To a modern person who is used to everyday conveniences, the problem of food storage may seem strange. But let’s imagine that you went on a picnic or went on a tourist trip, or your refrigerator may simply break down and you have to somehow manage while it is being repaired. Or Russia has attacked your country and is destroying the energy industry. Situations are different. If you came with the problem of how to store food without a refrigerator in the summer, then our article may be useful. We have selected the main tips depending on the type of products and available items.
Where to store products
Cold storage is very important for food storage. It is difficult to find coolness in the summer, but it is possible.
- Basement. If there is no refrigerator, then in the summer ready meals and products can be brought down to the basement. It can be both the basement of your multi-rope house and a cellar, a cellar in the private sector. The main thing is that it should be cool there and there should be access to fresh air. It is important to check the premises for mold and insects – these factors can cause food spoilage.
- Well. If you live in a rural area, then most likely there is a well nearby. It is very cool, which will help in the storage of products. You will need a box or bag for food, and a long rope on which the box with food is lowered into the well.
- Ice. If the refrigerator has just been turned off, there may still be ice in the freezer compartment. You will need a large pan, the thicker the walls, the longer the low temperature will last. Wrap the ice cream in paper and place it tightly on the bottom of the pan. Place the products on top and cover with another layer of ice in the paper. Close the pot, wrap it in a thick cloth and put it in a dark place.
- Moist sand. Wet the sand in cold water, and then the procedure is the same as with ice. This method is suitable for trips and for situations when there is no access to the refrigerator for a long time.
Store ready-made products separately from raw ones. Try to cook as much food as is necessary for the family for one day. On the 2nd or 3rd day, it not only loses its nutritional value and taste, but can also spoil.
Open cans should be used immediately. If there is some left over, transfer it to a glass container and cover it.
Canned vegetables should also be opened only before consumption.
How to store different products
Different products have their own conditions that will help extend their shelf life. Let’s consider the most popular and effective tips.
Meat products
Sausages and lard can be stored in tiled stoves in the summer. Clean the oven thoroughly and put food wrapped in paper in it. They will stay fresh for a long time in the oven.
Raw meat will last longer if you wrap it in a clean cloth soaked in vinegar or salt it well and put it in a dish and cover it with a lid. Put a saucer on the bottom so that the blood from the meat flows to it.
Bones and meat with bones do not last long even in the refrigerator, and therefore their storage outside the refrigerator is problematic.
Boiled meat is better stored dry, so the water in which it was cooked must be drained.
Fried meat is stored for a long time if it is covered with fat. However, make sure that there is no water left in the fat.
If you need to store smoked meat for a long time, do not wash it.
In summer, protect meat from flies. Do not put raw vegetables, dairy and cooked products nearby.
Milk and dairy products
Milk cannot be stored in aluminum containers. After boiling it, pour it into a glass, enamel or clay dish.
You should not cover milk that has just boiled. It acquires an unpleasant smell.
Boiling milk will last longer if you add a little sugar to it.
Milk can be kept fresh longer if you put the glassware with it in a bowl or a wide pan with cold water and cover it with a clean wet napkin so that its edges dip into the water. Uniform evaporation of water from the napkin will maintain a low temperature in the container with milk.
Sour cream, cheese, and butter are stored well if placed in cold water in any container. In the summer, the water should be changed several times a day. Cheese is well stored without a refrigerator, if it is wrapped in a clean, damp white cloth and kept at a temperature no higher than 10-15 °C. The fabric should be rinsed in cold water once or twice a day.
To prevent the surface of the cheeses from drying out, wrap them in a damp cloth.
Vegetables and fruits
Fresh vegetables are stored for a long time if they are put in a box and covered with dry sand (so that they do not touch each other).
Cleaned vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. At the same time, avoid metal dishes. Also, do not keep cooked vegetables in metal dishes.
Store potatoes in a cool, dark place at a temperature not lower than 0 °C. At a lower temperature, starch quickly turns into sugar, potatoes become sweet and tasteless. Light promotes the formation of a harmful substance in potatoes – solanine.
In winter, it is better to store onions and garlic woven into wreaths and suspended so that they do not touch other objects.
Lettuce, radishes, green onions and other vegetables will be fresh for several days if they are wrapped in a cloth moistened with a solution of vinegar and water.
Parsley greens and green onions can also be had in winter. To do this, plant parsley roots and onion heads in flower pots or boxes and place them on the windowsill in the kitchen. You should not water often.
Dried fruits and vegetables store well in cheesecloth bags, suspended in a cool room. Sometimes they should be reviewed and damaged ones should be removed.
Other products
Flour and cereals are best stored in boxes or tin boxes. It is also possible in bags, but then at least once a month you should ventilate, stirring. Put some charcoal on top of the bag. Thanks to it, you can avoid the penetration of insects, moisture and prevent the appearance of rot.
Eggs for long-term storage are placed in boxes with the sharp end down and covered with shavings, sand or straw.
Eggs are not washed for such storage. You can also grease each egg or cover it with paraffin and put it in a jar. Regardless of the storage method, they should be kept in a cool place.
Pork fat is stored for a long time in glass, enamel or clay dishes in a cold room.
Vegetable oil will not turn bitter if you pour it into a bottle made of dark glass upside down, pour 50 g of vodka and close it well. Save the oil need in a dry cool place.
Buy mushrooms only if you are completely sure of their quality, and the quality is determined by competent persons, and buy as much as you need for one time use.
Fresh mushrooms and dishes made from them cannot be stored even in the refrigerator.
So that dried mushrooms do not lose their aroma, they should be stored in jars that are hermetically sealed.
Salt, sugar, black and red pepper easily absorb moisture, so they should be stored in a dry place in a tightly closed glass or porcelain container.
To prevent salt and sugar from absorbing moisture, put a few grains of rice at the bottom of a salt shaker or sugar bowl.
Salt will also be dry if you mix it with starch (for 500 g of salt – 30 g of starch) or put blotting paper on the bottom of the jar in which it is stored.
Poppy quickly goes sour. Fresh poppies are best kept in a canvas bag in a cool, well-ventilated room. Poppy seeds should be ground only before consumption: when ground, it deteriorates faster and becomes bitter.
Yeast is kept fresh for two weeks if you cut it into small pieces, put it in a jar, fill it with cold water and put it in a cold, dark place. Yeast does not lose its fermentation properties for several weeks if it is ground with flour, dried, put in a cup or glass and sprinkled with flour on top. You can also put yeast in crushed salt.
Nuts keep well if they are washed in cold water and dried in the open air. When the nuts are completely dry, they are put in a bag and hung up.
Dry dough products are stored for a long time if they are placed in a tin box, tightly closed and kept in a cool room.
The cake will not dry out if you put an apple in the box where it lies.
Black and white bread should be kept separately. White easily absorbs the smell of black, as a result of which its taste deteriorates.