration date?
According to Eat By Date, granulated white sugar, white sugar cubes, raw sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, sugar substitute, Equal, and Sweet n Low all last indefinitely. Although their textures might change, sugar never completely expires.What is the best way to store white sugar long term?
Store sugar in a cool, dry location (not the refrigerator). Moisture makes granulated sugar hard and lumpy. Once this happens, it creates problems in usage and there is no easy method to restore lumpy sugar. Always store all sugars in an odor free area.More answers regarding does white sugar have a shelf life?
Answer 2
White sugar was commonly used as a preservative in the past, in much the same way as salt. It's wildly hygroscopic (like salt), and an excellent desiccant, so if you packed something in it, it would accelerate the drying process. This is actually the origin of fruit jam and fruit preserves, which are still common today, even after better methods of preservation are available.
Salt was more common simply because many things like eating/living in WET sugar, so you had to be careful with how much water was in the thing you were trying to preserve. But as long as the sugar was dry it's an extremely hostile environment for bacteria and little crawly things.
Kept dry, it will last forever.
Answer 3
As long as the sugar is dry, there is nothing that can go wrong with it that will not be immediately visible. If ants, flies, cockroaches get at it, it'll be pretty obvious. Invisibles like bacteria or virii can't live on dry sugar, and the same goes for fungi, as it tends to soak up al of the moisture from anything trying to live on it.
Basically, as long as it's white and nothing is crawling on it, it's fine.
Sometimes I think that food manufacturers put a best before date on stuff just to make people feel better, or buy replacements every so often.
Answer 4
Somewhat counter-intuitively, bacteria can't grow really well in an environment that's pure sugar. Just keep it dry.
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