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Hey guys and gals, something terrible happened today in my house. Mom returned home from work, and found a huge puddle around the fridge. She opened up the freezer, and discovered that it was way too warm inside (surely above freezing). The fridge was abnormally warm as well. All the frozen items have become a mushy goo .
By this time, mom decided there was an immediate need for a new refrigerator and went to sears since there was a decent sale on refrigerators. We went to sears and placed the order for home delivery, but it will take 4 days to arrive. In the meantime, could you give us any tips on how we can survive without a refrigerator for 4 days in today's world. Has anybody here done this before. Looks like we will have to dial up grandpa in India for tips. In his days, there was no refrigerator at home.
Pretend that you are camping and fill several coolers with ice. I am sure you can borrow coolers from friends, family, or neighbors if you don't have enough of your own.
Pretend that you are camping and fill several coolers with ice. I am sure you can borrow coolers from friends, family, or neighbors if you don't have enough of your own.
Good tip. I only have 1 cooler for now, and fit in what I could. Figuring out what to do with the rest.
Will my fruits and veggies survive for 4 days outside without rotting ?
I spent the first five years of my life without electricity. Milk came from the cow. We made our own butter and stored them in the spring house. That would be your ice chest.
First though, is anything in the freezer still good? Give that to local people who feed the hungry. It won't last. If the ice crystals are gone; throw it in the trash.
We had canned food instead of freezer food. My mother canned her own stewed beef, sausage, etc. They are there on the grocery shelf. There are also canned fruits, canned vegetables, etc. after what you have goes bad.
Buy produce enough for one day on a daily basis.
I hope you are close to a grocery store. Just buy enough for the day and fix only enough for the meal.
When a vegetable or fruit starts to spoil, pitch it. Rotten produce speeds rot in other produce.
Better yet, buy KFC, Arby's, pizza at mealtime. Apples usually keep pretty good. Pears, maybe. Bananas are best and buy rather green.
You know the prepared foods in the grocery deli such as salads? Now is the time to buy and eat them immediately. Peanut butter and bread will keep you from starving.
Is there a feed the hungry kitchen in your area. This is an emergency and they may share with you.
Also you could ask around to see if anyone has a dorm-size refrigerator you could borrow. We used a dorm fridge for a few weeks when we moved out of state and had to purchase new appliance.
Also, I object to your statement, "something terrible happened today at my house." "Something terrible" might be a house burning down or being destroyed by tornado. Living without a refrigerator for four days is just a minor inconvenience.
Also, I object to your statement, "something terrible happened today at my house." "Something terrible" might be a house burning down or being destroyed by tornado. Living without a refrigerator for four days is just a minor inconvenience.
I am a pampered boy brought around all conveniences . This is the first time I will experience living without a refrigerator in hot weather. The last time this happened, it was mid winter and we used the garage as a storage. It was 26 F inside the garage at the time.
I am sure we will manage somehow. After all, my Grandparents didn't have a refrigerator till their early 50's, and they were able to manage well.
I spent the first five years of my life without electricity. Milk came from the cow. We made our own butter and stored them in the spring house. That would be your ice chest.
First though, is anything in the freezer still good? Give that to local people who feed the hungry. It won't last. If the ice crystals are gone; throw it in the trash.
We had canned food instead of freezer food. My mother canned her own stewed beef, sausage, etc. They are there on the grocery shelf. There are also canned fruits, canned vegetables, etc. after what you have goes bad.
Buy produce enough for one day on a daily basis.
I hope you are close to a grocery store. Just buy enough for the day and fix only enough for the meal.
When a vegetable or fruit starts to spoil, pitch it. Rotten produce speeds rot in other produce.
Better yet, buy KFC, Arby's, pizza at mealtime. Apples usually keep pretty good. Pears, maybe. Bananas are best and buy rather green.
You know the prepared foods in the grocery deli such as salads? Now is the time to buy and eat them immediately. Peanut butter and bread will keep you from starving.
Is there a feed the hungry kitchen in your area. This is an emergency and they may share with you.
Very good tips, all of them. So, basically buy what you need on a daily basis such that there are no leftovers, right.
I just endured a few days with a dead fridge. As others have said, you just have a few coolers, even the cheap styrofoam type, and fill them with bags of ice. You can keep milk and eggs and some meat cold enough. Don't buy any frozen foods. We ate carrots, potatoes, rice, canned baked beans, hotdogs, and I used up a huge amount of ground beef before it spoiled by making hamburgs and a meatloaf. We kept the meatloaf cool enough that we could make sandwiches with it.
Keep on buying bags of ice. Keep using canned goods and things that don't spoil like fresh vegetables, fruits, bread. You may have to live without ice cream for a while but it can be done!
It's only for a few days. When people go camping and don't have electric they keep things in coolers for weeks at a time. Just buy the right things and keep a good supply of ice in the coolers. It's not hard once you get the hang of it.
Don't buy/keep/use anything that requires a fridge.
Peanut butter sandwiches and chips, bananas and bagels, cans of soup, etc.
4 days won't kill you...
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. This is the first time I will experience living without a refrigerator in hot weather. The last time this happened, it was mid winter and we used the garage as a storage. It was 26 F inside the garage at the time.
