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Fridgeless?
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Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 11 9:09 am Post subject:

Chez wrote:

marigold wrote:

Peacock ceviche? I'll pass, thank you...

I read that as Peacock Crevice.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 11 4:00 pm Post subject:

By the time I'd read to the previous post, I was laughing so much, I'd forgotten the original question.

Jo - life without a fridge is fine so far - it's been about 9-10mths - though I've not had a really long spell of hot weather to deal with.

I've made some adjustments to how I cook / use /store food - as a one-person household; might work differently for a family.

A freezer is a necessity. I cook in bulk and freeze in 1or2-meal portion packs.

You need to be OK about eating the same thing for a couple of nights in a row, or more.

Buy the size of milk that you will get through before it goes off. This may mean buying smaller more expensive cartons. I buy several at a time and freeze them till needed. You need to remember to defrost before you need need need them. Defrost in the bucket - takes a couple of hours before there's enough liquid milk for a cup of tea.

My 'fridge' is a bucket of cold water. In it live the milk, the jar of mayo, and any unfrozen, unopened, watertight packs of [cheese etc].

I freeze butter till needed and keep it in a butter dish. Again, just defrost what you'll need before it goes off. In summer I buy salted cos it lasts longer. In winter, unsalted which I prefer.

Cheese - I buy a big block and cut smaller and freeze. Hard cheeses only.
Ham, bacon, sausages, pate - repack in portion-sized packs [just layers/'leaves' of plastic bag will do] and freeze
Bread - slice and freeze, use as needed, either defrost or toast. Some defrosted bread is nasty; some OK.

I probably wouldn't defrost > cook a large joint of meat in summer. Better to buy fresh and roast immediately, then cut up and freeze leftovers.

I eat a lot less meat.

Work out a measure of a portion of uncooked rice / pasta, and use it to avoid waste. I'm a lot more cautious, especially in summer, about leftover 'stodge' that I would previously have put overnight in the fridge and eaten the next day. It might work if you put it into a watertight wide-necked jar stored in the water bucket.

Not having a fridge means less stuff available to snack on, or not immediately edible.
A microwave might be useful, though I don't have one - for quick defrost and eat.

Lack of summer salady things normally kept fresh in a fridge might be a pain - lettuce, spinach leaves, coleslaw.

The pantry, which is the coldest room in the house, is very useful.
This house is cold all year round anyway.

Why did you ask ?

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 11 4:26 pm Post subject:

gil wrote:

Cheese - I buy a big block and cut smaller and freeze. Hard cheeses only.

If you haven't tried them, brie and dolcelatte freeze well. They actually seem to change less after freezing than cheddar etc.

ETA: If you do have a micro, rice can be frozen in portions for later zapping (from frozen). If you cook a large batch of rice, take your hot portion and eat it, cool the rest by running cold water through the sieve and freeze straight away there shouldn't be any risk of FP.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 11 4:45 pm Post subject:
Marigold - that's interesting about rice, and less hard cheeses. Thanks for the info !

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 11 5:13 pm Post subject:

gil wrote:

Marigold - that's interesting about rice, and less hard cheeses. Thanks for the info !

I reheat rice from frozen in the microwave - I've got a set of individual plastic pudding bowls from Lakeland which are perfect for going from freezer to micro. I would be very wary about defrosting/reheating rice if you don't have a microwave. But I'm sure you are aware of the dangers of leaving rice around at room temperature!

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 11 5:16 pm Post subject:
Yeh, re-heated rice is something I was once rather ill after. Never again. I used to have the rice cold from the fridge the second day, and just reheat the main dish.

Jo S

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 5174
Location: Somerset

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 11 5:29 pm Post subject:
Thanks gil, good to know it's working. Hardly seems worth me running a fridge - mine is currently housing milk, butter, half a block of cheese and a punnet of strawberries. Was thinking of going down the coolbox route.

longbowbob

Joined: 04 Jun 2011
Posts: 3

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 11 5:48 pm Post subject:
for a powerless fridge, see https://www.reuk.co.uk/Desert-Refrigerator-Power-Free-Cooling.htm just a couple oflarge flowerpots, sand and water. Visited by the link faires

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 11 6:14 pm Post subject:
Hi Longbowbob, welcome to Dowsizer. Interesting website, how's it going?

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 11 6:49 pm Post subject:
The reuk site has some great stuff on it - chicken house door openers etc. Welcome, longbowbob!

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8916
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 11 8:17 pm Post subject:
I try never to have leftover rice or pasta. 50 g of dried generally= one portion

cassy

Joined: 04 Feb 2008
Posts: 1047
Location: South West Scotland

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 11 11:13 am Post subject:

We use a coolbox with 2 x 3litres of frozen water (squash bottles). They last approx. 5 days before changing.

To defrost joints of meat overnight or when we need extra storage capacity, we use a polystyrene meat box with the same ice bottles. You can also keep raw meat separate from other food by using additional boxes.

I don't think it is too difficult to live without an electric fridge if you have a freezer.

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 11 11:30 am Post subject:
I can remember when my parents bought their first fridge. One of my Grandmas never had one. Milk and other dairy products were kept cool with unglazed terracotta pots, a bit like these: https://www.suffolkpotteries.co.uk/kitchen-pots.html However, in those days, perishable stock was bought as required (and milk delivered every day!).

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 11 11:50 am Post subject:
We used to just have a cupboard at the top of the cellar stairs, with a mesh door, where butter and milk were kept. Everything else was bought fresh daily.

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 11 12:19 pm Post subject:
I would love to go fridge less and reckon I could do it "if" I got my self organised. OH won't even consider it though so it ain't going to happen. When I eventually get my larder and manage to prize the meat safe away from my mother who never uses it, I may have another go at persuading OH to give it a go. Gil - I reckon there's a making of a DS article there

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